Blog Archive

Friday, July 29, 2005

4 more Google Maps mashups!

Oodles of Google Maps - Suggested by a visitor, Oodle.com seems to be present with Google Maps integration. The site features For Sale items, Cars, Housing, Jobs
and other local services for many U.S. cities..

Saratoga Cross Country Courses - Here's a neat mashup created by a local running club in the U.S. The tool shows members various routes on a Google Map as well as taking them through an animated run of each of the routes.
[via]

North American Sports Teams on Google Maps - With the NHL resolving its differences with the players union its time once again for professional hockey to invade the US and Canadian cities.. The North American Hockey Map will help you locate your nearest NHL or semi-pro hockey team. Get out and enjoy this sport.. it's fast-paced and exciting. (PS: Go Detroit! ;) ) For the baseball fans out there, here is an equivalent baseball team locator for all 30 pro and also AAA teams.

MyGuestMap website tool gets better



Since my first post about MyGuestMap, they have reported some changes: Aside from a better visual feel Internationalization support (English and Portuguese already available, Spanish and French are on the way) has been added. As well, multiple icon sets are supported, an email notification feature when someone adds a marker, and the possibility to choose to open clicked links on a new window or on current window. Check out MyGuestMap here (Corrected URL). (They are also eagerly searching for someone to translate the site to Spanish and French).

Google Maps on your Treo 650

KMaps is Google Maps on your Treo 650

Ivan Mitrovic has created KMaps which is a Google Maps viewer for the Treo 650. Here are some quotes from his blog:

Since I use Google Maps often and I use my Treo 650 all the time, I thought it would be nice to have some of Google Maps on my Treo. Google Maps implementation is heavy on AJAX and no Treo 650 web browser to my current knowledge is able to handle Google Maps the way they are handled in the non-handheld browsers (at least my Xiino and Blazer aren't able to handle them). KMaps is my first take on implementing some of the Google Maps functionality on Treo 650. It is a work in progress and feedback is appreciated. KMaps uses Google Maps search results, directions and images to help me find my way around.


[screenshot]

I have used KMaps very often since I have developed it and I thought it might be valuable to other Treo 650 owners, so KMaps is posted it here for download.

Visit his blog to download the viewer..

[via]

Thursday, July 28, 2005

New Mashups and Google Maps sites

Plazes.com now has Google Maps - Plazes is described from their website as "..a grassroots approach to location-aware interaction, using the local network you are connected to as location reference. Plazes allows you to share your location with the people you know and to discover people and plazes around you. It's the navigation system for your social life and it's absolutely free." The site has been improved to use Google Maps functionality. To see plazes in action, here is an example - Where is Peter Rukavina? Kind of a difficult concept to word, head to the site to check things out. [via]

Map on a mission - Here's an overlay of all the Spanish Missions in California.

Libmap UK helps you find UK Libraries - Libmap UK is a Public and Academic Library location service for UK libraries. By using the selections below you can select a City/Town to centre your search around; select the radius of search; and the type of library and library system you are looking for. The unique bit is that not only do you get the library locations on the map [based on a a select radius around a city/town] but in the overlay you get to create a search of the library catalogue. I personally think this is prime for the UK public-info mapping contest being held by IdealGovernment.com(.)

Google Maps starting to integrate with websites - Although not really a mashup, Gmaps are starting to find their way into websites as a map link and directions tool. This example comes from a football club in the UK.

Here are a few regional GMaps Collections sites to make you aware of. To compliment the popular Google maps views "collections" sites like Sightseeing with Google Satellite Maps, these are two regional sites that are compiled specifically for the UK and Australia. Enjoy.

Take browsers to the limit: Google

Take browsers to the limit: Google
By Renai LeMay, ZDNet Australia
28 July 2005

From the folllowing article:

The only way to transform the Web into the desktop platform of the future is to fully embrace bleeding edge features in browser software.

This advice came from the lead engineer of the Google Maps project, Lars Rasmussen.

Speaking at a conference on Web engineering in Sydney, Rasmussen said Maps' use of the XSL+ (Extensible Stylesheet Language) standard and Microsoft's Vector Markup Language as examples of useful technologies seldom used by Web developers. Both are only supported by certain browsers.

If a Web application takes advantage of the best technologies a user's browser can offer, then "each individual gets the 'sexiest' experience in their browser", he said.

"Go beyond browsers' lowest common denominator," he advised developers.

For example, Maps can command Internet Explorer to use VML to display a blue line between geographical points, but use a PNG graphic format and a linear description for the Firefox browser.

The Sydney-based developer revealed the release of Maps created a critical mass of interest from the programming community in the development of AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) applications, or Web applications with sophisticated graphics.

"Google Maps was originally a C++ app intended to be downloaded separately," he recalled, going back to the days before his startup company, Where 2 Technologies, was acquired by Google last October.

However, that changed when Rasmussen and his colleagues -- looking for some venture capital -- pitched their mapping expertise to Google.

(Read the rest of the article here...)

Google Earth: See what the astronauts see..

Google Maps Earth enthusiast Earthhopper has pointed out a way to obtain KML data from an online source to show, with Google Earth, what the astronauts aboard Discovery see!



Earthhopper refers you to these two links as well:

Artemis : a simple application to create real time orbits for Google Earth. Refer Keyhole BBS Thread "International Space Station"

[via]

O'Reilly Radar a great source for Google Maps analysis

The O'Reilly Radar is a great blog for keeping up with emerging mainstream technology trends that affect us all. Whether you are a journalist trying to stay on top of a certain technology-based industry or just a curious technologist the O'Reilly Radar is a beacon you should check in on regularly via the web or subscribe to via something like Bloglines or MyYahoo!.

Over the past few days the folks at O'Reilly Radar have alerted readers to some important Google Maps developments. Here are a few of the blog post titles:

Where 2.0: Compare Google Maps with Virtual Earth
Here's a great article analyzing the present state of the union in the maps API world.. Take a read of this.

Drawing arbitrary GIS data on Google Maps | Holovaty.com
"Chicagocrime now knows about zipcodes. What's cool is that this is the first mainstream example of using Google Maps to draw borders (thematic mapping) rather than simply points...."

Where 2.0: Latest Google Maps Hacks Roundup
(All of the hacks referenced in this post have been pointed out to you previously on Google Maps Mania)

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

5 more Google Maps Tools

Here are 5 more tools for you to get the most out of Google Maps..

