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We all know that it has been a challenging time for companies like TomTom and Garmin with mobile GPS applications taking over. And of course, Google is always out there shaking up the market. Well, TomTom has decided to fight back with the dark side of the force on its side. TomTom users can now have their turn-by-turn directions read by Sith Lord Darth Vader. In a smart PR move, the company announced this news on Star Wars Day 2010, which was yesterday. Come on. You all did not know that yesterday was Star Wars Day? Fear not – neither did we. According to CNET, the voice of Darth Vader offers standard voice prompts such as “Take the third left,” and memorable quotes, such as “I find your lack of faith disturbing,” with theme-appropriate sound effects. Totally awesome move by TomTom and for all the Star Wars nerds out there, this is an exciting development. And, TomTom developed a hilarious video of Darth Vader in the sound studio recording his directions (we have it in this post). Also, check out the full CNET article here.

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What happens when good satellites go bad? They drift through space, joining the massive amounts of debris floating out there like a zombie, potentially threatening other functioning satellites. This could certainly be the case with the Galaxy 15 commercial satellite that recently lost contact with the ground, and is now being dubbed by engineers as being “zombiesat.” Experts believe that this defunct satellite will probably drift to one of two “gravity wells” that catch most out-of-control spacecraft. The more challenging issue is that Galaxy 15 could threaten nearby satellites because its communications package is still working, and it could interfere with working satellites, and even siphon off their signals. The word is that this is the first time a satellite event like this has occurred, and we don’t really know what ramifications that Galaxy 15 will have on the myriad of commercial and military satellites floating around in space. We assume only time will tell. Read more about “zombiesat” here.

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Welcome to the Friday’s Food for Thought post from got geoint? Earlier this week we did a post about providing raw GEOINT data in real time to the warfighter. And, based on reader comments, this is a good move. So, we thought to ourselves…hmmm…it’s all about fast delivery and access to information. Why not do a FFT post on the concept of fast delivery and speed? Hey, what can we say? We are always looking for linkages between real GEOINT news and what is entertaining. So, strap on your seat belts and take a ride with us as we explore all things “fast.” And, don’t worry, we did not provide any clips from the Keanu Reeve’s 1994 hit movie “Speed.” That would be too easy.

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Every so often we like to extend the concept of the Monday Morning News Kick Off post to the middle of the week — especially when there is tons of GEOINT-related news happening. As such, this week, we are running a Wednesday News Round Up post that includes stories about some insightful commentary from our friends at V1 Magazine on mapping and Haiti relief; news about Gary Payton “slamming” space firm’s quality; and much, much more. And, since many of you are nestled into your home offices today (wow, white our blizzard happening now in DC!), hopefully this news round up is exactly what you need to kick start your Wednesday.

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Last week, we did a post about how the U.S. Air Force is reconsidering its use of GPS and going back to paper maps. And we did a light-hearted Friday’s Food for Thought post about “Paper Versus Digital,” which included none other than a video clip from “The Office.” Well, we came across this article from Runner’s World that takes the GPS versus paper maps debate to the next level. For those who are running advocates, GPS devices have become very popular over the past couple of years. However, much like what is happening in the U.S. Air Force, has there been a GPS backlash happening in the running world as well? Is this a harbinger of more anti-GPS things to come? Read the article and let us know what you think!

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Our friends at DoD Buzz recently came out with a story that highlights how the U.S. Air Force — In the face of threats from jamming and attacks on satellites — needs to lessen its dependence on the Global Positioning System and develop alternatives to GPS. According to the article, Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, said that GPS signals are particularly vulnerable in time of war since enemies know of the reliance U.S. forces place on its highly accurate signal. The article points out that alternatives to GPS include accurate digital maps, if not the good old ink and paper versions. This certainly caught our attention — the printed/paper maps thing. Is this really true? Is GEOINT going retro? Our gut is saying probably not. We anticipate that technology innovations will trump good old fashioned printed maps. What do you all think?

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Welcome once again to our “Friday’s Food for Thought” post hosted exclusively on got geoint? We hope everyone had a productive week and were able to get a jump start on holiday shopping during the better-than-expected Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping sprees. For this week’s FFT post, we are tackling the theme of how science fiction has influenced real scientific breakthroughs. Science fiction movies, books and television shows are often ahead of their times (i.e., Jules Verne, pictured) and play a major role in the development of some of our most significant scientific achievements. Art influences real life. How cool is that? Hope you enjoy and happy Friday!

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According to a recent study by Daratech, a market research firm specializing in GIS, the overall government sector will remain remain strong consumers of geographic information systems (GIS) and geospatial hardware, software, services and data. In 2009, the public sector will account for 40 percent of the $5.3 billion worldwide market for GIS and geospatial products. The most prevalent product categories include data, geo-enabled engineering, global positioning systems, photogrammetric and remote sensing. Daratech also estimated that the total public sector spending worldwide in 2009 should exceed $2.1 billion, with national/federal governments accounting for just less than half of the spending. State/regional governments will spend $654 million, while local governments will spend about $465 million on GIS/geospatial products.

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Now that everyone has shaken off the tryptophan side-effects from eating too much Thanksgiving turkey, we are ready to get focused and back to work. What better way to dive into the challenging work world than to read up on the latest news and headlines — beyond the Tiger Woods car crash (although it does seem a bit shady) — that impacts you. Today, we have compiled a number of stories that cover both domestic and international topics; news about Japan and India’s expanded space/satellite power, as well as a sobering post about the U.S. losing its dominance. As we always say, fire up that second cup of coffee and read on.

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Welcome once again to our Friday’s Food for Thought post exclusively on got geoint? Yesterday’s post about the National Medal of Science being bestowed to Rudolf Kalman for developing the foundation for GPS technology has inspired our theme for today’s post: where would we be without GPS (like the pun?)? Do you recall always getting lost while driving? All you would have were hand-written directions and a Rand McNally map — and a bit of faith — to get you to your destination. Worst of all…no cell phone to call the person at the destination if you got lost. Thankfully those days are gone and today is Friday. So, scroll down and enjoy.

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