Walking Directions 'Beta' Now in Google Maps

Walking Directions Beta Now in Google Maps

Update:
'Walking Directions' option will appear when directions that are 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) or less.

Update2 - Mibazaar via Google Maps Mania finds a long detour.A 2 mile walk is now '120 mi (193 km) – about 1 day 15 hours'
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=detroit,mi&daddr=Windsor,+Essex,+Ontario,+Canada&mra=cc&dirflg=w&doflg=ptm&sll=42.482226,-82.692719&sspn=0.474992,0.85144&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=10
So Beta it is...



Traditional Driving Directions take you around Hyde Park, London
Map Directions (Car)
Longer Distance (3 miles but shorter time for the journey 12 mins)
**(excludes finding parking, pay for parking and sitting in traffic waiting for parking)


Switching to 'Walking' Beta Mode shows it's much shorter to Walk than Driving taking only 8 minutes longer than Driving .
Map Directions (Walking)
Shorter Distance (1 mile for the journey but 20 minutes in duration)
*** Use caution when walking in unfamiliar areas.

Official Blog Post
http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2008/07/pound-pavement.html

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

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

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

Mapped Webpages (Google Maps)

Mapped Webpages - Google Maps (the blue dots)


Google 'locate' information and display is on Map Searches now.

Try it
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Isambard+Kingdom+Brunel&mrt=websearch&sll=58.263287,-36.210937&sspn=132.606541,329.0625&ie=UTF8&ll=52.153714,-1.966553&spn=4.773254,10.283203&t=p&z=7&iwloc=A-1-5-viewsSub

The clever bit this is it only display items within the map area with the option to expand in sidebar.

source: Google Maps Mania

Google Maps Traffic Predictor

Google Maps Traffic Predictor


Now you can view 'potential' traffic conditions for future dates and also new icons to show traffic incidents.
** data is based on historical information. Click for Map

some say this is in response to Microsoft ClearView

UK Users will have to use the Highways Agency - Traffic Forecaster

Source:
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/04/google-maps-predicts-traffic-conditions.html

Official Post
http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-ways-to-beat-traffic-with-google.html

Did you mean? Google Maps

Did you mean? Google Maps


New yellow markers indexed to the sidebar help narrow down places of interest.
You can also get directions to each one.
Lots of 'GIS' going on underneath to do this.


Now you can find points of interest and do not need to have an end address/location to get map directions.

Driving Directions? But sometimes quicker to walk.
(red line would be shortest route to walk and still uses Teleatlas data)
**red line added by mapperz

Suggestion:
Would be handy in large cities to have a 'walk to' option as you can see in Leicester Square you get sent around the one way system. But Leicester Squaree is pedestrian only and would take only a few minutes to walk.
If driving you might miss the show.

based on the post
http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2008/01/no-address-required.html

Google Maps Mobile 'My Location' (Beta)

Google Maps Mobile 'My Location'
(with or without GPS - uses mobile/cell triangulation)

"See your location on the map, with or without GPS. Save time and tedious keystrokes finding where you are, what's around you, and how to get there. Watch the video on the right to see how it works."



Roughly how it works....

Here is the video guide.



"Why the uncertainty? The My Location feature takes information broadcast from mobile towers near you to approximate your current location on the map - it's not GPS, but it comes pretty close (approximately 1000m close, on average). We're still in beta, but we're excited to launch this feature and are constantly working to improve our coverage and accuracy.

The My Location feature is available for most web-enabled mobile phones, including Java, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Nokia/Symbian devices."

Yes, it can be disabled.

Source: http://searchengineland.com/071128-110000.php

Google Maps Terrain

Update
Google Maps API users will be pleased to know the Terrain Layer will be available.
Sneek Peek
http://gmaps-samples.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/terrain/terrain_maptypecontrol.html
But wait for the official blog post...
http://mapperz.googlepages.com/Google_Terrain.html
(ok maybe not wait)

Google Maps Terrain New!

A nice new visual layer called 'Terrain' a physical representation of the ground and elevation

Large U.S. Cities have Oblique 2.5D Buildings in Terrain Mode.

But where is the Hybrid Mode gone?

Google incorporated the hybrid feature into the satellite mode. Just click Satellite and then you’ll see the checkbox appear which says “show labels.” If the box is checked roads/streets will be labeled just as Hybrid mode.

