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/

OpenJump GIS

OpenJump GIS [Free Java based GIS]

update 21/04/2009

OpenJump 1.3 (more GIS analysis, faster, better)

http://www.openjump.org/wiki/show/New+OpenJUMP+Release
source: SlashGeo

There are more and more Open Source Projects coming along though which is the better of the bunch?
Not saying this is the 'best' though users are different to the developers.
OpenJump GIS is one of the better all round 'Free GIS' programs because:

1. It supports common GIS formats (.shp, .tif, .gml etc).
2. You can EDIT the data - lots are free but this one you can fully edit the data.
3. You can do some GIS Analysis!
   

Buffering for Free, OpenJump does do plenty of spatial analysis.

Spatial Analysis built-in (no plugins required!)

• Intersect, Buffer, Union, Symmetrical Differences, Centroid
  
• Generalisation
• Polygonise (converts lines to polygons)
• Join attributes by spatial location
• Thiessen Polygon Creation
• Attribution Queries

Additonal 'Plug-ins' can be loaded - though it's best the download them separately and unzip them on you computer the folder.


More Geometry Functions: Line Merge

More information on Open Jump

http://openjump.org/wiki/show/OpenJUMP


Future Suggestions? - More of the same, this is great for students and non-commercial, non profit organisations with limited budgets.
Maybe a Print View/Layout function if need to print
Support for (.osm and .gpx for OpenStreetMap) would be very helpful to many 'map makers'

OpenJump can also export to common formats (.gml, .wkt, .shp and postgis tables)

via SlashGeo
We mentioned other open source GIS software such as Quantum GIS, GRASS GIS, uDig and gvSIG amongst others.