Interactive maps fed from a database
by Volker Weber
I can't wait to see Google Maps covering Europe as well. So are so many things you can do if you are able to generate maps from a database and the let the users work with those maps. It always amazes me how you can drag the image to pan the map. This example shows free wifi-hotspots. Which is increasingly moot since you might as well open your notebook and pick up the signal that just happens to be where you are.
Comments
Google Maps are the biggest boost to mapping and geospatial applications possible. As soon as I saw what is possible with Google Maps, I stopped working on my Geo-Photobrowser and decided to build it around Google Maps as soon as they will be available for Europe. Most likely one of most anticapted webservices ever this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
ROTFL
I guess I'm having lunch at either Potbelly's or Stash's today :) Stash's has been in Highland Park longer than I have, nice to see them keeping on top of the latest.
I did try the "open your notebook and pick up the signal" approach yesterday in a Washington DC coffeeshop [not Starbucks]. While I was able to pick up a 'pcswifi' signal (usually Sprint), I just couldn't get an IP address. Ah well, it's not pervasive...yet.
Pan the maps, that is the keyword! Most common local mapping
applications do not allow that. Especially the German TOP viewers
of the land surveying offices are very unergonomic in this respect.
Google makes great tools, also the local Google Earth application
is brilliant!!!
As for the user interface, I still think the interactive version of map24 is better and faster. Pan with right click, jump to another location with single left click, draw a rectangle to zoom. Fantastic.
But the integration with a lot of other services are the real thing that makes Google maps (and Google earth) a unique tool and we can expect lots of fascinating extensions.
