100 Million Google Mobile Map Users

100,000,000 Google Mobile Map Users

Almost five years ago, Google launched Google Maps for mobile to help you get where you needed to go from your phone instead of a paper map.

Today, more than 100 million people a month are now using Google Maps for mobile to get from point A to point B, find nearby places, and more.

Over the past 5 years, Google Maps for mobile has changed quite a bit they are adding more ways to help you explore the world around you. There is My Location, you can quickly find where you are on the map with or without GPS. You can put your friends on the map with Latitude. Navigation even turns your phone into a free internet-connected 'SatNav' with voice guidance and Street View imagery.

Google Maps Mobile - The 5 Year Journey of Advancing Map Updates.

Lately, has seen some changes especially focused on helping you find the right place at the right time. With recent additions such as Place Pages, you can now pick a nearby place by browsing information such as opening hours and review snippets for the places around you.
It’s easier than ever to find those places with Search by voice or the new Places icon on Android. With this latest Android version, happy to see that you’re now searching for places almost three times as often, doubling how many Place Pages are seen a day.

Source & Image:
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2010/08/to-100-million-and-beyond-with-google.html

Mobile GeoRSS Maps *Beta* (Map Channels)

Mobile GeoRSS Maps *Beta* (by Map Channels)

"The easy way to add mapping for mobile websites"

Mobile GeoRSS Maps combines the Google Maps v3 API and Google Feeds API to display a GeoRSS feed on a map that is optimized for mobile phone display.


Create your own Map with feeds for your mobile, mymaps or georss feeds can auto-update and provide you with latest information whilst on the move.

Use Mobile GeoRSS Maps to simply add your map to your mobile website, or to generate a map link for emailing.

Google My Maps are supported. Use Mobile GeoRSS Maps to generate a mobile version of a My Map in seconds.

Mobile GeoRSS maps works on any phone which supports the Maps v3 API, such as the iPhone and Android or Symbian platforms.


Simple instructions to set you up for adding your own feeds to your mobile.

Technical Notes:

This map is a *beta* project, please contact us if you notice any bugs.

Only placemarks in a feed are displayed (lines and polygons are not displayed)

A maximum of 200 placemarks are displayed on the map

Custom Marker styles contained in a My Map are not displayed

base url for the following parameters
http://data.mapchannels.com/mobmap/100/map.htm

f = Feed URL or My Maps ID
r = Return URL
mt = Main Map Type (1=Road Map, 2=Satellite, 3=Hybrid, 4=Terrain)
pt =Profile Map Type (1=Road Map, 2=Satellite, 3=Hybrid, 4=Terrain)
z =Profile Map Zoom (between 1 and 20)
g =Geolocation (0=Off 1=On)
c =Marker Colour (0=Red 1=Blue 2=Green 3=White)

example:
http://data.mapchannels.com/mobmap/100/map.htm?g=1&mt=1&pt=1&z=16&c=0&s=1&f=http://www.entcal.com/rss/bristol_826.rss&r=
(will appear a full page map on a web browser)

Try it out here
http://www.mapchannels.com/MobileGeoRSSMaps.aspx

Nice, clean simple you set up and use, good work by the Map Channels keep up with developments at http://www.mapchannels.com/News.aspx

Ericsson Web & Mobile Maps API (Labs)

Ericsson Web & Mobile Maps API (Labs)

Use Web Maps to embed powerful and flexible maps into your web applications.

• Powerful map component easily embeded into any web page
• Custom layers with your own objects and symbols
• Embedded Java Applet with dynamic map rendering in the browser
• Easily integrated Javascript interface
• Automatic fall back to Javascript only version for browsers that doesn’t support Java Applets
• Free access to map data (TeleAtlas - Vector data)

The Ericsson Web Maps API (Labs) uses Java for the mapping (javascript- fallback if no java available), first load can be a little slow at times.

Working Example

http://saudi.betainnovation.com/controls.html

Web Maps provide dynamic maps which you can integrate into any web application and features a large variety of control possibilities and overlay of symbols. The maps are rendered in a Java Applet which provides fast map browsing and smooth and animated interaction.

The dynamic rendering also let’s you control the look and feel of the map and how your users interact with it.

Currently limited in Mapping Examples. Users would be encouraged to create their own.

More information on the Web Maps API:

https://labs.ericsson.com/apis/web-maps/documentation

Mobile Version (also with an API)

"Mobile Maps is Java based and available both for Java ME and for Android. You download the Java ME or Android library, which provide the functionality of downloading, displaying, and interacting with maps to your applications. It also includes access to the map data itself."

Key Point with the Mobile Maps Version is:
"Through its unique functionality of rendering the maps in the mobile phone application Mobile Maps use very low bandwidth in comparison to many other map services and applications."

Mobile Maps is powered by Idevio and Tele Atlas

More information
https://labs.ericsson.com/apis/mobile-maps/

Source: (Also mentions the new SMS Send & Receive API)
http://blog.programmableweb.com/2009/07/04/5-new-apis-sprint-ericsson-and-volunteerism/

The Future of Mobile Mapping? (Location Based Services)

The Future of Mobile Mapping?

"location-based content in a unique way that bridges the gap between reality and classic map-like representations"


Enkin from Enkin on Vimeo.

Two Uber Mappy Geeks show you a glimpse of Mobile Mapping in the near future.

This is one for the Google Android Developer Challenge

Found via

http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2008/04/enkin-is-the-li.html

via http://www.thefutureisawesome.com/

via browsing

http://edparsons.com/

More info on Location Based Services (LBS)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Location-based_service