Archive for March, 2010

Update Your Acrobat!

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Haven’t updated your Acrobat Reader lately? Then it’s time to pay attention! Adobe has recently released a major security patch.

According to a ComputerWorld article, 61% of the nearly 900 targeted attacks it’s tracked in the first two months of 2010 exploited a vulnerability in Acrobat Reader, Adobe’s popular PDF viewer.

FWA, like many firms, uses Microsoft tools to automatically patch the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office on its PC’s and servers, but third-party software from vendors such as Adobe is another matter.

Uninstall earlier versions of the Reader (v8 or less) and download the latest version from Adobe. Be sure you have version 9.3 or better, or you are not adequately patched.

If you are running the full version of Acrobat or Acrobat Pro (the PDF writer, not Acrobat Reader), use the “Check for Updates Now” option from the pull downs in the software to upgrade to the latest release for your version.

SKohler   Odds and Ends
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Land Surveying Equipment

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

surveyors Land Surveying Equipment

The role of technology in surveying, as in all business, has become increasingly important over the last few years. What does this mean for us?  A lot.

About ten years ago, I wrote an article for the ACSM Bulletin about using integrating technology into everyday surveying.  At that time, FWA was “convinced that GPS technology is for the every day surveyor and should already be included in his or her ‘tool box’”. I found that accuracy and productivity increased, saving both time and money. However, at the time, it wasn’t something that everyone had adopted.

Well, technology has grown and expanded over these past ten years, and we are more sure than ever that it must have its place in a surveyor’s tool box. The old school ways of map tables and alidades have stepped aside for the computer and laser revolution. Landsurveyors.com says that to be truly competitive, surveyors must embrace new technologies. Federal law may even require it. The old school ways have moved over for the computer and laser revolution.

Technology is great for us. It continues to make our work more accurate and efficient. It helps us communicate our findings to our clients much faster and easier. It even lets us write about our findings here. So embrace it, we will.

Read more about changing technologies in surveying.

jmettee   Infrastructure, Surveying
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Land Surveys: Why You Should Get One

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

landsurvey Land Surveys: Why You Should Get One

In recent times, it seems that the need for land surveys has diminished. Although this is a myth, most people are under the impression that a survey isn’t a necessary part of purchasing property.

Here are Frederick Ward Associates, we disagree. We say that surveys have a tremendous benefit. Surveys provide assurance that you are using the most up to date information when purchasing new property. Even more so, a survey can establish boundaries and reveal other rights affecting property, such as easements, rights of way, etc. These can help a purchaser become informed.

Even more so, a survey is useful for legal reasons. Each commercial land transaction is (or should be) anchored with a land survey and title insurance policy. And to ensure surveys are done properly, there are standards for surveyors set in place by organizations like the American Land Title Association or the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. In addition, having an up-to-date and thorough survey can keep property owners out of a legal dispute, should one ever arise over property questions.

With that being said, take the time to get a proper survey done. It is an investment that can ensure proper property purchasing and holding, and will help avoid any trouble that may arise in the future.

See Frederick Ward Associate’s surveying options.



jmettee   Infrastructure, Surveying
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