Google Earth API Arrives! (The Web Browser Version)

Updated 29th May 2008 - With Examples (3D Plugin Required)

A few minutes ago after this updated post- Mapperz has an email from Rob at Map Channels with this updated See Bournemouth Map with the 3D Google Earth Maps.

The New Google 3D Maps Live and Working on
http://www.seebournemouth.com/GoogleMap.aspx

Well Done Rob and full credit for integrating this so quickly - more like this please.



Click the Earth [Map Type] option next to Terrain

Google Earth API Arrives! (The Web Browser Version) WOW!

Another prediction from Last Year has finally
made it.

This a image is not from Google Earth Desktop but Firefox.

http://code.google.com/apis/earth/

more soon...

Here are some New Examples

http://mapperz.googlepages.com/3Doptions.html
Taken from
http://www.google.com/earth/plugin/examples/options/

Allows you to define a location and set different option (Grid, Navigation, Status Bar etc)


What is required?
Not much - but there is a 3D plugin needed to view the new 3D Earth


The Free Plugin is needed if you want to view the 3D Earth.

That's it, enjoy...

For Fun Test out the Monster Milk Cart (Fast PC/Mac with a Fast Internet Connection needed when going super fast)
Other Examples to get you going
http://code.google.com/apis/earth/documentation/examples.html

Mapperz

PGA Ryder Cup Tour Map of Wales 2008

PGA Ryder Cup Tour Map of Wales 2008


All golf courses and airports have been mapped in Adobe Flex for the PGA Golf Tour of Wales 2008.

"This application was built using Adobe Flex, an open source framework
for building rich Internet applications that get delivered via the
Flash Player or to desktops via Adobe AIR."

"One hundred golf clubs, one Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup is taken on a tour of Welsh golf clubs by helicopter as a prelude to the 2010 Ryder Cup to be held at the Celtic Manor Resort."

Maps are based on the Microsoft Virtual Earth Platform (but with a google zoom bar).
Map available at
http://www.pgarydercuptour.com/Map.swf
(requires flash)

Lots of locations and lots of content for users interested in professional golf.

Biggest GPS Self Portrait in the World

Biggest GPS Self Portrait in the World


55 days,over 100,000 km and 62 countries later...


"Artist Erik Nordenankar says he has created the Biggest Drawing In The World. He says he gave DHL a case and travel instructions for a 55-day journey, then traced the route using GPS. The route was more than 100,000km long and went through 62 countries. The result was a self-portrait."

The Mapsters - Nokia Maps Launch

The Mapsters - Nokia Maps Launch


Video courtesy of http://thenokiablog.com/
So this is what happens when maps and drugs mix....

http://www.themapsters.com/ [click on the 23rd May]
only a teaser before that.


Source
http://thenokiablog.com/2008/05/22/preview-nokia-maps-20-mapsters-website/
preview-nokia-maps-20-mapsters-website/

Nokia Maps 2.0 Goes Mainstream

Nokia Maps 2.0 Goes Mainstream

Finally after many months of 'Beta' status the Nokia Maps 2.0 has made it available to the normal users.

So whats changed?
Well from version 1.0 lots but from the 2.0 beta version not very much (a few bugs)

A quick summary:
Car Navigation
Pedestrian navigation
Multimedia city guides

Car Navigation has navigation carousel with three pre-defined navigation views (navigation, arrow and bird-eye) with multi-stops route planner.

(Purchase required based on region 3 day, 1 month, 1 year subscriptions - there is a option for 3 days free trial - this now tied to the SIM card not the IMEI of the Phone - meaning if you change your phone you can keep you licence.)
SIM to SIM licence copying can be done.

Satellite images
Hybrid mode

**Note these two modes use either Wifi or GPRS for displaying the layer they DO NOT come with the MapLoader pre-installed onto a memory card.



Nokia Maps 2.0 uses digital vector data provided by Navteq and TeleAtlas
Either download directly to the nokia device or by using the Nokia Map Loader on a PC. Nokia Maps 2.0 and the current commercial version of the Nokia Maps Loader are freely available for selected devices.

Downloads
Nokia Maps 2.0
http://europe.nokia.com/A4984199
(select your device)

Nokia Map Loader v1.3.8 (for Vista/XP on the PC - use this to save money on data transfer fees)
If your feeling brave there is a new beta version of Nokia Maps 2.0

Created Feb. 11, 2008 but updated on May 08, 2008
nokia_maps_2.0_1803_3.1_u.sis
http://www.nokia.com/betalabs/applications


Other Nokia useful applications recently released.

