German Google Maps Round-up

Skobbler

Skobbler is a German Google Maps based application for the desktop, iPhone and for Android phones. Skobbler lets you search and save locations and places, create tips for locations, add photos, and rate venues.

The Skobbler website allows you to search for local listings on Google Maps. For example you can search for pizza in Berlin and view the locations of Berlin's pizza restaurants on a map. If you click on an individual listing you can read reviews, user ratings, view uploaded photographs and get directions to the venue.

Skobbler encourages user contributions with a 'local hero' rating system. If you contribute the most locations, comments and ratings in a neighbourhood you can earn yourself a coveted local hero status. Skobbler has even provided aLocal Heroes Google Map to help you search for the local hero in your neighbourhood.

Maporado

Maporado is a German map search and route planning website that is integrated with Google Maps, Bing Maps, Open Street Map, Navteq and Yahoo Maps.

Using Maporado you can search for a location and choose on which map provider you would like to see the results. If you want driving directions you can use the route planner to set a starting point and destination. Once you have selected these you can then choose between a large selection of route planning services.

So, if you are very picky, you can view your route as suggested by different online map providers and choose which you think provides the best directions.

Street View Protest Map

This Google My Map has been created to provide a virtual protest against Google's plans to launch Street View in Germany. Some Germans are so opposed to the idea of images of their houses appearing on Street View that they have added photos of themselves standing outside their houses and posted these photos to the map.

If you are really opposed to Street View you could even take a 360 degree panoramic photo of yourself and post it to the map. If you got a few of your neighbours together you could even create a series of panoramic photos for your street. If you then linked these together with hyperlinks you could create an amazing virtual protest that allowed viewers to virtually walk down the street. I even have a name for this innovation: 'View Street'. I wonder if it will catch on?

Via: landkartenblog

Google Maps at the Quantum Level

The Case of the Missing Sunrise and The Phantom Town

This week the American media has been full of the story of the missing Florida town, Sunrise. For at least a month this summer Sunrise simply disappeared from the map. At least, it disappeared from Google Maps. 

One moment the town was there for all the world to see and the next moment it had disappeared. Sunrise no longer appeared on Google Maps.

Now the American media have been having a lot of fun with this mapping error, just as the BBC have been having fun with the issue of the phantom town of Argleton appearing on Google Maps in the UK. 

Lots of explanations have been put forward for these mistakes, from simple administrative errors to sneaky copyright traps. However no-one seems to have made the logical conclusion of looking at both of these cases together.

 

For me the clue to these errors is in the name 'Sunrise'. Sunrise, as you are aware, is essential the light of the sun becoming visible in the morning. At the quantum level of reality light photons behave with indeterminacy. Therefore we are unable to predict the final location of any single light photon. 

So clearly due to quantum mechanics the town of Sunrise will sometimes appear on Google Maps in Florida and at other times it will appear in the UK, as the town of Argleton.

Quantum Indeterminacy in Street View

Other evidence of how Google Maps behaves at the quantum level can be seen in Street View. In Montréal Google has caught two successive images of the same truck delivering cola to a store. In one image the truck clearly appears as belonging to Pepsi Cola.

However if you progress along the street in Street View for one frame the same truck suddenly appears to belong to Coca Cola.

Clearly evidence once again that Google Maps behaves with indeterminacy at the quantum level. 

I must point out however that physics has never been my strong point and I could well be wrong in my calculations.

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Labels: Friday Fun

GeoVation Challenge

This year, GeoVation has been split into three separately themed challenges, the first of which was ‘How Can Britain Feed Itself?’ now closed to new entries, although you can still visit the site to read and rate the 52 ideas that have been contributed.

But fear not, the chance to be involved has not passed you by; for the next Challenge is due to open on Tuesday 28th September 2010 and is entirely focused on how geographic data can help us get from A to B.

