Roundup Friday: Maps!

Betsey Blanche — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:30:00 GMT

Two things are going on. My multi-tasking is spiraling out of control (which is why I have 13 tabs open in my browser) and I've become very interested in maps and map applications lately. So, I am going to act like a serious blogger and do my own Friday Roundup all on maps. Here are some cool and useful things to be aware of.

Google Maps Labs is "a testing ground for experimental features that aren't quite ready for primetime." Currently Lab items include "What's Around Here?" which places a pinpoint on all the nearby business. It can be a little overwhelming but serves as a nice overview of an area. The Lab also includes, just to name a few, a service which can tell you the latitude and longitude of a location, a way to measure the straight-line distance between two locations, and a geography game called "Where in the World." [note to self: work on my geography].

When I'm not blogging I someimes (read: rarely) spend time jogging. I have found however that I am terrible at going out the door and setting off without having a plan in mind. I like to know the distance and route I'm going to take before I even put on my sneakers. And guess what. There's an app for that (sorry). Gmaps Pedometer, created by Open Street Map Project, uses Google Maps and the OSM data to help you create walking/running routes for yourself. Of course, if you're more adventurous than I am - and you probably are - you can use the service to calculate mileage after the walk.

Find nearby garage sales without skimming the paper with Garage Sales Tracker. The service provides a list of nearby sales with time, location, general information and a handy map (provided by, of course, Google Maps). Also a good tool for finding flea markets and consignment shops.

Interested in looking at some cool, historical maps? Check out our Historic Map Works database or the Texas Digital Sanborn Maps database both available on the Round Rock Public Library databases and websites page!

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Developments in Google Maps

Betsey Blanche — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:50:00 GMT

Although this is not hot-off-the-presses news, I've been wanting to mention some developments in Google Maps.

I love that Google is constantly trying to think outside the box and develop new tools for users. It's true that sometimes they execute a plan without seriously thinking it through. You may recall the controversy brought about by Google's Street View for instance. Or they're more recent mistake of information sharing via Google Buzz. Despite some of these errors in judgment, Google also just makes cool stuff sometimes.

In the Maps department they have, of course, the driving directions which I generally find accurate and easy to use. In addition, they have added walking, biking and public transportation directions. Google is still working the kinks out of the biking portion and tell users clearly that the directions are in beta. As more people use the service and comment on the effectiveness (and safety) of directions these are likely to improve significantly. What's interesting is the difference between their walking directions and biking directions. The service takes things like traffic and one-way streets into account when giving bikers directions, helping two-wheeled pedestrians avoid heavy traffic and hostile automobiles.

Google also gives directions based on local public transportation. This reminds me of the old Google. The one whose mantra was "don't be evil." Not only does the service provide accurate information about local buses and light rail schedules, it also calculates the dollar amount you're saving by taking public transportation rather than driving. Sometimes the cost of driving is less but often you'll find that taking the bus can save you a bit of cash (in addition to providing a bit of time for quality reading!). Google also offers a brief explanation of how they calculate the driving cost which is nice to know.

I always appreciate a company or business that makes a quality product and then stops to consider how it could be made even more effective for their users. By taking into account the various ways people move from place to place, Google is able to create a great tool and, in a small way, encourage users to rely on multiple forms of transportation.

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Roundup Friday: Maps!

Developments in Google Maps