Nokia Step Counter New! [Free]
Every step you take

Location Tagger (Updated) [Free]
http://www.nokia.com/betalabs/locationtagger

Mapperz

Update of Nokia Maps 2.0 source:
http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/9390.html

Yahoo! Internet Location Platform (New Geocoder)

Yahoo! Internet Location Platform (New Geocoder) New!

"The Yahoo! Internet Location Platform provides a resource for managing all geo-permanent named places on Earth. The purpose in creating the Internet Location Platform is to provide the Yahoo! Geographic Developer Community with the vocabulary and grammar to describe the world's geography in an unequivocal, permanent, and language-neutral manner.

The Internet Location Platform is designed to facilitate spatial interoperability and geographic discovery; users can traverse the spatial hierarchy, identify the geography relevant to their users and their business, and in turn, unambiguously geotag, geotarget, and geolocate data across the Web."

Basically this is a Geocoder for Places across the World. The accuracy is fairly precise and the easy to understand.

Here is an example:
http://where.yahooapis.com/v1/places.q('10%20downing%20street%20london%20uk')

and also you can geocode UK Postcodes - full UK Postcodes!

http://where.yahooapis.com/v1/places.q('SW1A2AA')
*link fixed

Centroid is the postcode centre. So 51.503201, -0.12617

Checking... on the map.



http://developer.yahoo.com/geo/

Rate Limits
Currently, users of the Internet Location Platform are limited to 50k queries per day.

Terms of Use (Please check this if you intend using this service with other non Yahoo Applications)
http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/api/api-2140.html

Geeky Stuff

"In simple terms, the Service allows you to look up the unique identifier - called the Where on Earth ID, or WOEID - for almost any named place on the Earth; it also allows you to resolve a WOEID you have received from a third party - such as Fire Eagle™ or Upcoming - to the place it represents.

The API is accessed via HTTP GET; the following examples can be cut-and-paste into a web browser to view the results:"
http://developer.yahoo.com/geo/

Mapperz

DEFRA Noise Maps (England)

DEFRA Noise Maps (England)


Defra Map of Bristol day time road noise levels.

Noise maps only cover cities, but cover day noise (Lden) and night time (Lnight) noise levels
4 Layers are available - Road, Rail, Industry and Air noise.

The Noise Mapping England site currently supports the following urban areas only:

Birkenhead
Blackpool
Bournemouth
Brighton
Bristol
Coventry
Hull
Leicester
Liverpool
London
Manchester
Nottingham
Portsmouth
Preston
Reading
Sheffield
Southampton
Southend
Teeside
The Potteries
Tyneside
West Midlands
West Yorkshire

"The noise maps have been produced by Defra to meet the requirements of the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006, and are intended to inform the production of noise action plans for large urban areas, major transport sources, and significant industrial sites in England.
Directive 2002/49/EC - more commonly known as the Environmental Noise Directive (END) - concerns noise from road, rail and air traffic and from industry. It focuses on the impact of such noise on individuals, complementing existing EU legislation which sets standards for noise emissions from specific sources. The END requires:
the determination of exposure to environmental noise, through noise mapping;
provision of information on environmental noise and its effects on the public;
adoption of action plans, based upon noise mapping results, which should be designed to manage noise issues and effects, including noise reduction if necessary;
preservation by the member states of environmental noise quality where it is good."

The Interactive Maps can be found at:

http://noisemapping.defra.gov.uk/wps/portal/noise

Related News Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7403280.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1967803/Noise-pollution-map-warns-of-health-risks.html

Blog

http://bridgetfox.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/noise-mapping/

Google Maps for Flash New!

Google Maps API for Flash New!

"This API lets Flex developers embed Google Maps in Flash applications. Similar to the JavaScript version, this ActionScript API provides a number of utilities for manipulating and adding content to maps through a variety of services, enabling you to embed robust, interactive maps applications on your website."


The demo gallery has several examples and what can be achieved by using the New Flash Version of Google Maps API for Flash.
The Spinning Map looks like a good potential starting point (was this inspired by Flash Earth?)

For Map Savvy Developers out there will already now that Yahoo has had a Flash based API for almost over two years now is on Version 3.5.2 beta. http://developer.yahoo.com/maps/flash/asGettingStarted.html

So the question is why now?
The Javascript version is still useful on its own and is constantly being updated and supported, but the Flash version can expand on what Google Maps has now and can extend the functionality
"Smoothness and speed are a big part of it. We've [Google] designed it so that Flash graphics can be used for each tile layer, marker and info window - opening up possibilities like dynamic shading, shadowing, animation, and video. When the user zooms the map, magnification changes happen smoothly and place names fade in."

