A group of cavers has used Google Maps to create GrottoCenter, a huge online atlas of spelunkable caves. Now, whether you dig maps because they allow you to get where you're going more efficiently or because they act as "data visualization" for the imagination, this is intriguing. If you're a...
Google has begun opening up access to a new Application Programming Interface (API) called the Places API. Developers building apps that include a "check in at this place" feature can use the Places API to search across all the places users might check in for basic information like business name,...
Earlier this year, Google added clickable phone numbers to its mobile ad offerings, making it easier for smartphone owners to connect with businesses when performing local searches. Today, the company has extended this feature by adding inline maps to business listings on mobile websites and apps in the Google Display...
With nearly 1.5 billion mobile users estimated to be using location-based search and information services by 2014, it's no secret that the race is on to take the lead in serving up local search results on mobile platforms. To that end, search engine giant Google has made efforts on multiple...
Facebook hit 500 million users this week, but where do they all live? If Facebook were a country, it would be the third most populous in the world - but it's not a country. Those 500 million people (give or take a few fake profiles, right?) all live in actual...
Any way you slice them, borders can be a touchy subject. They're disputed and fought over, with one country claiming one border and a neighboring country claiming another, putting cartographers in a tricky position - where to draw the line. Today, Google announced on its Lat Long blog that it...
Pete Warden is many things to many people. To Facebook corporate headquarters, he's a pest to manage with legal pressure. To nerdy bloggers around the Web, he's a thoughtful guy who stops by and drops smart comments here and there. At ReadWriteWeb, we think of him as one of our...
It's been 5 years since Google first introduced the Google Maps API, a move that has brought Google Maps to more than 350,000 websites worldwide, and this week the company is celebrating the API's birthday with a map of Google Maps mashups.The Maps API is implemented using JavaScript and, before...
With the launch of iOS 4.0 on the iPhone yesterday, Apple fans were treated to several new features, like multitasking and custom backgrounds. Unfortunately for iPhone users, Apple (which develops the iPhone version of Google Maps in house) didn't provide iOS 4.0 users with any new mapping features with which...
Good news for developers and fans of mashups, as this morning Microsoft has announced the availability of a software development kit (SDK) for building map apps on Bing Maps. What's more, last week Microsoft announced the creation of the Bing Search Library for PHP - a wrapper built in conjunction...
The Library of Congress and Columbia University are taking steps to assure we keep our maps intact through a partnership to provide best practices, methods and services to assist organizations in preserving geospatial data.Through its partnership with Columbia, the Library of Congress is creating a digital clearinghouse of maps and...
Nielsen, the ratings and measurement company, has just announced the sale of something it is calling its App Playbook, built after surveying over 4,200 people who had downloaded a mobile application in the preceding 30 days. Perhaps surprising isn't the word for the conclusions they've published, since there is not...
The state legislature in the U.S. state of Louisiana has passed a law adding extra time for committing a crime with an online map. Senate Bill 151 adds at least one year to the sentence of any criminal found guilty of using an "Internet, virtual, street-level map" like Google Maps...
Earlier this month, Google announced the addition of biking directions to Google Maps. Today, Google is also enhancing its maps by adding more data about local public transit options. Whenever you search for a train station in Google Maps, you can now see a list of transit lines that service...
Xinhua, the Chinese news outlet, is reporting this morning that the Chinese government will be implementing new standards that are aimed at preventing "state secrets being disclosed and uncertified maps published online."The rules are an update to standards adopted one year ago, and, according to the Xinhua article, require "all...
Google Maps for Android just got a nice update for those of us who like to ride our bikes around town. Just in time for National Bike Month, you can now get biking directions on your Android phone. In addition, Google Maps for Android can now highlight dedicated bike-only trails,...
Google is rolling out to all users today a number of substantial changes in the way it serves up search results. Search by content type (images, news, shopping, etc.) will now be highlighted in the left sidebar and users will be presented search options that are contextually relevant to the...
So rarely do I install an actual application on my computer these days, when I run across a download dialog I have to consider whether or not I'll actually open the program or if it will just clutter up my desktop and start menu. Such is the reason, silly as...
If you want to map a locale or score some directions but want to avoid driving into a pole, you can now use your pipes. Google Maps now recognizes Search by Voice on Windows Mobile and Symbian S60 phones.Google introduced Search by Voice in 2008 and has been rolling that...
When you're hungry, don't feel like cooking and have some cash in your pocket, what's the first thing you do? Likely type "pizza delivery" into Google's search bar and see what comes up. But sometimes, this hunt for a pizza place can turn into an annoying goose chase for both...
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