Google Map Maker

Google Map Maker


Google is now allowing certian areas in the world to be edited by the user


"Google Map Maker is a Google Maps service that allows you add or edit features, such as roads, businesses, parks, schools and more"


Google Map Maker displays in your web browser. The service appears similar to Google Maps, but displays a set of tools that allows you to mark locations and add information. These tools

New Tools allows you to edit content live - but requires a 'google' review before making it to google maps tiles.

Use the Placemark tool to mark a location such as a business or school.
Use the Line tool to mark roads, rivers, etc.
Use the Polygon tool to mark regions, such as a park or neighbourhood. You can enter similar information as with the Placemark tool, but the Polygon tool enables you to mark an entire area.


Scale Dependant for Editing Mode
You need to zoom to a range of 50m to 1km to be able to use Google Map Maker tools. If you use see these tools, try zooming in. To zoom in, use the zoom slider, mouse scroll wheel or right click > Zoom in. To center a point on the map, right click on the appropriate location and choose Center the map.

Metadata (information about the data)

Overview - Basic information about the feature. (name, address, etc.)
Attributes - Specific details about the feature. (road speed, driving direction, photo URL, etc.)
Description - Longer description and comments for reviewers. For example: Comment to moderator - This building has been torn down recently.
Events - Occurrences that pertain to the feature (such a concert that occurs in a park)
History - Record of past edits to the feature (changes made by other users)

Available Locations to be edited (Subject to change)

Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Cyprus
Grenada
Iceland
Jamaica
Netherlands Antilles
Pakistan
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Vietnam


Note on Privacy
While you may mark your home on the map by adding the same as a point of interest, Google suggests that you do not reveal such private information in Google Map Maker.
Consider marking it as a Point of Interest

More on this visit
http://googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/2008/06/google-map-maker.html
http://www.google.com/mapmaker/mapfiles/s/support.html
http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2008/06/making-your-mark-on-world.html#links

Mapperz

MAPme.com - A Community Based Mapping Project

MAPme.com - A Community Based Mapping Project


MAPme.com a social mapping site which allows everyone from travelers to special interest groups to create and contribute locations by suggesting 'Hotspots' and other information that other members of a map might be interested in.

Filters include 'weirdness' - in this case the 'Dancing Elvis Troupe' in Tokyo


These travel guides are community maps where other members can leave comments or photos or even submit their own locations. Usually, these suggestions will either be added directly to each map, or they go into a moderation queue assigned to the map owner (depending on the type of map).

"Each map is like a new post in a geographic forum”, says John McCann, who managed the development of the site. “We have given the map owners as much flexibility as they could ever need in terms of being able to moderate location data, but we've also allowed for options for public and personal maps – public maps are generally a free for all, and personal maps are for mostly private use".

Global Development
The development of the MAPME project took around 6 months, and was achieved on a shoestring budget by outsourcing work to all corners of the globe. Programmers working in the UK, Philippines, The Russian Federation and Australia patched together the MAPME application using open source software including the CAKE rapid development framework and of course the Google Maps API


Complexness
According to Robin Metcalfe- the lead developer of the project, the most complex undertaking was getting the permissions system right, and working out how to allow users to effectively explore a map that might have 500 or 500,000 markers. “We don't have a map with 500, or even 5000 Hotspots on it yet, but I think our system can handle it”.

Community Mapping
While community mapping is relatively new concept and something that hasn't really taken the online world by storm (yet), MAPme.com is also excellent for creating travel or city guides that are useful in their own right. Take for example this guide to Cebu, in the Philippines;

http://www.mapme.com/map/cebu

Future Applications
Apparently a Facebook Application, and Map Widget (built in Flash) are on the way, but for the time being map in can be exported in GPX format (easily transferable to portable GPS devices) or by KML. You can even keep an eye on any map activity by subscribing to the RSS channel for each guide.

MAPme is a great looking new site in the ilk of Flagr.com and Platial.com but on a global scale which is easier to use and better to look at. With the addition of an exportable map widget, this could easily be the best web 2.0 community mapping site on the net.

Map your World at http://www.mapme.com

Overall there is a lot of content already and subject matter that might call for some over 18's certification but on the whole the site works well with the sense of being part of a geo-community mapping project.

Firefox 3 - Pledge Map

Firefox 3 released
update 17/06/2008 Firefox 3 is now available to download (if you download today you contribute to a world record -hopefully)



http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/?p=downloadday

Firefox 3 - Pledge Map


*Map current on Monday 16th June 5pm GMT.

Firefox 3 is due for release on 17th June 2008. They are attempting to break a new world record for the highest amount of downloads with a 24 hour period.
The current pledges are 1,358,652 and counting - expect the actual amount to be a lot higher.



For a full rundown of what is new and/or improved go to the Field Guide
http://www.dria.org/wordpress/archives/2008/06/12/655/

Students Map Kenya (for Google Maps)

Students Map Kenya (for Google Maps)

"The map was developed by a team of seven students from three Kenyan universities together with a team from India. Replacing a previously limited online map of four highways, the move has now placed Kenya on the level of other countries served by Google Maps."


Kenya's Data mapped by students is now available in Google Maps

Compare both the 'Map' and Terrain Modes - the difference is amazing.

Before {using Terrain}

After {using Map}


Source:
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/060908-google-launches-kenya-online.html

BBC Broadband Speed Map

BBC Broadband Speed Map

The BBC has a UK Broadband Map that is visually showing people the 'actual' speeds they are getting via their broadband connection.


The shows (when zoomed in) the current state of download speeds - not necessarily the speeds they will get when signed up to broadband.
Broadband Map.(Beta)

"Distance from the local telephone exchange is one factor governing connection speed, and people living in the countryside may find their service is considerably slower than those in urban areas."

'Towns triumph in broadband tests'
By Rory Cellan-Jones,Technology Correspondent, BBC News explains from a very small boat in the NW of Scotland where BT have an exchange 9 miles away so residents cannot have normal broadband, but through a university they have installed wifi (wimax?) - via a mast linking them with the Isle of Skye.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7431336.stm
They now enjoy a 3mb download connection.

"BT claims more than 99% of the country can now get broadband, but rural customers may still find it a struggle to get the speed they need for services like streaming video."

Other Broadband resources
http://www.samknows.com/broadband/mapping/mapping.php

News - BBC is now using a large file to get better results.
http://www.samknows.com/broadband/news/
bbc-collects-broadband-speed-data-updated-369.html

Related post
http://mapperz.blogspot.com/2008/01/
sam-knows-broadband-new-mapping-engine.html