MutantMaps Firefox Toolbar- Described as allowing navigation between all of the popular mapping sites while preserving your longitude, latitude and zoom levels, this toolbar can be quickly added to Firefox to facilitate browsing between not only mapping sites like Google Maps but also to some select Google Maps mashups like the Pedometer and Global Coordinate! [via]

Cheap Gas Google Maps widget - Here's a widget from a gallery on konfabulator.com which shows you gas prices pulled from autos.msn.com. For Mac users of this widget, maps are none other than Google Maps.. err.. maps. :)

GMaps Dashboard widget gets an update - Still on the topic of those clever widgets the OSX GMaps Widget has been updated to Version 2.

New in v2.0:
- Widget is now resizable
- Address Book integration: slide-out panel displays list of entries in your address book.
- New icon (courtesy of Chad Weider)
- Italian localization (courtesy of Lorenzo dell'Uva)
[via]

GMapToRoute - Here is a bookmarklet which works with a cgi script to do the inverse of the GPX parser I posted about a few weeks ago. Given a google map with driving directions, it will spit out a GPX file containing a route made up of the numbered "turn here" waypoints in the
directions. It's pretty basic, but it seems to work.

Connect the dots - Here is a nice Google Maps tool. It allows you to enter geographic coordinates and will put markers at the points and/or connect them with lines. Currently it supports GCS in decimal degrees, UTM, and IDTM (apparently a local projection for the state of Idaho).

Google Maps and Virtual Earth together on one page!

Ryan Jonasson has created a page to allow viewing of both Google Maps and Virtual
Earth together
. It's kind of neat. As you drag one map, the other moves as well. True side-by-side comparison in action!


3 more Google Maps mashups!

Find Potholes in NYC - Some might say Andrew Rasiej is obsessed with fixing New York City potholes. Andrew begs to differ: "Together, we have the power to spot problems and solve them far faster and better than any bureaucrat. That's the 'power of many'". He has established WeFixNYC.com which is a mashup that plots where potholes are located and also lets you report a new or repaired pothole. [via]

US Fitness facilities on Google Maps - Here is a great Google Maps mashup that combines a fitness club search for the US overlaid on Google Maps. Search for anything from pilates studios to martial arts schools to traditional health and fitness clubs. Facility types get plotted on the map depending on what you're looking for. You can even search for fitness club chain locations like Curves. Hmm.. I wonder when these franchises will get with the act and start to include this functionality in their primary consumer websites? (Gympost.com is hoping that it will be a while;) )

HotelsX mashes up with Google Maps

Find a hotel using this really cool search interface. Although not completely integrated with the Hotels-X site just yet (it still uses Mapquest in the general search area) this beta version shows you what's ahead. The search interface allows for targeted searching in North American cities and then plots it out on Google Maps based on your criteria. Good stuff. Check out Hotels-X !

..Don't forget to check out the Space Shuttle/International Space Station tracker!

Found: Google Maps bits in the blogosphere..

Some random Google Maps related bits found out and around the blogosphere lately..

The Internet based TV station MobuzzTV.com featured a nifty little spot on Google Maps mashups both in English and in Spanish. I would have to say it's the first real "video" coverage I've seen of Google Maps mashups. The only other 'physical' coverage I've seen was the
small WIRED spread in this month's issue. [via]

The blogger behind Furialog has a great suggestion: "You should be able to click at any point on a route produced by Google Maps directions and choose to override the automatic directions with manual ones." More on the thought here. (Off topic: This entry is followed by some fascinating digital pictures from Japan of floors and food.. Check it out)

I was surprised to read that this French blogger took ViaVirtualEarth to be a clone of Google Maps Mania for MSN Virtual Earth after I translated his post! Cool!

Have you heard of the term Ajax recently? It's become a hot web buzz term for web designers and application developers. Google has employed the "approach to building web applications" in its recent creations; Maps and Gmail to name a few. Essentially Ajax gets us that step closer to enjoying the speed and responsiveness of a desktop application, in an online web application experience. This blogger helps us appreciate why Google Maps is so good with the help of things like Ajax.

Dave Bouwman might be onto something with his theory on when Google will turn on the advertising waterhose. He suspects that after the API has its kinks worked out and folks have spent many hours and dollars to integrate Google Maps into things, they'll unleash the advertisements. What will the effect be? Dave wants to know your thoughts on the
issue. [via]

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Track Space Shuttle Discovery on Google Maps!

Track the Space Shuttle and International Space Station on Google Maps

Here is a great mashup that shows the present location of Space Shuttle Discovery and the International SpaceStation. From the website:

Shuttle Discovery lifted off at 10:39 EDT on Tuesday, 26 July 2005, and is scheduled to rendezvous with the International Space Station at 7:18 EDT Thursday. With this map, you can watch the rendezvous live. The map updates every minute with data from NASA. If you're using the Firefox browser, each craft will trail a tracking line as it moves through its orbit. The white marker and line represent Shuttle Discovery, while the red marker and line represent the International Space Station.

As you sit with the mashup open you can actually see the paths the two spacecraft take! Very cool! :) For more information about the Space Shuttle Discovery's current mission, visit here.

Enjoy this one!

Update: Here are a few more out of Japan: Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station
(thanks Earthhopper!)

2 new Google Maps mashups!

World Earthquakes - http://www.speakeasy.org/~endico/maps/usgs.html - I've linked to a few earthquake mashups but this one betters most I've seen. Dawn Endico has organized earthquakes that have taken place in the last week (greater than 2.5) and displays them by region in a tab-view. Very nice layout. [via]
(You need to cut/paste the above URL since the "~" symbol doesn't translate well for everyone when placed as a link. If it's wrong the Google Maps API doesn't recognize the location and it won't work)

Recent Washington Post stories - GeoWorldNews is an masher of recent Washington Post news stories overlaid on Google Maps. [via]

The meridian bug in Google Maps

Tagzania reports on the "Google Maps meridian bug":

It happens when you have markers at both sides of the 180 Meridian. That's roughly the day-change line over the Pacific Ocean, you know. For instance, this map covering some islands in the Pacific. It should show three markers, one in Fiji, west from the meridian, and two others east of it, at Wallis Island and Tonga, two Polynesian islands. Well, at first sight, only markers in one of the hemispheres show up. But scroll a little bit, dragging the map with your map, and the eastern points disappear, in favor of Fiji. (read entire blog post..)

This is bug has been acknowledged by the Google Maps team here.

This is an (embarrassing) bug, and we are working on it. I will keep you posted when it is fixed. Bret Taylor Product Manager, Google Maps

[via]

Google Maps travel site mashup goes live



Hot off the presses.. Here's a new Google Maps mashup that has been live since noon today! It's called ReserveMy.com and it's aiming to "become the one-stop shop for both business and leisure travelers worldwide." The initial release of ReserveMy.com consists of the hotel search system, and in the months to come the site is planning to add new features that will allow travelers to plan their ultimate trip.

