Styled Maps Overview

Styled Maps Using Google Maps API Version 3

41Latitude has produced some great examples of the map styles that you can create in Google Maps with the new Styled Maps feature. Each of the examples is accompanied by some suggestions of how the styles could be used and the JSON code that you can use to create the style.

The styles created include 'Buildings' (example in the pic above), 'Inverted Maps', 'Grayscale' and many, many more. If you are looking to customise the look of your created maps this is a great place to get some inspiration (and the JSON code).

If you want some more ideas about how to customise your maps then the Google Geo-Developers Blog post Five Great Styled Maps Examplesis also a great resource. The article includes seven (not five!) Google Maps applications that use Styled Maps to create an individual look. Here are the seven websites:

London at Night
 

Athens Taxi Cost Calculator 


Google 2010 Election Ratings Map 


Ubilabs’ Tour de France live tracker


Aquila Shoes Store Locator 


Maps Without Maps 


Team Coco Blimp Tracker 

Friday Fun with Google Maps

Pegman takes a Break

Pegman has been caught on camera taking a break after his recent exertions in Ireland, Brazil and Antarctica. If you look at the bottom of his to do list on the white board you can see that Middle Earth is next to get the Street View treatment.

Make Your Own Pegman

Google in Brazil have created PDF templates for you to create your very own Pegman. All you need to do is print out the template, cut Pegman out and stick him together.

How to Cheat in Mazes

Switched has a nice story this week about people trying to cheat in the hedge maze at Longleat Safari Park in the UK.

It normally takes visitors about 90 minutes to work their way out of the maze but the workers recently noticed that some people were flying through the maze in just a few minutes. It turns out that some visitors have been viewing the maze on Google Maps satellite view on their smartphones and using GPS to navigate through their way to the exit.