T-Mobile has today unveiled what it hopes will be the next-generation of network maps, breathing new life into the carrier coverage maps of old. T-Mobile says that its new “Next-Gen Network Map” is the industry’s first crowd-sourced map, and reflects “near real-time customer experiences.”
As it does for other Global emergencies, Google has opened up its Crises Map to consolidate all kinds of geo-info for folks in the Northeast and their loved-ones to get the latest info on the Blizzard of 2015.
When a disaster strikes, the Google Crisis Response team assesses the severity and scope of the disaster, and the relevance of our tools for the situation to determine whether and how to respond.
Stay safe out there!
[tweet https://twitter.com/googlecr/status/559829052648079360]
[tweet https://twitter.com/google/status/559864986269646848]
On the same day that Google updated all its mapping products, it also demonstrated the gentle art of making a really cool piece of new technology appear deathly dull.
Today we’re announcing a new way for developers to visualize and interact with data hosted in Maps Engine: DynamicMapsEngineLayer. This class performs client-side rendering of vector data, allowing the developer to dynamically restyle the vector layer in response to user interactions like hover and click.
Sure, the blog entry is aimed at software developers, so can be forgiven its language, but the example they use to promote the feature seems more suited to a dusty geography textbook than an illustration of something that could really transform the way we use Google Maps. What it actually means is that you can mouse-over a map to really quickly and easily explore anything from tourist info to property ownership. Read on for more …
Amazon took some time today to discuss the new Amazon Maps API it released alongside the Kindle Fire HD earlier this month. According to a post on the Amazon Mobile App Distribution blog, the new API will make it easy for developers “to integrate mapping functionality into apps that run on the all-new Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD.” The Maps API is now in beta and available through the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal.
If you are curious about exactly what the new API provides, Amazon provided a description of the core features:
Google — Left: Mobile map with all modes of public transit shown; Right: Transit Lines layer in Subway mode
Google Maps now offers schedules for over 1 million public transportation stops in nearly 500 cities worldwide, while its Android counterpart updated today to make the abundance of new transit data more convenient.
Christopher Van Der Westhuizen, a Google Maps software engineer, announced version 6.10 of the Google Maps for Android app on the Official Google Blog:
We’ve made some changes to the Transit Lines layer, so that you can select a specific mode of public transportation (train, bus, tram or subway) to display on the mobile map, hiding the other modes. This is helpful in areas where there is a tight concentration of several types of public transit.
Google offers a list of supported cities at its Transit page.