[via]

New Google Maps Pedometer (you haven't seen this one)

The new walk. jog. run. Pedometer is a Google Maps mashup that is being overhauled in its third version to use Google Maps (not sure what it was using before). There are a few features with this pedometer. Aside from using the tool to measure your running or riding routes with Google Maps street mapping you can also save your maps by clicking on any of your markers and hit "Save Your Route" to add it to the database. Next time you or anyone else in your neighborhood is looking for a route, they will see your pin. There are quick links from the site to: USA England & UK Chicago Sheffield Stockport Atlanta Boston

This makes me feel like going for a run!

3 new Google Maps mashups!

Hispanic BlogoMap shows locations of bloggers in Spain - Created using the Google Maps API, the Hispanic BlogoMap geo-positions blogs in the Zoomblog database onto a map of Spain. When you click onto one of the flags, the number of Spanish bloggers is displayed for that region. [via]

Can you hear me now? - CellReception.com features a Google Maps mashup showing cell phone towers and wireless carrier reception. The site features Google Maps integration and "tens of thousands of cell phone carrier comments from real customers using their service all over the U.S."

Earthcomber now provides integration with Google Maps - Earthcomber is an independent guide of nearly 10,000 businesses across the United States, including restaurants, bars, hotels, coffee shops, taxi companies, WiFi spots, special attractions, and more. The way to interface with Earthcomber is by taking out an account on their website, choosing places of interest to you and then transferring this information over to your Smartphone or PDA. Here are some examples of Earthcomber's Google Maps Integration in action: > Frank Lloyd Wright Sites , "My Hometown, Tulsa, OK" and Location Based History with the Underground Railroad.

Monday, July 25, 2005

Get your TripMojo going with Google Maps



TripMojo.com is a hotel search engine with the ability to plot your results on a Google Map. The site itself has the feel of Google's search site. The search field just asks for the location and not multiple fields like an Expedia-like travel search. The anonymous poster that apparently "found" the site mentions that there are some international locations mixed in as well!

(It can only be a matter of time before every travel and hotel directory website has this feature integrated..)

Google Maps + tags + RSS = Tagzania



The tags concept is something that has really been catching on lately. Sites like Technorati, Del.icio.us and Flickr have employed the tagging system to allow users to index and search for blog posts, bookmarks and photos based on a simple keyword. Tagzania has taken this concept and married it with Google Maps by allowing site users to "tag" locations onto a Google Map. To see current tags, go here.

Once you've registered as a user you can start to tag locations of your own by sticking the GMaps pushpin into a location or by indicating it's exact latitude and longitude. Once you've tagged various locations, you can subscribe to that tag's RSS feed and monitor more locations as they are assigned to the Tagzania service under that tag-label.

From the website:

What is this?

Tagzania is about tags and places. If you register and log in, you can add places, points, to create and document your maps. When you add a point, you may tag it with keywords. That way, Tagzania is not only a place to build and keep your own maps, shared territories are created as well.

Examples:


- A user's viewpoint: www.tagzania.com/user/asarasua - A user's particular map: www.tagzania.com/user/jk3us/olemiss - A combination of tags: www.tagzania.com/tag/museum+paris

I can see this taking off as a quick way for online communities to tag locations of interest to them and also to find all the names of a location which are not labeled on the Google Maps street view. The application for this site seems so versatile and the uses seem endless..

MSN Virtual Earth shows twin towers - bad taste

You can debate the merits of one online map interface to other all day but the truth remains - any mapping tool that includes a detailed visual reminder of September 11th deserves flack from me. What product management group sanctions something to go to public release with the actual World Trade Center in clear and detailed view?? I mean really! How difficult is it to image-degrade something or blur it out? Trust me Microsoft - people would understand. Not only does it date your satellite images but it also serves as a pretty grim reminder of one of the worst events in your country's history.

Way to get that product out the door Microsoft.. Good on Google for doing it right.

[via]

Realbird releases Full Google Maps Integration

Mapping Technology Leader RealBird Releases Full Google Maps Integration

RealBird's Online Maps are now available with full and seamless integration with Google Maps and Google Earth Viewer.

Redwood City, CA (PRWEB) July 25, 2005 -- As an industry first, RealBird, Inc., a leading provider of online maps and GIS tools tailored for the real estate industry announced today that its mapping service, including its recently released Map-based Search tool is now available with seamless integration with Google Maps and Google Earth Viewer. (Read full article here)

3 more Google Maps mashups!

These are the people in your neighborhood - Here's a Google Maps + Whitepages mashup which allows you to find out everyone that lives on your street. This information is publicly accessible but would take hours to pull together. This tool, created by Joshua Fraser, quickly lists it for you after you have search for an address. This reminds me of a feature I once used in the Infospace whitepages. This mashup only works for U.S. addresses currently. [via]
UPDATE: Make sure the end address for the above mashup is this:
http://people.clemson.edu/~fraser2/maps/map.php
(copy and paste that URL if clicking the link doesn't work)


Great Vancouver photo gallery Google Maps mashup - Here is a great Google Maps mashup that combines a customized and full-featured Gmaps interface with 3 amazing photo galleries of the city of Vancouver, Canada by PixelDevelopment.com. The interface allows you to toggle between map, satellite and photo album views. Currently the photo albums include the Stanley Park, Downtown, Kitsilano areas of Vancouver. PixelDevelopment seems to be part of a group of progressive web houses quickly adopting the Google Maps API use as part of their portfolio of available skills and services. Excellent idea. [via]

Frisbee-golf anyone? - This Google Maps mashup shows you all the US Disc Golf Courses by 1-9, 10-18 and 18+ holes. Who knew that frisbee golf was so popular?! [via]

New Google Maps Tool: GPlotter

Here is a new Google Maps tool called GPlotter. It is a very simple Javascript object which can read an XML file to map markers onto a Google Map. From Brennan Stehling, the creator:

This object provides a simple interface to plot markers onto Google Maps by using a simple XML file. The interface allows the user to write a few of lines of Javascript to provide this cross-browser functionality. It has been tested and works on MSIE 6, Firefox and Safari. I chose to do it this way after initially updating a Google Map using a lot of Javascript which I felt was too easy to break. It is much easier and reliable to generate XML instead of Javascript, so this approach seemed the right way to go. I have posted GPlotter as version 0.5 and hope to add more features and publish new releases soon. (more..)

