It's Time for Google Maps

The new Symbols function and Heatmap Layer in the Google Maps API mean that it is now much easier for developers to create compelling map visualisations.

Both these features make it much easier for developers to add animations to maps. The result is that Google Maps can now beautifully render data both spatially and temporally. 

This morning I've been playing with the new Heatmap Layer. The Blitz Map is an animated heat map of the bombs dropped on London on the first night of the London Blitz in the Second World War. So far I've plotted about 500 of the over 800 bombs (I'm planning to add the rest later today).

I've cheated a little with the timing on the map. At the moment the map just adds the bombs sequentially, step by step, and doesn't use a real time-frame. It should be simple however to add a real time-line to the map at a later date.

Google Maps API Gets Heat Maps

Google has released yet another new exciting layer for the Google Maps API.

The Heatmap Layer allows developers to render heatmaps with the Google Maps API. Developers can define the colour spectrum, intensity range, and behaviour of the heatmap when the map is zoomed.

Here is an example of the new heatmap layer - an Animated Heatmap of the Growth of Walmart. 

Animated Symbols on Google Maps

Here are another two examples, this time from Google themselves, of the new Symbols feature in the Google Maps API.

This History of Walmart Map uses animated symbols rather than map markers to show the growth of Walmart in the USA between 1962 and 2006.

This Symbols on Polylines Map demo shows Symbols being animated along polylines.

These two examples really show the new possibilities for map developers to create even more compelleing visualisations with the Google Maps API.

Are you excited yet?

Google Maps Symbols Take Off

I have a feeling that the new Symbols feature in the Google Maps API is going to revolutionise online mapping.

I've been playing with it for only a couple of hours and I can already see loads of possibilities. Here is my first attempt at playing with the new Symbols feature (and the new Transit Layer). Press the two 'Take Off' buttons below the map to see how symbols can be made to animate along a polyline.

I'm sure many of you can do much better. If you've already started playing with the new features in the Google Maps API post a link to your examples in the comments below.

Exciting New Features for the Maps API

Google today announced at Google I/O some really exciting new features for the Google Maps API. The new features include a new Transit Layer, Symbols and new Google Places features for the Google Maps API.

Symbols

You can now add symbols to a Google Map. At first this doesn't sound overly exciting but the new Symbols feature really opens some amazing new possibilities for online maps.

Symbols can be used like map markers. However symbols are vectors so they can be styled (e.g. stroke / fill / opacity). They are also dynamic so can be animated. For example you can change symbols to show changes in locations over time.

Symbols can also be added to polylines. So, for example, you can add arrowheads to a polyline. However, again because symbols are dynamic, they can be animated. So you can use symbols with polylines to show movement (e.g. animating a plane flight).

Check out this example with a polygon and an animated symbol to get an idea of what is now possible with the Google Maps API.

Transit Layer

Google Maps API developers can now also add a transit layer to their maps. The transit layer allows you to show a transit network on your maps.

You can also add a routing feature so that users can get Transit directions and times.  

Google Places

Using Google Places you can access Google Reviews. This new feature allows you to get the top 5 reviews for a venue shown on your maps.

You can now also allow users to perform keyword searches. Using this feature users can search for distinct types of place. e.g. 'Mexico Restaurants in San Francisco'.

Offline Google Maps for Android

If you download the latest version of Google Maps for Android you can now download huge areas to use offline. In the latest version of Google Maps for Android you can save up to six large areas.

To save an area you need to navigate to the area you want to download and select 'Make available offline' from the menu. You are then shown the size of the file you want to download so that you know how much space it will take up on your phone.

Via: Google LatLong

London 2012 - Transforming the Lea Valley

In one month's time, on July 27th, just a mile down the road from where I now sit, the 2012 Olympic Games will begin.

Over the last five years I've watched as the Olympics Park has been built on an under-developed and run down part of my home town. Looking at the area now it is quite hard to remember what this area of the East End looked like just five years ago.