Bumper to bumper. Photo by Lynac via Flikr

There are huge and exciting opportunities for geography to be harnessed to solve transport related problems, especially with the influx of open data releases that we’ve seen over the past months. Those include Data.gov.uk; Ordnance Survey’s own OS OpenDataportal; a number of local authorities; and most recently transport data from Transport for London.

And, for the second of this year’s Challenges, delighted to have the additional support of the the TSB funded Ideas in Transit project and the National Business Travel Network.

Ideas in Transit is a five-year project that applies “bottom-up” innovation to the transport challenges faced by individuals and society. NBTN promotes workplace travel planning as a cost effective way for businesses to reduce CO2 emissions and benefit staff.

Both are committed to supporting a sustainable future for transport in Britain and with their help we’re really hoping that we’ll uncover something extra special.

We are all users of transport, so if you’ve got a geography based transport idea why not submit it next week? The best entries will be invited to a further develop their ideas at a GeoVation Camp before going on to pitch for funding at a ‘Dragons’ Den’ style showcase next year.

There is a prize fund of £25,000 available to award to winning ideas and whilst entrants aren’t limited to using Ordnance Survey data, there is also an additional prize available for the best use of any of the datasets freely available through OS OpenData.

Keep an eye on GeoVation.org.uk next week for more details on the second challenge and you can also follow the project on Twitter for all the latest news at @GeoVation.

Reposted by request (twitter) from:

http://blog.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/2010/09/geovation-seeks-ideas-to-get-you-moving/

Labels: Award, Challenge, GeoVation, OS, September 2010

Street View Trike Spotted in Denmark

The Google Street View trike today started gathering off-road imagery in Denmark. Google use the Street View trike to gather Street View imagery in places where the Street View cars cannot go. Google have worked withVisitDenmark, Denmark's official tourism agency, to decide the locations the trike will visit.

One location that the trike visited today was the Rundetaarn in Copenhagen. You can see Google's trike cyclist valiantly struggling to pedal up the spiral ramp of the tower on this shaky YouTube video.

Danish website Version2 have created a nice gallery of 18 photos that they captured of the trike today. 

Via: microformats.dk

Chat with Google Maps on Your Phone

Yaptime
Yaptime is a new Google Maps based group texting service that lets you send and read messages from people within 100 feet of your location. The application is aimed at mobile phones, with iPhone and Android applications coming soon. For now you can access Yaptime from your phone's browser by visiting http://www.yaptime.com/m.

Once you access Yaptime from your phone you need to share your location and enter a user name. You can then choose to set up a chat room at your location or view current messages being posted around the world. 

If you choose to set up a new chat room you can then start posting messages from your location. Yaptime see the application being used by people at events, such as football games and in venues, such as bars and cafes.

The application allows users to start chatting anonymously with people in their immediate vicinity. I can certainly see this being popular especially if there is some effort to publicise a Yaptime chat at a particular event or venue. For example, conference organisers could encourage attendees to log-in and chat about the speakers / event using Yaptime.

Hat-tip: Street View Funny

Imagery Update - Week of September 20th

Our latest imagery update is now live and ready for your viewing pleasure. This time around we’ve included high-resolution imagery of locations from more than one hundred countries! Check out some of my favorites from our latest batch below:

The Fountain of Diana the Huntress, one of the most representative sculptures of Mexican art, and main parade route location for the recent bicentennial celebration in Mexico City, Mexico.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The recently completed Raleigh Convention Center and site of this weekend’s Mojo Musical Supply Southeastern Guitar & Amp Show in Raleigh, North Carolina. Turn it up to 11!

High Resolution Aerial Updates:
USA: Cincinnati, Denver, Greensboro, Raleigh, Miami, Monterey (CA), Portland (OR), San Diego, San Francisco, Sioux Falls (SD)
Mexico: Mexico City
Brazil: Rio De Jeaneiro
Sweden: Skara

Countries receiving High Resolution Satellite Updates:
Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, People's Republic of the Congo, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

These updates are currently only available in Google Earth, but they'll also be in Google Maps soon. To get a complete picture of where we updated imagery, download this KML for viewing in Google Earth.