[via]

Looking back at the Google Maps timeline


With the blogsphere abuzz today with the "official" launch of MSN Virtual Earth, why not take a look back at the notable events in the short history of Google Maps. Eric Baillargeon has put together a great "Google Maps timeline"..

Some high points in the journey thus far:

8 feb 2005 : Launch of Google Maps
3 march: Integration in Google Local of Google Maps US and Canada

6 april : Google Maps add satellite pictures to Google Maps.

June 20: The One-Way appears now as a blue arrows on maps.

July 14: Google Maps add Japan with maps and satellite images

July 22: Google Maps add a Hybrid view. Borders over satellite over all the world and cities and provinces (CAN)/states(US)/county(GB) except for Japan.


There's lots more to come!

Canadian manufacturing jobs plotted on Google Maps!

manucan +

Manucan is a job site for the Canadian Manufacturing sector that combines traditional searching methods with a visual search that uses Google Maps to display jobs within a particular radius.

To give it a try do this:

1. Click on visual search on the main page. This turns it to visual mode
2. For keywords, enter buyer or millwright
3. For postal code, you can enter L5M5G6 as an example. U.S. Zip codes won't work.
4. For radius, enter 1000 for example. You can enter arbitrary numbers as well.

And.. Voila! All jobs which match that are plotted and text details of the job are listed down a right side panel!

This is a great application for Google Maps and really shows the future of jobs sites making use of this mapping technology. I don't think this site is only limited to Canadian residents either. Interested immigrants to Canada can search for jobs in a community they plan to settle in or perform career research about the regional job market before arriving. Check for Canadian postal codes here. A feature I like is the number of kilometers from that job posting to your home postal code. Very slick.

Planned enhancements include overlaying demographic information like house sales, property tax values, schooling boundaries, and any other information that would be relevant to a person's decision to select a job based on location. Stay tuned to this great Google Maps mashup!

Sunday, July 24, 2005

3 new Google Maps mashups from the UK and Australia!



Get your 5 day UK weather forecast - Here is a UK based mashup work-in-progress that overlays regional weather data (using some cheery "weather-type" symbols) overlaid onto a Google Map. Clicking on these symbols displays the highs/lows, wind direction and speed for the next 5 days! [via]

Find Aussie Places on Google Maps - Planning a trip to Australia and want to know where the closest look out spot to where you're staying is? Or perhaps you live in Australia worrying about an Antarctic penguin invasion you're seeking the nearest defense facilities? AussiePlaces.com will allow you to find these and many (I do mean many) other "places" all plotted on a nifty Google Map. This mashup is from the creator of the Australian weather mashup Zippyweather.com. Post code searching is the means to finding a boat ramp or ten pin bowling on this great mashup from down under.. (Warning: lots of data, a bit slow on the 'ol browser!) [via]

Australian Weather data: TheWeatherChaser.com - This mashup features a ton of data and can really bog down your browser. Be warned before opening. Regardless, it does feature heaps of Australian weather data: temperature, wind speed, pressure, links to
nearby stations, links to radars, among other things! [via]

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Google Maps mashup is a service for bloggers in Mexico

Gustavo Diaz Salazar has created a tool for bloggers in Mexico. The following Google Maps tool allows visitors to add their blog so it can be plotted on a Google Map centered on Mexico. If you are a Mexican blogger, visit his blog for a link to add your site to this Google Maps mashup.

[via]

(Spanish content on provided links were translated using this.)

New Google Maps tool: Locate your favorite websites!



Whereis is a Google Maps tool which allows you to locate where in the world a specific Internet server is sitting. This could be a website URL; eg: http://www.cnn.com or http://news.bbc.co.uk or a mail server address like mail.yourisp.com. Try any website or server address and see where that physical server is currently accepting requests from. It gives you new appreciation for the power of the Internet by showing you the distance your web requests must travel to display pictures and text in your web browser..

[via]

Great Google Maps zoom tool

Here is a cool new Google Maps tool that Raj Kaimal has created that lets you define a region of a Google Map to zoom in on. Raj calls it a "selection box". To define an area on the map to zoom, hold down on the 'z' key and then frame an area with your mouse. When you let off on the 'z' key that area will automatically zoom at the right level. Give it a try. It's a great way to zoom in on certain areas of the Google map without constantly altering your zoom level on the slider...

[via]

Friday, July 22, 2005

Google Maps gives more viewing options: "hybrid"

It seems that the Google Maps team has snuck another feature to it's map interface, adding the "hybrid" map viewing option to the already present map and satellite views. The hybrid feature gives you a bit of the street maps view overlaid on top of the satellite map. Things like streets, highways, city names and state/province boundaries appear to be visible. Take a look!

(Thanks to Ted Timmons for this tip-off!)

World Airports plotted on Google Maps



On July 18th I posted about a competition that is currently being run by IdealGovernment.com in the UK. The contest aims to find the best map-mashup that pulls together publicly accessible UK data. The first entry in that contest features World-Airport-Codes.com's addition of plotting the airport location on a Google Map in each airport code listing. Check out an example of Thailand's Bangkok airport here. A cool feature on this site is the ability to run a distance calculator between two world airports. The result is plotted on Google Maps and even shows you approximate flying time on various aircraft. (Please remind me to *not* fly on a Cessna SkyHawk from Toronto to Bangkok - 59hrs, 44mins!) IdealGovernment has decided to feature the list of UK's top airports from this service as an entrant in their contest. Interested in entering the contest? Check here.

[via]

Nuke your ex with Google Maps

+

Yikes! Here's a Google Maps mashup that I'm not going to even try to provide any commentary on. I'll just put out the link and let people read and try the site for themselves if they wish...

3 new Google Maps mashups from the USA

ApartmentRatings.com + Google Maps - This U.S. Google Maps mashup brings data on over 49,000 apartment communities in 4,165 cities and 270,000 renter ratings. The housing site has developed a way to display a virtually unlimited number of maps points by pre-fetching data dynamically as the user browses the map. This enables users to explore the 600+ apartments in Los Angeles or 1,200+ apartments in Houston on a single Google Map without reloading the map or losing context. Check out the map in action for the city of Houston here.

