Google Maps Mobile (3.2) More Layers

Google Map Mobile (3.2) More Layers


New Layers come to Google Maps for Mobile Devices

The new version, 3.2.0, adds a 'Layers' of information displayed on top of the map background to assist users to find out features and real-time incidents and transit information.

Google have updated Google Maps Mobile and there are new features such as:

• Wikipedia Layer
• Transit Layer - with real-time data
• MyMaps Layer - add your own content from MyMaps.
• Nearest features - search around your current map location.
  

Layers make it easier and more useful to find and interact with geographic content, like public transit, traffic (with incidents!), local search results, Latitude friend locations, Wikipedia and more. You can also see your own My Maps content as a layer on Google Maps for mobile. And finally, multiple layers can be combined at the same time to give you a content-rich view of what's around you.



Updated Release Notes:
http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=156059

Related Post:
A nice roundup of the features are available from AllAboutSymbian
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/10160_Layers_added
_to_Google_Maps_fo.php

Official Source:
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/07/layers-of-fun-in
-google-maps-for-mobile.html

Map Channels Version 3 (Beta)

Map Channels Version 3 (Beta)

update 02/03/2009 - Map Channels v3.01 - added features:

* Google Map Maker tiles can be selected
* Fixed caching bugs affecting update and display of map scripts
* Added map cursor shape option
* Added filter and info window link colour options
* Fixed info window and tooltip style bugs
* Added 'infoInitial' map setting and '&id' parameter to display a selected place marker
when the map first loads
* Added local map hosting instructions

Not just an update, but a complete re-write of the code.

New Features

• Restructuring of the design process
• User-definable dictionaries to present maps in any language
• Support for spreadsheet data in either tab-delimited format or from Google Spreadsheets
• Support for GeoRSS feeds using the Google Feeds API
• Marker clustering to display large numbers of markers on a map
• Google Street View (UK Streetview is on it's way...)
• Microsoft Virtual Earth (includes the birds eye view mode; oblique aerial imagery)

Clustering is now available as an option so maps can display more markers easily.

This involves gathering markers dependant on the number that obsure the map detail.

But also gives the user feeback that there are x amount of markers in an area

See the image below ( image source: Google Maps Mania)

Note: The Markers have dynamic numbers displayed on them indicating number of markers within a cluster at a particular zoom level of the map.

There is an option to display Street View and Virtual Earth as in Dual Maps.

(Look out Germany and the UK in the coming weeks)

Multi-language support is improved, users can create a custom dictionary to translate all phrases used on the map.

Feeds supported include KML, GeoRSS, Google Spreadsheet and Tab-delimited text. Feeds can be created separately from the map and from spreadsheet feeds.

Developers can customise the javascript used to display info window, tooltip and icon text.

Demos using Map Channels Version 3 (beta) are available here

http://events.mapchannels.com/ and http://www.seebournemouth.com/

Picasa Mapplet Search - Google MyMaps

Picasa Mapplet Search - Google MyMaps New!

Allows users to Search for Geotagged photographs that have been made publicly available via the Picasa Web Albums



Other Picasa enhancements

• The size of the images you can upload - from 10MB to 20MB per image.
• Upped the free storage quota to 1GB (and counting!)
• All photos uploaded through Blogger now appear in My Photos
• Mac Version of "Picasa Web Album Uploader"

Get Geotagging your photos and share where you have been.

Official Post

Mapperz

MyMaps Helping to Map UK Floods

Update

BBC Berkshire's interactive flood map

"The latest flood warning information, locations of emergency centres, photos, video and audio reports from our correspondents - all plotted on our interactive map of Berkshire."

BBC Berkshire Flood Map Feature

MyMaps helping Map UK Floods and useful up to date information


This MyMap records the flooding in Berkshire


The Power of MyMaps is use to display visually and geographically
Thanks to Ed Parsons for finding a map that is more useful and up to date than the Official Government Websites.

This map shows the bowsers available in Gloucester and Cheltenham

The cause of the flooding seems to be pointing at the jetsteam shifting south more than normal El Niño and La Niña (the rising and lowering of pressure and temperature in the pacific ocean)
could be possible causes, though human impact seems to cause more fluctuations in this natural process


Images: BBC and the Met Office