Mapperz

Google Directions Tweak

Google Directions Tweak - Non Stop

The Google Directions with the draggable route (auto-recalculates your route) has had a tweak.
When you now drag the route and release at a location there is no longer an intermediate stop marker added. This makes a small but very good improvement on the results of the directions.

here is a quick example sw1 to sw2 and re-routed



see the route, now excludes a stop so directions are more accurate.

Simple but very useful.

Official blog post on this
http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2007/11/viva-la-via.html

Compare OpenStreetMap vs Google Maps Data Sources

An Update:Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing TIGER Data going into OpenSteetMap -
http://www.linux.com/feature/119493

• with experience with TIGER data, towns and cities have fairly good data, though in more rural locations the data is of less (made up in some places) quality.
• 'paper roads' can exist - where the roads have been planned but don't physically exist.
• Poor positional accuracy has however made it extremely difficult to integrate TIGER with advanced technologies and data sources such as GPS, high resolution imagery.
• The positional accuracy of TIGER road centerline can be improved from an original 100 plus meters using a method called 'conflation'(See Cartography)
  

Stats on the loading http://dev.openstreetmap.org/~daveh/tiger/stats.html

current stats
"We are processing 6.212597 OSM objects per second at this rate of upload, the entire US will be done in: 27401872 seconds or 317 days or 0.868313 years on Sun Aug 24 12:27:57 2008"


OpenStreetMap vs Google Maps Data Sources - who do you trust?

This is a very interesting topic and compares commercial products (TeleAtlas) with community captured data (OpenStreetMap)

Note: All Maps are to an extent wrong/or out of date, but having a good baseline of cleaned digital data is a very good start.

RefNum has produced set of 'editorial' markups showing the differences and even for a small town there are a number of striking ones.

In detail on Hayward's Heath is a KML Overlay highlighting errors.



geo.topf.org
has side by side comparison of Google Maps and Open Street Map (MapNik Styled)

"This is an attempt at generating nice map tiles for slippy maps at low zoom levels which can then be combined with OpenStreetMap tiles from higher zoom levels.
The information in the OpenStreetMap database is intended for higher zoom level and doesn't work well when viewing the whole world or a whole continent."
Jochen Topf
http://geo.topf.org/contact.html

So the future looks good for community based mapping data (open source free mapping).
Commercial digital data capture companies have the edge for coverage at the moment. But the more the people and small companies that join in the faster the benefit to all.
It will not put out business to business mapping but for 'Joe Public'
without the threat of breaking licencing infringements to produce maps for personal/club/internet usage.

Interested in this Project?
Then head to OpenStreetMap


Source:
http://www.opengeodata.org/

Mapperz

Google Maps includes Transit Data

Google Maps includes Transit Data


Formally they only way to access this for the 21 (most in the US) cities was via
http://www.google.com/transit

But it seems from today that is now available via the Google Maps main portal.

It's a good way to help get information to the user, real-time traffic can also be overlayed to see any potential delays.

The coverage hopefully expands and in due course 'city' commuters will be able to access it via mobile devices.
No European Cities to date.


try it out here:
http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=
&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=university+washington
&daddr=robinswood&sll=47.598755,-122.199554&sspn
=0.10441,0.32135&dirflg=r&ie=UTF8&ll=47.651281,
-122.202301&spn=0.13414,0.32135&z=12&om=1&layer=t&start=0
(time for tinyurls google?)

Mapperz Source:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=6507

Now there is an Official Post from Google LatLong Blog on this topic.

Google Maps coverage expands - 54 more countries

Google Maps coverage expands... 54 more countries covered.

Update 18/09/2007
Pamela Fox (Google Maps API Team) introduces Google Spreadsheets New Features that use your data (xml, html, csv, tsv, as well as RSS and Atom based)


In combination with the Google Maps API you can now view the new tiles via her mashup.


note1 - the Google Geocoder is not perfect.
(click on Costa Rica and you will see)

*Note- Additionally, the limit on functions per spreadsheet is 50.

previous post
Click a hyperlink to view the new coverages - some are limited in content.


