As GIS professionals, we often browse websites with embedded maps and wonder: "Which map service is this? Can I use it in my own projects?" While some sites credit their map providers, many obscure this information, making it increasingly difficult to identify useful basemaps.
Is there a tool that automatically detects map service URLs while browsing and even formats them for direct import into GIS software like ArcGIS or QGIS?
Meet Geo Hound – the solution!
The QGIS development team has officially announced plans for QGIS 4.0, with an expected release in October 2025 following QGIS 3.44. This major update centers on modernizing the platform's core infrastructure.
Recently in the MalaGIS discussion group, we debated the seemingly stagnant development of GIS and the career paths for GIS professionals. Honestly, I too feel uncertain. Coincidentally, I came across a 2018 interview with the founder of QGIS. I've translated it below, hoping it offers insight to readers.
In the realm of 3D GIS, the FBX format inspires both admiration and frustration. Developed by Autodesk as a proprietary 3D file format, FBX has been an industry standard for decades. Yet as technology advances, FBX's limitations become increasingly apparent—demanding a critical reassessment of this legacy format.
The debate intensified when ThreeJS officially tweeted four unambiguous words:
FBX needs to die
In a recent video on MalaGIS's WeChat Channel showcasing national expressway mileage rankings, viewers noted the data appeared outdated. I've now updated the dataset using official National Bureau of Statistics records. Download the verified figures below.
PS: Follow MalaGIS on WeChat Channel, Douyin, and Bilibili for more geospatial content.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China
Coverage: 1993–2023
Format: CSV
Granularity: Province-level statistics
Unit: 10,000 km (Note: 1 unit = 10,000 km)
Simple visualization can be achieved in QGIS/ArcGIS. Below is a QGIS example: 
A reader recently noted that my earlier guide on purchasing licensed ArcGIS Pro is outdated. Upon review, I confirmed this—Esri no longer offers ArcGIS Desktop 10.8.2 for personal purchase, leaving only ArcGIS Pro available. Essentially, individual users can no longer legally acquire Desktop versions.
The recent sale of 43 global ports by Li Ka-shing—including two along the Panama Canal—has drawn international attention. I attempted to develop an interactive Cesium visualization showing these ports' geographic distribution, but news reports only mentioned quantities without specific coordinates. This required manual data collection.
PS: Video demonstration available on MalaGIS Video Channel.
Previously, I shared resources for Downloading and Installing Global Mapper Pro v24.0, but that version is a bit outdated. Now, I'm updating to the Global Mapper Pro v25.1 resource that I'm currently using. This article will share the installation package that I have personally tested and verified to work. Additionally, the installation method for Global Mapper Pro v25.1 is slightly different from that of Global Mapper Pro v24.0, so this article will also introduce the detailed installation steps.
In a previous article, I introduced a streamlined workflow using DeepSeek + QGIS (Beyond the Hype: Practical Integration of DeepSeek in GIS Workflows). It's undeniable that large language models like ChatGPT and DeepSeek are profoundly transforming the GIS industry. Recently, the domestic AI editor Trae officially launched. After testing it, I'm convinced this tool is essential—it significantly accelerates workflows for both GIS development and data processing!
If you're unfamiliar with Trae, you might recognize Cursor; if not Cursor, perhaps Windsurf? If those don't ring a bell, have you encountered Cline, CodeGPT, v0, Bolt.new, Tongyi Lingma, or Douban MarsCode? If none sound familiar, it's time to catch up with AI advancements.
Simply put, Trae is a competitor to Cursor—the pioneering AI editor that redefined coding. Unlike autocomplete plugins (e.g., GitHub Copilot), AI IDEs like Trae and Cursor enable comprehensive code modification, refactoring, documentation, and commenting. They support multi-model integration, provide repository-wide intelligence, debug in real-time, and offer interactive AI conversations like DeepSeek.
While I previously used Cursor, its unstable performance in China limited my recommendations. But with DeepSeek's open-source release and localized optimizations, ByteDance's Trae delivers exceptional quality—highly recommended!
The latest leaked ArcGIS Pro 3.4 learning edition with Chinese localization is now available. I've personally verified its functionality—installation is straightforward. Users interested in exploring can upgrade using this version.
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