mapping

Google Street View is about the coolest online mapping service released in a while, but its imagery is of inconsistent quality. Street View images are full of lens flare, distortion, and poor stitching artifacts. They're good enough for entertainment or for getting a general idea of a local scene, but not for much else.

A new company, Earthmine, plans to launch soon an urban imagery system that features much more precise data and visuals. Using laser range-finding and still photography (instead of the video that Google's current system employs), the Earthmine system will offer not only sharp and … Read more

MindMeister is a "mind mapping" tool that launched last month. If you're unfamiliar with mind mapping, it's somewhere between brainstorming and an organizational chart. If you've ever had to help plan a party or put together an outline for a project, mind mapping is one of the ways to organize and order your thoughts. MindMeister replaces legal pads and crumpled up pieces of paper with an online workspace that can be revised and manipulated. Users can create ideas and connect them to one another, or build their own hierarchies--it's essentially a giant canvas.

Users of Google Docs and Spreadsheets will feel right at home, as the tool shares similar features for versioning, autosave, and collaboration. There's also built-in Skype integration, assuming your collaborators have provided their Skype username. While there's no built-in chat, users can fire up a text or voice chat on Skype by clicking on another collaborator's name.

For users who don't feel like logging in to add a quick idea to their mind map, MindMeister has a few tools that help out. Called "Geistesblitz" (meaning "mind flash"), these tools consist of a widget for OS X and Vista, and a browser extension that installs itself as a search engine in IE and Firefox's search box. When you come across something you feel like writing down, you can just enter it in, and it will be sent to whatever mind map you've chosen as the default.

MindMeister offers two tiers of service--one free, and a paid premium version that runs about $4 per month. The premium version gives users an unlimited amount of mind maps, as well as the option to embed them on blogs and Web sites. I've embedded a sample mind map after the jump. … Read more

Hat tip to my colleague Chris Smith for pointing out that Google has rolled out ads within Google Maps Japan.

It looks like the ads were just contextual based on the location, rather than being from a restaurant-specific search (although I don't read Japanese so I can't tell what the query was).

To me this looks very busy. And I'd imagine the ad density clutter will only get worse over time.

Perhaps Google feels that Japanese users of Google Maps will be more tolerant of the ads and the busier interface? Or perhaps this is the shape … Read more

Google cares what you think about local businesses and thinks other people do too. The company on Tuesday added a new feature to Google Maps that allows people to post user ratings and reviews of local businesses. The maps previously had professional reviews, but not reviews from users. More information is on the Google Blog.

I must say it was faster to do than writing a review on Yelp or CitySearch and a tad more intuitive than posting a review on Yahoo Maps.

Category: Mobile

Google Maps Mobile is a smaller version of Google's mapping service that?s been optimized for mobile phones. Users can get real-time traffic, satellite imagery, and driving directions, as well as search for local businesses right on their phone. Google Maps Mobile isn't just a destination for mobile Web browsers, it's actually a full-on application for users running Windows Mobile or the Palm OS on their handset.

Web site: www.Google.com/gmm

Webware coverage: Apple. Google. Yahoo. Strange bedfellows?

Winners in this category:

Category: Reference

Ask.com may not be the No. 1 search engine out there, but it's been doing some interesting things with new Web technologies, including its mapping services. Ask.com Maps and Directions allows users to search and get directions in any city really quickly. What separates it from some other directions services is its capability to give you directions for both driving and walking. It works mostly for short hauls (obviously) and gives you turn-by-turn directions for getting around city blocks on foot. If you've ever been following a road map in the city and come … Read more

Category: REFERENCES

Yahoo Maps is one of the most popular mapping services available, and features several handy tools for figuring out how to get from place to place. Like other mapping services, there's a driving directions tool that gives you a turn-by-turn guide. Users can also click a "reverse" button that will reverse the directions, which can be very helpful with tricky one-way streets and confusing freeway on- and off-ramps.

In addition to driving directions, users can also sort and search using business listings and see their locations right on the map. Yahoo also provides its Maps … Read more

Category: Reference

Get directions and find places online. Google Maps shows streets, traffic, and satellite images. Users can type in an address and get a pinpoint location or pull up driving directions. Users with a Google account can also partake in the My Maps service, which provides users with simple drag-and-drop tools to chart their own customized maps and share them with others.

Google Maps recently launched a new feature called Street View. Using 360-degree, video-capture technology, users can explore a photograph of their local streets if they live in one of the cities that has been mapped by the … Read more

I do not take directions lightly, primarily because if I did, I'd never get anywhere. For the woefully orientation-challenged (and easily frustrated) like me, legible maps and accurate instructions are crucial. Even more so is being able to access them from a PDA or smart phone when you're lost.

Thankfully, there's a proliferation of reliable mapping and GPS-locating software for mobile handsets, but today I'll focus on one that contains both downloadable and Web-based (WAP) components.

Earthcomber Pros: Broad cross-platform support; numerous map services Cons: US content only; content partnerships somewhat limiting; possible carrier fee Download: Windows Mobile or Palm WAP address for BlackBerrys and smart phones: http://mobile.earthcomber.com… Read more