Google announced on Wednesday that its mapping software and other products would be available in Syria after getting export approval by the US government.

The Internet giant said Google Earth would be made available for download along with the photo-sharing application Picasa and the Chrome Web browser.

“Free expression is a fundamental human right and a core value of our company — but sometimes there are limits to where we can make our products and services available,” Google’s export compliance chief Neil Martin said in a blog post.

“US export controls and sanctions programs, for example, prohibit us from offering certain software downloads in some countries. The fine details of these restrictions evolve over time, and we’re always exploring how we can better offer tools for people to access and share information,” he added.

Last year Google made the same services available to people in Iran but blocked access by government computers there.

The US government is in the midst of an initiative to promote online freedom around the world and at the same time to limit certain types of hardware and software that can be used for filtering or monitoring by repressive governments.

Amid a deadly crackdown in Syria, demonstrators use social networking sites, notably Facebook and YouTube, to whip up support for protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

But the regime is also using the Internet to strike back, and the government has deployed a special unit — the Syrian Electronic Army — to post pro-Assad comments on anti-regime websites.

Earlier this year Swedish mobile live video streaming site Bambuser said its services had been blocked in Syria shortly after a user had broadcast a bombing in Homs thought to have been carried out by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/software/google-clears-key-mapping-software-for-syria/articleshow/13415906.cms

AgTerra Technologies of Sheridan, Wyoming announces the release of MapItFast, new mapping software for Android tablet and smartphone devices. MapItFast allows users to easily map points, lines, and areas (including user labels and descriptions) based upon their current GPS location. Features are placed on background street maps and/or aerial imagery. Pictures from any camera may also be included.

According to Alan Telck, president of AgTerra Technologies, “The MapItFast app is designed for users who need a quick and easy way to map without expensive, cumbersome hardware and technically challenging software. MapItFast users can create professional and detailed maps without calling on a GIS expert. Furthermore, people are able to use the smartphone or tablet they are already comfortable with to get the job done.”

MapItFast only requires a GPS for creating maps on the device; however if a cellular data or Internet connection is available, MapItFast engines allow all map elements to be instantly available to project participants anywhere in the world. Maps may be securely shared, analyzed and edited online and even exported to formats that allow the data to be used in other GIS software systems such as Google Earth and ArcGIS.

MapItFast is an ideal mapping solution for outdoor based activities such as inspections and surveys, wildfire and disaster response, utility work, crop scouting, mobile asset tracking, wildlife management, oil and gas fieldwork, rangeland monitoring, weed and pest projects, and even outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, geocaching and hunting.

AgTerra Technologies, Inc. of Sheridan, Wyoming is a solutions provider delivering data collection and information systems technology to the agriculture and natural resource industries. The company’s solutions help businesses ease the challenges of data collection, management, and distribution of information; leading to better decision-making, increased workforce productivity and greater value to their patrons.

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/agterra-launches-new-mapping-software-2012-02-21