Luckily photographer Toby Smith has created a Google Map showcasing his photographs of the area taken in 2007. The Lea Valley Map places Toby's photos on top of Google Map's satellite imagery of the Olympic Park.

The contrast between the bleak landscapes portrayed in Toby's photographs and the shiny new stadiums in the satellite imagery helps to highlight the transformation of this area, whether if it's for the better or not.

Guild Wars 2 on Google Maps

This Guild Wars 2 WvW Map is a Google Map of the world of Tyria used in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

The map follows a now familiar pattern for online game maps, allowing the user to view important locations in the game using the Google Maps controls. The map allows users to view the locations of Towers, Keeps, Supply Camps, Spawns, Castles and Orbs.

One nice new feature introduced by the Guild Wars 2 WvW Map is the ability to add weapons to the map. When you add a siege equipment to the map the range of the weapon is also displayed which should greatly help players in planning their campaigns.

Egyptian Real Estate on Google Maps

Betak Online is an Egyptian real estate website that allows users to search for properties with the help of Google Maps.

 It is possible to search for real estate by city, by type of property and by zone. The locations for each search are displayed on the map and also given in list form beneath the map.

If you click on a property's marker on the map you can view a description of the property and click though to get the full details.

I/O, I/O - It's Off to Google we Go

Google's annual developer-focused conference Google I/O starts today. A couple of Google Maps related talks are scheduled to be live streamed. I've posted the times and links below and also added a couple of Android related sessions that might also be interesting for Google Maps API developers.

Today's keynote session could also be worth watching as well to get a general idea of Google's overall plans.

Wednesday
13.30 (PDT)
What’s New in Google Maps

Thursday
14.45 (PDT)
Enterprise Geospatial in the Cloud

Wednsday
13.30 (PDT)
Android Apps in Google Play

Thursday (PDT) 13.30 (PDT)
Making Good Apps Great: More Advanced Topics for Expert Android Developers

Full Schedule

Plane Crash Sites on Google Maps

Colorado Wreck Hunting is a Google Map that has been put together to help a group of friends hike to old plane crash sites in the mountains of Colorado.

The map shows the locations of crash sites in Colorado and can be searched by location, by individual plane and by military or civil crash sites. The map includes layers to also view the current weather and Flickr photos on the map.

Each marker contains a number of other options, including driving directions to the location and viewing the location in Google Earth.

We Want New Street View

Update Google Street View in New Orleans! is a campaign to encourage Google to update the Street View imagery in New Orleans.

The Google Street View car visited New Orleans in 2007, just two years after the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The Street View imagery on Google Maps helps to document the neighborhoods that were flattened by the floodwaters that broke the levees.

'Update Google Street View in New Orleans!' believe that the imagery, now five years old, is "out of date in a city that is continuously changing, demolishing, and rebuilding". The blog has published a series of photographs around New Orleans and are comparing them to the Street View imagery of the same locations to highlight how the city is being rebuilt.

I've used the photographs taken by Annalisa Kelly and Hunter King for the blog and created a little Street View App. The app lets you view the photographs superimposed on top of the Street View image. You can use the slide control to adjust the opacity of the new photographs to compare it with the Street View underneath.

Social Search with Google Maps

Wajam is social search extension for your browser that gives you access to the knowledge of your friends when you search with Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, Yelp, Trip Advisor, YouTube and Ebay.


After you install the search extension on your computer you can log-in with Facebook, Twitter or Google+ to get access to all your friends' social recommendations.

One really neat function of Wajam is that it shows places your friends have recommended on a Google Map. For example, if you are searching for a restaurant you can quickly visualise all the venues that your friends have recommended.

Google Lego Maps

Google has decreed that there shall be no more work done today by releasing a new online LEGO building game. Build, created in partnership with LEGO, is a Chrome application that allows you to play with the world's largest LEGO set.

The application features a LEGO styled map of Australia. Users can choose plots on the Google Map and then use the LEGO set to create their own 3d buildings. Once you have selected a plot you can start building using a wide selection of LEGO bricks.


