Lost City Uncovered In Cambodia

by Adam Hodge on

A 1,200-year-old city has been uncovered by archaeologists in a thick, mountainous jungle in Cambodia, Australia’s Fairfax Media has reported. An international team of researchers using helicopter-mounted laser-imaging technology discovered dozens of temples connected by networks of roads, canals and dykes some 25 miles north of the famous Angkor Wat complex.

The city, Mahendraparvarta, predates Angkor Wat by 350 years. Archaeologists have been studying the area for some time, but only realized the extent of the city after mapping the area using lidar technology. Lidar is similar to radar, but uses laser pulses in lieu of sound waves to map terrain.

The researchers had to trek through dangerous landmine-ridden jungle to get to the city. Much of the medieval infrastructure is invisible behind a shroud of dense foliage. Promisingly, due to the difficulty of access, it appears some of the temples may have avoided being looted.

With further study, the team hopes to discover why the city was abandoned. According to Damian Evans, a co-leader of the expedition, deforestation and overpopulation may have resulted in the exodus.

Meet the Navteq laser equipped car that makes maps

by Scott Carmichael on

When strolling through the GPS and navigation section of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, I came across a Volkswagen Jetta with a rather large piece of equipment sticking out its backside. The equipment is part of the new NAVTEQ True mapping system, and is what helps us get more reliable maps, maps with street view images and 3D building renderings.

Inside the (not factory installed) accessory, is a LIDAR system with 64 lasers, a variety of high resolution cameras and of course a whole assortment of GPS receivers. The car drives around, collecting up to 1.5 million pieces of data every second. The end result is more reliable maps, better quality street images, and 3D building data.

An example of a site using the 3D building data is the Nokia Ovi Maps service – these buildings are exact 3D replicas of the actual hotels on the Las Vegas strip. As GPS units become more powerful (and storage gets cheaper), we should start seeing 3D images and street view photo make our way onto portable devices – without the need for a data connection.

Of course, with the news of Nokia offering free lifetime turn-by-turn navigation on all its smartphones, getting access to more reliable maps is a very nice bonus (Nokia owns Navteq). So, next time you see a Volkswagen drive down your street with what looks like a rocket sticking out its rear end, smile!