Betterbidder.com + Priceline.com + Google Maps - This mashup from betterbidder.com lets you bid on the priceline.com auction site more intelligently by showing you the previous bids that were placed in some U.S. cities on a Google Map. Check this forum post and select from one of the available cities: Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco or Seattle. "Keep in mind the maps only track hotels Better Bidder has seen wins for, so not every hotel is listed." [via]

DCFoodies.com + Google Maps - Use this Google Maps mashup and restaurant review guide to locate a restaurant in Washington D.C. - D.C. Foodies is written and edited by Jason Storch [via]

Google Maps bits found around the blogsphere

Here are some random, and interesting Google Maps bits I've found around the blogsphere over the past week or so.. Mr. Vidmar over at Bite my Bytes recently noted that Google Maps had quietly added Slovenia, albeit with mixed resolutions. [via] This Kuwait-based blogger has pointed out an interesting site on the coast of Kuwait. You be the judge of what is flowing into the sea! If you're interested in the intricacies of how Google Maps tiles are displayed, you best read this [via]. This post is not recommended if you haven't had your morning coffee. Finally, Google Maps has given some interesting directions for a Google Maps user from a location in the U.S. to Vancouver, Canada. Maybe the computer providing the directions was thinking the same thing as these guys were.. ;)

How-to: Buddyping + Google Maps

How you can integrate Buddyping with Google Maps

buddyPing provides a mobile location platform for you to find your friends when you are out and about, as well as a location based events calendar that will notify you when something great is happening in your local area. All from your mobile phone. buddyPing uses a lot of Open Source technology as the base platform. This includes PHP, MySQL and Apache as the development platform and some other open standards technology. This "how-to" will show you how they used Google Maps to drive a lot of the visual representation for our user's location.

[via]

3 new Google Maps mashups from the UK

8 data sources merged to one UK based map - This is a fantastic UK-based Google Maps mashup. I'll quote from the site: "This prototype, primarily for BBC Backstage demonstrates layering of live geographic data onto Google Maps. You'll need a fairly modern browser to use it, as it makes extensive use of DHTML and client-side XSLT." - The maps all come from Google and the data and content come from various sources including BBC Travel, WeatherPixie, Pocket GPS world, Geobloggers, GeoURL, Yahoo News, weather.com®, and Flickr.

Ashes Farm Cottages shows you the future - Although not a widely applicable mashup to most visitors, I think this is the future of tourism on the web for B&B's, Inns, campgrounds etc. This map, integrated with a holiday homes website in the UK shows potential guests what they could find in the vicinity of the Ashes Farm Cottages. If you're in that neck of the woods, the place looks quite nice to stay in as well!

Digital pub crawl in Edinburgh - Something tells me that you don't need a web-guide to find a pub in a UK village, town or city EdinburghPubGuide has established one, and they've just integrated a search assist using Google Maps!

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Help Wanted: User needs a Google Mashup made

So you think you're a Google Maps API pro? Check out this post to see if the Craigslist user can use some of your expertise..

--start--
Reply to: anon-86015125@craigslist.org
Date: 2005-07-21, 1:33PM PDT

Looking for someone who can quickly develop a google maps mash up site.

no
-- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
  • Compensation: $100-250
--end--

Watch the finish of a sailing race on Google Maps!

The Transpac Long Beach to Honolulu Sailboat Race Google Maps mashup has shown us what can be done to broadcast multi-day sailing races via Google Maps for the whole web to see!

As of today (updated - please see comment) - Odyssey is on a heading of N 23.53333 W 148.6 and looking to be in the lead with 529 miles to go. Thanks to a user who pointed out that the lead boat is "the communications boat that leads the sailboats and also is there to assist anyone that gets in trouble."



Position reports from each boat are collected by radio at 9am PDT, are posted on the web by about 1:30pm PDT, and show up here some time after that. Use Timeanddate.com to line up the timezones from where you are viewing. Be sure to check out this mashup since it will expire in a few days from the Current Events link listing!

Great new mashup: Mapping Events with Google Maps

Okay now we're talking! It's been a few weeks since a mashup made me grin and nod my head with approval. EVMapper has caused me do this today. This Google Maps mashup and great info-searching tool allows you to query a U.S. Events & Venues Database and display the results on a Google Map:



You can search for all events or only events within a selected location and the resulting entries are then plotted in pushpin-fashion on a map panel. What's more, you can then gain more detailed event information from another information panel and use a nifty calendar below, to reference other dates from the same subject. The search tool is great, and the database is full of concerts, tech events, lectures and conferences from the "eventsphere". This is an awesome use of Google Maps and an existing database. I would project that this kind of search tool will eventually be integrated within every website on the web or Google search service (similar to Google Local).

[via]

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

New Gmaps Mashups: Australian Weather, Hurricanes and BART Schedules

Google Maps + Australia Weather Map - I'm surprised that there hasn't been more in the way of Australian Google Maps mashups. Here is a Google Map that displays live weather conditions around Australia. Click on a region, then zoom into a specific location to get more data. The creator is looking to add some geocode links if he can establish a source. [via]

Google Hurricane Maps - Here is a mashup which displays all hurricane data for a given year. As the site states though: *Note* - years with heavy storm activity may require up to 30 seconds to render, because of the large quantity of data points. During this time your browser may hang, but shouldn't crash (no promises with Internet Explorer though). He is working to fix this lag issue.

Google Maps + BART Map and Schedule - BART stands for Bay Area Rapid Transit, and if you live in that area, you might find this Acme Laboratories Google Maps mashup useful. Use the map to determine scheduled arrivals to specific stations. On the to-do list for this mashup are new features like pre-popping to your home station when you arrive at the site and a way to display weekday vs. weekend schedules. [via]

4 more Google Maps mashups!

Google Map Control Panel - Shiuh-Lin Lee has improved on the Google Maps interface with this mashup/tool called the Google Map Control Panel. He has given you the options to resize the pan/zoom feature, resize the map width/height and where to center it. The cool part is this program has some built-in geo-reference information of the displayed map. Cool stuff. Here is a link to the page with instructions to use it, and a link off to the tool itself. [via]

Screenshot:


Google Maps + Colorado Real Estate - The most progressive real estate companies are getting in on the Google Maps API action. ColoradoFuture.com features a good example of how real estate agents can use the mapping tool for home sales. This full screen Google mashup displays the locations of homes in Colorado and splits the screen between a street and satellite view. Check here and run a mock search to see the map in action.

Remaining Mach 3 Blackbirds on Google Maps - For the aircraft enthusiasts out there, the creator of the historical Area 51 mashup has also created a Mach 3 Blackbird spotting page. The page plots the location of every remaining Mach 3 Blackbird in the USA

Los Angeles Historical Cultural Monuments - Discover the historical side of LA with this Google Maps mashup. The creator has taken you to all the Historical Cultural Monuments in LA by plotting them on a Google street map. Each of the locations link off to photos in the Flickr Historical Cultural Monuments photo group.
I think I'll add a heading to the links section titled "Historical" with all of these guided history mashups popping up!

A new Google Maps: Google Moon!