The Youngest Google Maps Developers

Kensington Palace Map Makers Project

I love this map project created by pupils at the Fox Primary School and the Kensington Palace Education team in London. Using a hand drawn map of Kensington Palace as custom map tiles the team have created a unique Google Map which has been populated with work from students at Fox Primary School.

The pupils have created map markers for the map to explain the history behind the park's buildings, public spaces, road names and to explore the lives of famous people that have a connection with the Palace. If you click on a map marker you can view the pupils' work illustrated with their own hand drawings. 

This is an inspired idea to teach local history to young children with the added bonus of teaching them a little about cartography in the process.

Elevation for Maps API for Flash

Google have added the Elevation service to the Maps API for Flash. Maps API for Flash developers can now add elevation profiles to their maps. As an extra bonus the service comes with a cool 3D twist.



The Google Geo Developers Blog has a great example of the elevation service being used with driving directions. In the example you can see the 3D feature in action. If you mouse-over anywhere on the elevation profile the map will zoom to your location and rotate the map to face the direction you should be facing if you are following the directions.

How to edit Google Maps and local business listing data

The world is a big place that’s constantly changing, so in digitally replicating it on Google Maps, you can imagine how much information we’re working with. We get data for Google Maps from a number of sources, including third party providers, business owners and users like yourself. And while for the most part, our algorithms do a great job of accurately reflecting the real world on the map, there are some instances when we get it wrong.

If you notice something that’s incorrect on Google Maps, chances are it’s either an issue with our map data - things like city and road names - or with our business listing data. We have a number of simple tools that make it easy for you to correct or report any issues so that we can get the maps right. Your assistance helps us provide the most accurate and up-to-date maps possible, so you and other Google Maps users can find what you’re looking for and be on your way.

Report a problem with our map data

• Use the Report a Problem tool in the U.S. and Canada, most easily accessible by right-clicking on the map or clicking the link on the bottom right-hand-side of the map.
• If anything with our map data is wrong, such as a road being renamed or a new highway on-ramp opening up, please submit a report. We work hard to fix the map based on user submissions, and try to resolve these issues as fast as we can.
• Countries outside the U.S. and Canada should contact the Google Maps data provider to correct the information.

Edit business listing information directly on Maps

• If you see incorrect information appearing on Google Maps listings in the U.S. (and many more countries), you can make updates to listings directly on Google Maps.
• Once we've reviewed your edits, updates to the listing will go live within several hours.
• If you are the business owner but have yet to claim your listing, see below for more information about Google Places.

Report incorrect business listing information

• The best way to report incorrect information is to use the “Report a Problem” tool, where available. Report a Problem allows you to specify exactly what is incorrect about a listing.
• Once these user-submitted reports are reviewed, updates to the listing will go live in a few weeks.

If you’re a business owner, you should also claim your Google Places listing so that you can edit and update the listing that appears on Google, Google Maps and GOOG-411. Verifying your free business listing allows you to not only ensure that accurate information appears on the Place page for your business, but also enhance your online presence by adding photos, videos and even real-time updates like weekly specials to your Place page.

Claim your Google Places listing

• Claim your Google Places listing by adding it at http://www.google.com/places or by clicking “Business Owner?” on the Place page for your business.
• Verify your listing by PIN (postcard or phone). Within an hour, click the “See your listing on Google Maps” link in your account to see your listing’s Place page.
• If incorrect information is appearing in your listing, there are a number of different ways to let us know and get the information corrected.

New Google Earth Imagery - September 21

As pointed out by an anonymous GEB reader, Google has just pushed out a new imagery update for us!

What's interesting about this update is that the submitter also included a link to a KMZ file that shows all of the updated areas. This isn't an official file, and I have no idea where it came from, but a spot-check seems to indicate that it's accurate. You can download the KMZ file here.