When you have finished your build you can publish your plot to the map and share a link to your creation with your friends by e-mail or by a Google+ account.

You had better clear your work schedule for the day now!

Introducing the ikiMap API

Popular Google Maps creation tool ikiMap is marking its two year anniversary by releasing a new version of its service.

As part of the new version release, developers of websites and mobile apps can now integrate very easily with ikiMap through an API. OruxMaps, an app created to draw maps from mobile devices, has been the first site to use the ikiMap API. This means that any map created through this app can be seen directly on the internet through ikiMap.

As well as the release of the API ikiMap also has a brand new design. The new design includes tools that make it much easier to create and publish new maps. The new tools also allow users to manage all their maps from their profile. It is possible to decide how and when maps are published, or even limit the access to maps to your friends and clients through the privacy settings.

Trulia's New Commute Time Maps

Trulia Local has today added a new feature that allows users to check out commute times in a number of U.S. cities.

Using the map house hunters can now check out how long it takes to commute to or from any location by public transit or by car. For example you can center the map on your place of work and find out all the areas within your choice of commute time.

A slider tool allows the user to adjust the time of the commute and it is possible to select either driving on public transit times. You can drag and drop the map marker to set the center point of your commute time request.

A Travel Journal with Google Maps

Everlater is an application that allows you to create your own travel journal and travel blog.

As you add entries to your everlater travel blog they are also added to a Google Map of your journey. The map includes markers for each journal entry and all the markers are connected by polylines to show the progression of your trip.

Everlater has an iPhone app which allows you to update your travel blog whilst you are on your travels. Your travel blog can include photos of your trip and you can also connect your everlater account to a Facebook account so that all your entries are also posted to your Facebook wall.

Google Maps for those Ready to Rock

The European Festival Map is a Google Map of all the summer's musical festivals throughout Europe.

You can use the map to find your nearest festivals. When you click on a festival's marker you can find out the dates of the festival and click through and get details about tickets and the festival line-up from ChooseFest.


Festival Searcher is another Google Maps based guide to all of the music festivals taking place this summer.

The map markers are colour-coded by month so that you can get a quick overview of what festival is taking place when. I assume the size of the markers relates to the size of the festival displayed.


Télérama has produced a Google Maps guide to festivals taking place in France this summer. As well as being able to view the locations of all the festivals on Google Maps there is a comprehensive guide with detailed previews.

It is possible to search the map by location, type of music and by date. It is also possible to get driving directions to any of the festivals and to view Street Views of locations.

The Google Maps of the Week

This week saw a trio of promotional campaigns that use Google Maps Street View to allow users to create short personalised videos involving images of their own homes.


Confused.com's Home Sweet Zombie, British Airway's London Calling and Jeep - The Ultimate Search Engine are the latest in a growing trend of company campaigns using Street View to provide a more personalised promotional campaign.

Jeep - The Ultimate Challenge is probably the most effective of the three as it uses Street View to allow the user to actually see what a Jeep Cherokee would like parked outside their home.


The World of Mapcraft was probably the most viral of this week's Google Maps.  This World of Warcraft map seems to have really struck a chord with players of the popular MMORPG.


The idea behind Roadtrip Mixtape is really inspired.

Roadtrip Mixtape allows you to create a play list for a road-trip containing only music by artists that are from the area you are traveling through. Drive through Boston and you might hear Aerosmith or Donna Summer. Drive through New Orleans and you might hear Lil Wayne or Dr. John.

University of Florida Live Bus Tracking

Transloc has created a number of real-time bus tracking maps for universities in the U.S.. The University of Florida Transit map is good example of how Transloc use Google Maps to show the position of buses in and around a university campus.

The map shows the real-time location of buses with color-coded markers. The color of the marker indicates the route of the bus and the arrows show the buses current direction. Users can click on the bus markers to view the bus' destination.

 It is also possible to select a bus route from the map sidebar to view the route on the map and the current position of all buses currently on that route.