Not only can you explore planet earth with Google Maps and Google Earth, With the help of NASA imagery Google is now giving you the chance to explore the surface of the moon using the same slick interface!

This from the Google Moon site:

In honor of the first manned Moon landing, which took place on July 20, 1969, we've added some NASA imagery to the Google Maps interface to help you pay your own visit to our celestial neighbor. Happy lunar surfing. More about Google Moon.

(**See what happens when you zoom all the way in! :) **)

The eagle has landed! :)

[via]

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Cool story: How Google Maps Got Me Out Of A Traffic Ticket

Google Maps to the rescue! This guy avoided a $150 fine and some points knocked from his license by showing a DMV judge in Manhattan that a street was in fact two-way, and not one-way, as the charge indicated. How did he prove this? Simple - a laptop, wifi connection and Google Maps. Check out his blog post about the courtroom affair..

The blogger's parting comment: "Thank you Google Maps, you rule."

Do you have a story about how Google Maps has helped you in a bind? If so, post a comment! :)

Google Maps and.. Jesus.

Don't worry, this isn't a sharp turn in the history of Google Maps Mania where I start to spread the good word. Over the past few days I've found a theme in many Google Maps mentions around the blogsphere - Jesus.

First, in keeping with the Flickr Memory Map concept, here is a Google Maps overlay "showing certain cities from the life and ministry of Jesus." Click any of the pushpins to see the name of the city and a link to passages in the ESV that mention the city. [via]

In other news, the blogsphere is alight with speculation of a Google Map satellite view allegedly showing the face of Jesus in the country of Peru. You be the judge. [via]

Google Maps API Tool: add alternative aerial photos

Here's an extension to the Google Maps API which allows you to add aerial photos from other sources, and alternate photos zoom and pan along with the main map. There is a demonstration, download link and documentation here.
[via]

Other Google Maps API related links:

Monday, July 18, 2005

People really getting into the Google Maps act!

In a previous post I talked about the Zoto-powered Geoproject which is attempting to collect all the confluence points in the USA. Here is a person from Argentina who is taking a picture of his confluence point in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Lat -30.61086 Long -58.41862). His blog shows the zoom in to show where the picture is taken. I think it's great that he's actually holding a pushpin with the latitude and longitude to illustrate! :)

3 more Google Maps mashups!

Hotornot.com + Google Maps - HotorNot.com is a site where you can post a photograph of yourself (or someone else) and have visitors to the hotornot.com website rank the photo. The question that is posed - Hot or Not? Think what you may, this site has been around a while and continues to be popular. This Google Maps mashup has taken the site a step further by plotting the locations of those in the photos on a Google Maps overlay. As a footnote, HotorNot actually has an API and developer wiki which this person used to create this mashup.

Edit a Google Map like a wiki - Here's a Google Maps mashup which has combined the 'Wiki' page publishing concept with Google Maps. "Maps can be created, edited, saved in a Wiki fashion". The creator is eager for feedback.
[via]

Google Maps and the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) - I'm not sure if I already posted this overlay or not. If not, here is the Toronto subway network (known as the TTC) overlaid onto Google Maps. So much more could be done with the captions for this hack. Station information, accessibility info, photos etc. I'm sure more detail will be added to this or an enhanced mashup.
[via]

Area 51 on Google Maps (you haven't seen this one)

Area 51 on Google Maps (you haven't seen this one) - I claimed to never to do a post about seeing Area 51 on Google Maps on this blog due to the sheer thousands of blog posts and Google Maps related sites which feature the now infamous link. That being said, this is the Area 51 on Google Maps that you haven't seen before - It's a fun implementation overlaying photos of Area 51 from different decades. See how the 'secret' base has grown over the years!

[via]

Attention UK Google Maps API'ers: Create a mashup and win a prize!

Don't delay! Hack a public service data map today!

IdealGovernment.com is offering up a prize in a contest to create the best map-mashup that pulls together publically accessible UK data:

To win the prize, hack together some government data with a free online map, and send a short description and a link to Ideal Government during July or August. Show us what's possible in terms of locating public-sector data (schools, crimes, hazardous waste dumps, high-spending councils, whatever) on maps as easy to use as Google. Five lucky winners will each receive a personalised full-scale full-sized Ordnance Survey map (Explorer or Landranger) centred on your home or anywhere you want in Britain.

(Link)

[via]

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3 more Google Maps Mashups!

Paris Star Forts - This historical Gmaps overlay shows you the locations of the Paris Star Forts. Here is some background from the site:

In 1840 France was involved in an international conflict over Egypt, the details of which no one remembers today. However as part of the conflict, King Louis-Philippe and Prime Minister They decided to build a ring of large forts around Paris. Most of the forts still exist today. Some are still in use by the military, some are parks, one is a WWII cemetery. And some have been gradually replaced by office buildings and apartments, preserving only the outline of the original fort.
(See the forts on Google Maps here..)

Track the boat locations in the Transpac Sailboat Race - The Transpac race from Long Beach to Honolulu is run every two years, alternating with the Pacific Cup. 2005's race, the 43rd, got started on July 11th. Position reports from each boat are collected by radio at 9am PDT, are posted on the web by about 1:30pm PDT, and show up here some time after that.

It's good to see the folks at Acme.com Laboratories getting involved in the Google Maps craze - I used to love playing with their license plate creator tool!

Track the band Wilco - Wilcobase.com includes a Google map which is part of a new wave of Google Maps mashups showing you the tour information for bands/artists. Some of these sites include MyConcertDates.com and DylanTree both showing you on a Google Map where a band is playing in the U.S. Perhaps someone should create a tool for fanatic music fans to integrate this into their fan-blogs? Maybe bands themselves should integrate this into their official websites?

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blogger tip: Google Maps API update may stop maps from displaying

Scott has discovered something that Google Maps application creators may want to take note of after the update of the Google Maps API that took place this weekend:

"...a bug fix in the new release can cause maps to no longer initialise properly if you explicitly set the available map types to either “map only” or “satellite only”, rather than just accepting the default value of both."
(Read more here)

Media continues to cover Google Maps and Google Earth

Web services take differing paths on maps
International Herald Tribune - SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO In 1991, David Gelernter, a computer scientist at Yale University, proposed using software to create a computer simulation of the physical world, making it possible to map everything from traffic flow and building layouts to sales and currency data on a computer screen. Gelernter's idea came a step closer to reality in the past few weeks when both Google and Yahoo published documentation making it significantly easier for programmers to link virtually any kind of Internet data to Web-based maps and, in Google's case, satellite imagery.
(Read the entire article here)

Google earth goes 3-dimensional
Seattle Times - July 16, 2005

You can't accuse Google of thinking small these days. Having sewn up, upended or merely rejuvenated the markets for Web searching, Web-mail services, digital photography and file searching, it's now set its sights on something slightly larger: the Earth.
(Read the entire article here)

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Google Maps tools for Brasil

Here are some Google Maps tools developed for those using the service in Brasil (or Brazil):

GoToGoogleMaps - open Google Maps on a given lat/long
GoToGoogleEarth - open Google Earth on a given lat/long
SeAchando - to find the coordinates of latitude/longitude
CavaCava - where do you will arrive if you dig dig and dig?