Note some developers do not like flash and will avoid it if they can, but flash today has evolved to become a very useful tool to visualize information, displaying this data on maps can greatly enhance and explain complex situations.

More information and Official Source:
http://googlemapsapi.blogspot.com/2008/05/introducing-google-maps
-api-for-flash.html
(contains flash map/video and funky jazz sounds)
Thanks to Rob at Map Channels for pointing the new API out.

So look out for a Google Map Flash API vs Yahoo! Maps Flash API soon.

Google Maps adds 'More' and Explore

Google Maps adds 'More' and Explore

Google Maps has added Wikipedia and Photos from http://www.panoramio.com/


This enhances the online mapping application into a more powerful and visual locating tool.

Clicking the 'More' exposes the new available layers.

See it in action

These features seem to be spawned from the Google Earth Desktop application and now made available in the web browser.

So when will Google Maps do 3D?

Source and more information available at Google Maps Mania

SchMap - Interactive Maps and Guides

SchMap - Interactive Maps and Guides
Maps and guides that are interactive and pull up information based on the area that you are exploring.



"Exploring a Schmap Guide is a uniquely interactive experience: maps and guide content are dynamically integrated, allowing intuitive, real-time access to reviews and photo slide shows for places of interest."


Using Yahoo Maps, and joining real-time data feeds to gives the users up to date information.

There is also a desktop application that can download
Schmap 2.0 (desktop) you can:

• Browse this Schmap Guide on your PC, online or offline.
• View Schmap Guides for 200 worldwide destinations.
• Bookmark places of interest, plan trips and take virtual tours.
• Custom print your own full-color travel guides.
• Publish and share schmapplets with your favourite places

or use the Schmapplets for your website which uses Google maps.

No Street Names Map (OSM)

No Street Names Map (OSM)

This is a good map highlighting area that need attribution for streetnames in the OpenStreetMap data.

"Dave Stubbs built it as we have many features traced from aerial imagery"

**OSM have permission to do this with Yahoo aerial imagery.

Just shows the task ahead- capturing the data is one huge task, updating the attribute (points, lines, polygons) is another huge task.

See this Map with No Names

Slowly but surely this is getting updated, then the task of maintaining is another task in itself.

Want to help out?

http://www.openstreetmap.org/

New beginners guide.

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide

Source:

http://www.opengeodata.org/?p=296

The Ordnance Survey & Becta Schools 'Map Pilot'

The Ordnance Survey & Becta Schools 'Map Pilot'

"The Ordnance Survey (OS) and Becta have been running a `map pilot' aimed at exploring ways of making digital maps accessible to schools."

source an thanks to: Wendy North Primary Project Leader http://primarygeogblog.blogspot.com/

View Upload your own

`The MapPilot enables a range of Ordnance Survey digital mapping to be accessed free by pilot schools and educational mapping suppliers for a trial period. MapPilot is run by Becta, in conjunction with The Advisory Unit: Computers in Education and eMapSite with funding from DfES and support from Ordnance Survey.'
*via a simple GIS such as Local Studies

The other mapping source they have used is the excellent Geograph

This a very good way to introduce school childern to Maps and Technology. They are the potentional future Carographers and GIS engineers of tomorrow.

The project highlights 'software issues' so any budding software engineers out there that could develop 'A deskstop or web-based GIS' for school childern would be on a winner.
Openlayers & QGIS Hybrid has potential with development.

Mapperz

Grand Theft Auto IV - Map

Grand Theft Auto IV - Map


Powered by Google Maps API, there is a community collection of 'points of interest' to help you through the game.

"Liberty City Map- See what's been discovered by Liberty City locals! Check the categories on the right to show markers for just about any person, place or thing in Liberty City. First to find something? Right click on the map location and choose "Add Marker" to share your original discovery"

http://grandtheftauto.ign.com/maps/1/Liberty-City-Map

There are also other Maps ranging from Neighbourhood Maps, Stunt Maps to Armour Maps.
http://grandtheftauto.ign.com/wiki/Liberty_City_Map_Image_Collection

The first game to be in full High Definition. So when are HD Maps coming??
Make sure your using a HDMI cable or its not going to be full HD.

BBC Local Election Map (Results)

BBC Local Election Map (Results)

BBC now updating their interactive election map every few minutes, London Mayor results are due in the evening of 2nd May 2008.
*Map based in flash.

This post delayed from yesterday due to no data on the election Map. In this case it was more useful with data representing the elected politcal parties.

For a more in depth view and constant updates please visit the BBC Election Website.