Afghanistan
Aruba
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belize
Bermuda
Brunei Darussalam (limited coverage)
Bhutan (limited coverage)
Bolivia (limited coverage - cities only)
Cambodia
Chile
Colombia (limited coverage - 50% approx)
Costa Rica
Cuba
Ecuador
El Salvador
Fiji (very limited coverage)
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Indonesia (limited coverage)
Iraq
Iran
Jordan
Kazakhstan (limited coverage)
Kyrgyzstan
Kuwait
Laos
Lebanon
Mexico
Myanmar (Burma)
Mongolia
Nepal
Nicaragua (limited coverage - 50% approx)
Oman
Pakistan
Panama (fragmented coverage)
Paraguay (very limited coverage)
Peru(very limited coverage)
Philippines
Papua New Guinea
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Sri Lanka
Syria
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Timor-Leste
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela (limited coverage - 50% approx)
Vietnam
Yemen (limited coverage)

*Coverage only approximated by Mapperz

Source:
http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2007/09/
more-of-world-for-you-to-explore.html

Embed Google Maps in Your Website or Blog

Embed Google Maps in Your Website

No API key needed just copy and paste... by using the link to page on google maps,


Select, Copy and Paste the HTML snippet to your website

"Today we're excited to announce a new feature on Google Maps that allows you to add maps to your blog or website just by copying and pasting a snippet of HTML. And once you embed the map, it has all the same functionality of the Google Maps you know and love; it's clickable, draggable, and zoomable."
Jess Lee, Product Manager, Google Maps

It's as easy and simple to use (like embedding a YouTube Video)

So you can make your maps and post them out there and make more widely available.

Mapperz thinks this is a good move by Google


View Larger Map


More Examples over at the Official LatLong Blog

Google Directions adds real Traffic Times

Google Maps Directions adds real Traffic/Journey Times


Very simple but very useful

Going to JFK to New York (Google's centre point for New York) or vice versa in this example - waiting 10 minutes between requests shows two different sets of traffic and therefore adjusts the approximate time for the journey.
Knowing the 'appendence' of each segment of line (road in this case) and the distance is therfore easy to work out the time it will take to cover that segment, join them up and you get an ETA of the journey.

Official Post from the Google Lat/Long Blog



Next transitional times - incorporating walking time, trains, train stops, buses, trams as well as Traffic?
Mapperz

Quick Note:
Geocoding Expands India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, or Ireland (Via the MapRoom)
Official Post by Pamela Fox Maps API Team

More Updates to Google Maps

More Updates to Google Maps - In Summary


India Points of Interest (POI) and addresses are now searchable.

More information in more detail on Google Maps Mania with a full list of Locations

New Coverage - for the United Arab Emirates

Click the image to see it live.

Google Maps - Drag Directions (New Feature)

Update - The official post with video now available

http://maps.google.com/help/maps/directions/

Funky new feature from Google Maps - Drag Directions...on the fly.

Here's what Mapperz likes about it.


Now if you grab the blue directions line on the map


Google then re-calculates live on the fly new route.

Try it out

Also when you right click on the blue directions route you can specify a new destination stop.

Dynamic Routing is alive!!

Well done Google. :)

Sky News - UK Flooding Map (Pics)

Update - if your looking for UK Floods in Southern, West and Midlands [20th July to 24th July 2007]
Go to the newer page
http://mapperz.blogspot.com/2007/07/uk-flooding-links.html


Sky News UK Flooding Map showing pictures of the Flooding in the North of England - News has Location.


Sky News UK

More and more Maps are Illustrating news events - giving the users a sense of the scale of the matter.
(other parts of the UK have been affected - though the North of England has had it very bad.)

Source: Google Maps Mania via Press Gazette

More Flooding Pictures from the BBC Site

PawTrax - Lost or Stolen Cats & Dogs Map

PawTrax - Lost and Stolen Cats and Dogs Map
For UK owners of Cats and Dogs whom have lost their faithful friend. A unique way of finding and tracking down canines and felines that have either been lost or have been stolen from there home.

"A PawTracker is a concerned fellow dog, cat or pet lover who would like to assist in finding missing pets. In fact. you do not need to be a pet owner, just someone who loves animals and would like to help in the search for missing pets"


The very clear and useful sidebar with legend helps narrow down searches quickly

Dog
Cat
Horse
Bird
Small Furry
Other

Note: 'Other' could equal snakes!



"A Helping Hand for a Lost Paw"

http://www.pawtrax.co.uk/map/locations/map

Nice to see different types of Mapping like this.
Suggestions - Mapperz at gmail dot com.