[via]

3 More Google Maps mashups!

Google Maps + Nuclear blast structural damage
Not the cheeriest of Google Maps mashups, this one gives you an indication of structural damage to buildings from a nuclear blast in various US cities.
[via]

Unleash Simcity-like disasters of your own on Google Maps!
Ever wanted to unleash disasters like a massive chainsaw cutting through a country or maybe a dog pooping over a large swath of Argentina? Stop scratching your head and go here to see what the heck I'm talking about. Be sure to play with the drop-down menus at the top of the page!
[via]

Boston-area transit stops and times
show nearest transit stops and times forBoston-area transit using the Google maps API..

Google Map interface now includes a scale!

Since any good map includes a scale, Google Maps is no longer an exception. If you check Google Maps today you'll notice at the bottom left of the map tool, there is now a handy scale to judge distance. For Canadians and other countries using the metric system, it is displayed in kilometres as well as miles!

(Thanks to the good folks at Google Sightseeing and Sightseeing with Google Maps for the tip!)

WIRED and Business Week spotlight Google Maps mashups

Two print magazines have recently taken notice of the Google Maps mashing that is currently taking place.

WIRED has done a small spot on the sprawl of Google Maps in their most recent issue which is on newsstand right now. The Google Maps game Scavengeroogle was featured in the story, along with Google Globetrotting, the infamous mentions of Area 51 aerial photos and Flickr and Google Maps being used in digital scrapbooks. Unfortunately there is no online version of this article. There are page scans here. I think you could expect WIRED to take a closer look at the phenomenon in future issues since this mention looks only to have made it to the first pages of the issue where the short articles + photos are generally presented.

Mix, Match, And Mutate
(Business Week) "Mash-ups" -- homespun combinations of mainstream services -- are altering the Net

What they're all seeing is nothing less than the future of the World Wide Web. Suddenly, hordes of volunteer programmers are taking it upon themselves to combine and remix the data and services of unrelated, even competing sites. The result: entirely new offerings they call "mash-ups."

(This is a story from the July 25th print issue of Business Week that is out now in North America, Europe and Asia.)

Google Maps Mania will be watching for anyone else covering the Google Maps mashup revolution on and off-line, and post about it right here for you.. ;)

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Google Earth tool and hack..

How to Make Google Earth videos - Here is how to make your very own Google Earth flyover animation using a DirectX capture utility.
[via]

Meanwhile, here is a Google Earth hack which does realtime tracking of buses in Boulder Colorado. Based on this message thread from a Keyhole message forum, it's really taken off!

Friday, July 15, 2005

1 Google Maps Tool, 1 Google Maps Mashup

MapBuilder.net - This is a tool for automatic GMap building. It allows you to map a number of locations, enter it's description and generate on the fly HTML source code which will display those locations on the map (map preview is also available).

HomePriceRecords.com - This Google Maps mashup plots historical home price data from the San Francisco Bay area using the Google Maps API.

Essential Google Maps Tool for Firefox: Greasemap

If you're a Firefox user, and find Google Maps or Google Local useful for locating addresses on a map, here is a great script for the Greasemonkey Firefox extension called Greasemap. Here is the description from the website:

It augments any web page you visit by searching the page for geocodeable addresses or other geotags. If it finds any, it automatically shows all such locations on a Google Map which is injected into the page you are viewing, within an iframe from Vinq.com.

I'm absolutely floored with the simplicity of this and how well it works. I wanted to test it out before posting about it, and this process took all of one minute. This involved installing Greasemonkey, then the Greasemap script (with a quick restart of Firefox). Once Greasemap is setup, all you have to do is visit a page that contains enough address information for it to be plotted onto the map (see below for the patterns it recognizes). This triggers Greasemap and a Google map is automatically displayed in the top portion of your browser window with the addresses plotted. I ran a quick search for store locations from the CompUSA website and it automatically started plotting the store locations on a map directly in the browser I had open. *VERY* cool.

Here is an example from the Greasemap site:


Before GreaseMap


With GreaseMap

Here are the currently supported patterns that a page has to contain for it all to plot locations using Greasemap:

Currently supported patterns

* 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 (zip code is optional)
* < name="geo.position" content="41.328,-110.292"> (as on sites linked from geourl.org)
* < name="ICBM" content="41.328,-110.292">
* N 42 25.159 W 071 29.492 (as on geocaching.com)
* geo:lat=... (as on Flickr.com/photos/tags/geotagged/)

(geo.position and ICBM may also use semicolons to separate the lat + long)

The geocoding is based on Tiger streets data, using the Perl module Geo::Coder::US. It will not work for addresses outside the U.S.


I see this as an essential Google Maps tool to turn sites with addresses directly into a Google Maps mashup! Just follow the instructions on the Greasemap site to install Greasemonkey on Firefox, then the Greasemonkey script. You'll no longer have to wait for someone to create a Google Map plotted with addresses from a site you're visiting!

[via]

4 more Google Maps mashups!

Global Coordinate - Although a very busy page and somewhat lagging because of all the data which is being compiled as the page loads, I can see this mashup having some potential if the creator continues to work on it. The site aggregates country data from various sources like earthobservatory.nasa.gov (this data alone makes it a cool mashup) news sources, earthquake data, webcams and UNESCO world heritage sites and overlays it on a Gmap. It also allows to post your own information to it as well - a truly interactive atlas!

GMap Workout Tracker - Building on the Gmaps Pedometer, here is the GMap Workout Tracker. Here is the backgrounder on the app from the website:

Our exercise crazy friend, Tim, bought a really crazy watch by Garmin called the Forerunner 201. It'’s basically a sweat-proof GPS unit for your wrist to help you keep excellent records of your workout activities. Best part: you can hook it up to your computer and download an XML file of the latitudes, longitudes, altitudes, times, calories burned, and some other goodies for each workout. A few days ago, Tim mentioned that he was disappointed with the services offered for visualizing the data from his Forerunner. And so in an effort to help out both Tim and other web developers working on Google Map API implementations, we created this tutorial based off a practical application.

