Open Street Map gets Official Isle of Man Data

Open Street Map gets Official Isle of Man Data

The OpenStreetMap gets a pleasant boost for #OSM Mappers for the Isle of Man.

This is excellent to see. Encouraging for the whole aspect of the project.


OpenStreetMap now has access to Isle of Man Government 1:25,000 data - this contains much detail that can be used to improve the already abundant data in OpenStreetMap.

OSM now has access to two datasets from which can be derived from for the project:

• the 1:25,000 tourist map (2007) [above], provided as a set of four GeoTIFF images
• the high resolution aerial imagery (2001) [below], provided as a set of three MrSID images

High Resoultion imagery will help capture detials with out the leg work, and anyone can help contribute to the data capture.

"There is a massive amount of information which we can gain from these datasets still, and I will be posting some ideas soon about different possibilities, such as collecting place names, paths and tracks, historic sites, outlines of the national glens, open rambling land, etc. as well as using the data for error checking and correction in the existing OpenStreetMap dataset.

I am planning to make these datasets available as a WMS server that can be used in JOSM (and Potlatch) for editing, once I've had a chance to organise it, and have had an official license document through."

Dan Karran

This is a good way to see cartographic features and imagery overlaid - making digital data capture much easier for users.

acknowledgement:

Isle of Man Government map data and aerial imagery © Crown Copyright, DLGE; OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap and contributors, CC-by-SA.

Now would the UK Ordnance Survey allow this? I think not.

source and more information:

http://www.dankarran.com/blog/2009/08/using-official-isle-of-man-map-data-in-openstreetmap

London Marathon Maps 2009

London Marathon Map 2009

Racing starts 9.00am BST on Sunday 26th April 2009

9am Elite Women's Race Starts
9.25am Wheelchairs Race Starts
9.45am Elite Men's Race Starts
9.45am Mass Starts


BBC using Virtual Earth - No Route. and have some issues with the users in the US not centering on London. (Overlay a KML file would provide a route)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/8011891.stm

How 'live' is this map? [Race starts 9.00am BST on Sunday 26th April 2009]

New content is added to the map as soon as it becomes available - in many cases there is a short delay involved, as video, audio and images must be received and edited before being published.

But it looks like nothing had changed.

You need to refresh the page to see updates. Some points on the map, for example image galleries, update with fresh content as the marathon progresses. In other cases, older content is removed from the map and replaced by newer content from a similar area.

It would have been useful to see the full marathon route on this map.

We agree. This was not possible this year, but we expect to offer this in future.

Overlay a KML file would work.

For a Route Map see the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/interactive/2009/apr/22/london-marathon-route-map and click 'Runner'

Image from The Guardian

Route Planner
http://www.realbuzz.com/flmroutes/map.html
links from the Official Site - http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/
(not the best - needs updating from last year)


View Larger Map
This route might incorrect as it is from an old source (2005) but took 0.22 seconds to find

Official Google Maps API Reverse Geocoder - New!

Official Google Maps API Reverse Geocoder - New!

What is Reverse Geocoding? "finding an associated textual location such as a street address, from geographic coordinates."
source:wiki:geocoding


Clicking the map sends the latitude and longitude to the 'Google Geocoder Servers' the nearest address is returned. (click the image above to view the new official example)

Finally after many months of asking Google Map API Team have released the Google Reverse Geocoder :)

There is also a HTTP Server Reverse Geocoder - it works like this
send request:
http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?output=xml&oe=utf-8&ll=37,-122&key=asdad
Reply is:

http://googlegeodevelopers.blogspot.com/2008/10/geocoding-in-reverse.html

Support Documentation is coming very soon.

Supported Countries:

IF this spreadsheet has a 'Yes' in the Geocoding column then that country is supported with Reverse Geocoding as well.


"Note: that GClientGeocoder should be used for any user-entered reverse
geocodes, due to the way our [Google] IP limit system works. The HTTP service
should be used for tasks like reverse geocoding points in a database."

Well done to the Google Maps API Team on working on this and providing some good feedback.

Google Maps API adds StreetView Officially

update:28/03/2008

and there is the impressive Dual Maps - Virtual Earth and Google Map with StreetView side-by-side.

http://www.mapchannels.com/DualMaps.aspx

When you move the Maps/Streetview updates, when you turn the birdseye/streetview turns

Google Maps with StreetView and Virtual Earth with Birdseye View side by side at the beach.

Google Maps API adds StreetView Officially

New cities or StreetView coverage expanded
Albuquerque, NM
Anchorage, AK
Austin, TX
Cleveland, OH
Fairbanks, AK
Little Rock, AR
Madison, WI
Nashville, TN
Rockford, IL
Richmond, VA
Spokane, WA
St. Petersburg, FL
Tampa, FL
Yosemite National Park, CA
(thanks GoogleMapsMania saved Mapperz a job)




Why not 'visualize' the drive before you go?

Now you can custom build your own Streetview maps (subject to coverage).

Several good examples are available view:

Clickable StreetView Layer

Query StreetView Tiles/Structure

StreetView Layer and Draggable Human Icon

StreetView Panorama with POV (Point of View)


http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/demogallery.html?searchquery=street


Source:
http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Maps-API/browse_thread/thread/6e025c86acfc1002/bf0174dced87cc9e#bf0174dced87cc9e

Official Blog Post
http://googlemapsapi.blogspot.com/2008/03/street-view-in-api-or-how-i-spent-my.html

Documentation (uses v2.104)
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/reference.html#GStreetviewPanorama

Official: UK Geocoding Available to Google Maps API

Official: UK Geocoding Available to Google Maps API

From the Official Post by Pamela Fox Maps API Team
Friday, July 06, 2007 at 1:38:00 PM
"We're quite proud that the Google Maps API community is an active bunch in Europe, and particularly, the United Kingdom. To thank all those enthusiastic developers in the UK, we're happy to announce that the Maps API geocoder now supports address geocoding for United Kingdom addresses. I can now geocode all the places I've visited recently: London, Salisbury Castle, Ipswich, Box Hill, Stonehenge, and my relatives' house in Cambridge (not telling the address!). Try it out with your favorite UK addresses or places below: "

http://googlemapsapi.blogspot.com/2007/07/uk-geocoding-now-available-in-maps-api.html

"Developers should be aware that the API geocoder is not using the same resources as maps.google.com and may not return the same results. You should also know that neither of the geocoders will help you locate the "loch ness monster." Sorry, Google can't do everything (yet)." :)

Mapperz Happy :)