WikiLeaks War Logs Mapped - Part Four

AFG War Diary

I thought that it would only be a matter of time before someone used the MIT Simile Timeline and Google Maps to map the 75,000 US military reports covering the war in Afghanistan that were released by WikiLeaks. I even considered having a go myself but the sheer number of reports dissuaded me.

The Motion Média team has obviously spent a few hours putting this together so that you can navigate the WikiLeak documents by time and by location.

The map does carry a warning that it can only be viewed in FireFox.

Also See

• WikiLeaks War Logs - WikiLeaks themselves have mapped the US military reports from Afghanistan
• Næsten 4.000 civile dræbt i Afghanistan - Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet has mapped references to incidents involving the Danish army
• Afghanistan War Logs: IED Attacks Map - from The Guardian newspaper
• Afghanistan: The War Logs Map- from The Guardian newspaper

Russian Widfire Tracking Maps

At the time of writing 48 people are reported to have died and seven regions are under a state of emergency as a result of the wildfires raging in Russia. In response to the crisis a number of maps attempting to track the fires have been created.

Russian-Fires.ru

Russian-Fires are using the Ushahidi map reporting system to help provide a Google Map showing the fires. Users can inform Russian-Fires about other incidents by e-mail or via Twitter.

The map shows the location of fires and blocked roads. Along the bottom of the map is a time-line so you can change the dates to view data for different periods of time. Fires on the map are also listed in chronological order under the map.


Andrei's Blog has been doing a good job reporting on other online maps tracking the Russian fires. Russian website Yandex has its own Fire Map as does GeoMixer.

Australian Elections on Google Maps

Australian Federal Election

Following yesterday's post about Brazilian Election Maps Arek of All Things Spatial got in touch to inform me that Google have also produced a Google Map for this year's Australian federal election.

Users of the map can explore their federal electorate on a map, see who holds power, and by how much. Closer to the election users will also be able to use the map to find their closest polling booth.

As well as the Google Map there are also links to election search trends, a Vibewire Youth Media and YouTube special to bring fresh video reporting at the Australian federal election and Student Voice 2010. Student Voice 2010 is a project to let children have their own Australian election.

If you are so inclined you can also check out the 2007 Australian Federal Election Map.

Get a Personal Trainer with Google Maps

miCoach

Adidas have released a free iPhone application that turns your phone into a personal coach.

miCoach uses GPS and real-time voice coaching to pace you through easy to understand workout zones as you run. GPS is used to track your run on Google Maps. Using Google Maps miCoach is able to analyse your run showing your speed, distance and elevation data.

The application measures your distance, pace, calories burned, and elapsed time. It can then provide you with daily planned workouts and coaching feedback delivered to your phone.

The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Archive

It's been 65 years since the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, and the number of survivors is continuing to dwindle. The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Archive is an attempt to capture first-hand stories to save for history.

From their site:

This project enables to access all of those resources from all over the world, which was formerly unable to do so. Moreover, by mapping the information with topographic data, the user can enhance the experience of what it was like when the A-bomb struck Nagasaki, in detail. "Nagasaki Archive" is an attempt to reorganize all of those information on a digital virtual globe (google earth). In order to make Nagasaki the last place on earth where the A-bomb struck, we hope that many people to interact with and learn from "Nagasaki Archive".

You can see photos from the same angle they were taken 65 years ago, and also you click the portrait of survivors to read their experiences and wishes assosiated with the actual location they were exposed to A - bomb.

It seems like an excellent use of Google Earth to try to preserve some history, and the implementation of it is quite solid. Much of the site is in Japanese, but they're translating as much as they can into English.

Finding a Safety Expert with Google Maps

Find a Safety Pro

Safety Pro is a Google Maps mashup designed for safety professionals to advertise their services. Construction companies looking for a safety professional in an area that they don't normally do business in can use the map to find local safety professionals. 

Construction companies can use the map to search for Safety Consultants, OSHA Trainers, Equipment Installers and Inspectors/Auditors. To undertake a search users just need to enter a zip-code, city or state. It is also possible to refine a search by consultant, inspector, installer or trainer. 

The results of a search are then show on a Google Map and listed in the map sidebar. 

Bart Trip Planner with Bike Directions

The Bay Area Rapid Transit System have released a new Trip Planner and Station Finder system that both use Google Maps.

Find Closest Station

The Station Finder application allows users to find the nearest BART station and get directions to it. To use the application users just need to enter an address and a BART station. The application will then return walking, driving or cycling directions to the station.

BART QuickPlanner

The BART QuickPlanner allows passengers to plan their route from door-to-door.

To get directions and a schedule passengers just need to enter a starting address and a destination and indicate the time of their proposed journey. The results are then returned in three parts: directions to the departing station, BART trip details and then directions from the arrival station. As with the Station Finder passengers can get directions for walking, car or cycling.

Introducing the new Search History link on Google

Have you ever tried to remember how to get back to a website that you found from a recent search? Today in the US, we’re launching a new search history feature which helps you quickly get back to sites you've been to and see items you have starred from your Android, iPhone, or desktop searches. Just sign in and then tap the history link at the bottom of the Google homepage.
If you’ve enabled search history in your account (tap “Settings” and select “Save Searches” under “Search History”, then tap “Save”), the history that you see is a combination of all your searches done while you are signed-in, whether you are searching from a laptop at home, your desktop computer at work, or your phone while on-the-go. Your mobile searches are marked with a little phone icon so you can tell them apart. For websites you’ve visited while searching on a desktop or laptop, you’ll see screenshot thumbnails that can help you recognize and return to the right sites quickly.
If you want to remove any history items, you can tap the "Edit" button at the top of the page and delete individual search queries. If you prefer to stop recording search history all together, choose the “Do not save searches” option under "Settings" on the home screen and tap “Save.”

At the top of the History page, you can also select your “Starred items,” which shows a list of search results you’ve starred on your computer or phone. Let’s say after researching places to snorkel in Hawaii, you found a website full of photos about Kealakekua Bay that you want to return to later. To star the Kealakekua Bay website, simply click on the star next to the Kealakekua Bay website on Google search results. Thereafter, whenever you want to return to the site, simply click on the “Starred items” option in history. This way, while you’re out with friends, you can easily get back to the website and show pictures of this magical cove right from your phone.
We hope you find the new History link useful!