Read all about how this was tracker was built here and check out the GMap Workout Tracker in action here.

Google Maps + Web Guestbook = MyGuestMap - Here is a tool that is sure to be replicated in hundreds of website resource sites like Bravenet in the months to come. MyGuestmap allows your visitors to add pins to a map, showing where they are and leaving a message. This site has a registration page, and an admin panel to configure your guestmap once you set it up. At the very least, be sure to place a marker on your location!

Geo Serendipity - What do you get when you cross Google Maps with sites listed in Geourl.org? You get Geo-Serendipity which allows you look for sites with 10, 50 or 100kilometerss from the site you enter. The catch is the site *has* to be listed into GeoURL.org. Try this site for an example of how it works: "http://sharl.haun.org/d/" - Once entered, the results for that site look like this. Kind of cool. There is a similar tool here, with far fewer bells and whistles.

Enjoy these newest Google Maps mashups!

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Thursday, July 14, 2005

Sanction your mashups with Google Maps API

A few days ago a visitor posted a link to a news story about a patent infringement case involving a successful real estate agent making use of a computer mapping system without acquiring a license for it first. The mapping system wasn't the same as Google Maps but does hold a patent and royalties are owed for those who profit from it. In the story it states that "an average residential real estate agent may owe royalties of as much as $50,000 before the company's patent expires in 2008." Check for the full story here.

The case raises some important questions when considering the possible actions that could be taken for those not making use of a sanctioned API (such as the Google Maps API), thereby licensing the application or mashup you are creating. I found a discussion surrounding this in the Google-Maps-API Google Group where the following question was posed:

> What about for intranet use?
> Say we wanted to use the Google API to plot all the points where our

> company inspects drainage ditches. We're a government agency, and it

> would be on our intranet and of no use to the public (and obviously

> non-profit).

> Is that within the terms of use?


The Google Maps product manager Bret Taylor referred the user to the following link which contains this Q&A:

Is the Maps API available for commercial websites?

Yes, it is, as long your site is generally accessible to consumers
without charge. For example, if your website is supported by advertising, it likely falls within the terms of the Maps API. Or, if you charge people to place information on your map (e.g., to list their homes for sale), but you list this information on Google Maps on a free part of your site, you'll also meet the Maps API terms of use.

However, not all commercial uses are allowed. For example,


* Premium websites - If your site is only available to paying
customers, you cannot use the Maps API.
* Enterprise websites - The Maps API is not available for use within
enterprise or intranet applications.

Remember, Google reserves the right to suspend or terminate the use of the service at any time, so please read the terms of use carefully.

This is just something to consider as you're building your Google Maps mashups using the Google Maps API, or not using the Google Maps API as the case may be. Otherwise, you might end up like this guy's friend.

2 Japan Google Maps mashups!

With the recent addition of Google street Maps in Japan, here are a few of the earliest known Google Maps mashups that exist:

I'm not sure if this is a mashup, or just a local search result from Google Maps for Japan but Tokyoartbeat.com has venue information data on all of the galleries and museums in Tokyo so you can now see that data within Google Maps.
[via]

Also, here is another mashup (thanks nagoyan the earthhopper!) displaying filming locations of Japanese television shows. Based on an existing database, you can search by your favorite TV drama title and town. (Keep in mind that this app is mostly in Japanese - there are some English labels)
[via]

If anyone finds any other Japan Google Maps mashups, please feel free to post them in the comments section!

Thoughts: API Only Services?

Joseph Scott theorizes about the prospect of all new (web) services coming out being based entirely on the use of APIs (Such as the Google Maps API):

Along with most folks, I'm thrilled when I see APIs made available for cool services. It seems to me that this what Tim O'’Reilly means when using the term Web 2.0. With open and usable APIs others are free to create entirely new products” by mix and matching APIs from various sources. This is great because it allows so many people to be involved in the process, not just the companies who came up with the original services. The more people involved, the bigger the pool of imagination from which new products and services can emerge.

Read Joseph's full posting here...

2 Google Maps mashups - NYC subway system and Southern Cal Venture Capital Map

(Warning: Initially I resisted posting this mashup when it was suggested to me but it appears that other blogs are testing it and deciding it makes the grade. I will warn you that if you're using Firefox version 1.0.1 or any version of Netscape, don't bother trying to view it. Upgrade to the latest version of Firefox before clicking on this link. I want to expose people to the latest and greatest Google Maps mashups, but I don't want my links to crash browsers and make people angry with me. Now, on with the show...) --> Google Maps + NYC Subway system - This mashup takes ALL 400+ subway stations and plots it on Google Maps. There is Station Info popup markers and you can search and plot multiple addresses. There are only 2 zoom levels on this one because of how much data needs to be re-plotted each time you zoom in.

One more:

Map of Southern California venture capital investments (from socalTECH.com)

Google Maps adds Japan street maps

+ StreetMaps

The Japanese blogging world is abuzz this morning with the addition of street maps for that country. Here is an example from the city of Osaka, or the Ginza prefecture in Tokyo. Right now you can search for English placenames (eg - search: "Osaka, Japan" or "Ginza, Tokyo, Japan") and it will take you to that location but it doesn't appear that full Japanese addresses are working. (I tried the head office for Nissan, and it was a no-go).

Flickr user Earthhopper does point out something interesting about Google street maps for Japan and sends out a caution to those folks looking to use the Google Maps API for Japan:

All of Japan's available road maps are still drawn based "Tokyo Datum", which is cancelled in 2001 by Gov to follow WGS84 Datum. Google Map is based on WGS84.
So to use Zenrin's Japan road map in Google Map service, Google slightly moved their map for the area of 30-50N and 115-152E to South East for about 400m. It's still virtual Datum as it was nothing more than simple translation - the Earth is a sphere...
So if you use WGS84 in Google Maps API, false japanDatumHack.
See source code sample at one of Japanese expert's website:

d.hatena.ne.jp/tociyuki/20050712/1121170892

Google should address on this issue sooner.

API is fine, but you can't control maps.google.com and Google's simple translation should only be a temporary solution for some time, as the moved area includes North and South Korea, and some part of China. I don't know how they will change this situation in near future, but the only final solution is Japanese map vendors should provide WGS84 based road map. I don't know when it's gonna be.


He has created an annotated example of this explanation here. Read the full Flickr discussion about the introduction of Japan street maps on Google Maps here.

We will no doubt start to see Google Maps mashups coming using Japan locations and data in no time! If anyone understand how to read Japanese and can help to bring these to our attention, please post a comment with the mashup's URL and a short description of what the mashup is doing! Thanks!

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