june 2007 archives

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Help change the world

Looking for directions to Dr. David Price's dental practice along Pine State Street, Lillington NC? Chances are you won't get there using either a mapping website or a navigation device, although the road has been there for at least four years. According to Navteq, it takes time for new information to get to the public — perhaps a year or more!. Would that period cover just the map update from Navteq or also include the time it takes for mapping websites and navigation device manufacturers to process the data and update their online route planner or navigation devices?

With Map Share, TomTom's new map improvement technology, users can easily and instantly improve the maps on their navigation device. They correct the map, marking blocked or unblocked streets, reverse one way traffic or insert new street names, in-between map releases and keep their data as current as they wish. These corrections can be shared in the community so all users will always have the most up-to-date maps and benefit from inside local knowledge from other users.

The instant satisfaction is something that will appeal to users. Until now, TomTom users have had to make do with a simple Report Map Feedback form, similar to the ones found on mapping websites such as on Google Maps, Maporama, MapQuest and Multimap. Map Share will also make TomTom stand out from the direct competition such as NavMan's iUpdata. Actually, NavMan iUpdata is merely a landing page before users are sent to either Navteq Map Reporter and TeleAtlas Map Insight.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

State of the Map 2007

During the weekend of July 14 and 15, the first international OpenStreetMap conference State of the Map 2007 will bring together the open mapping community of cartographers, GPS enthusiasts, map hackers, neo-geographers and geowankers in Manchester, UK. Ed Parsons, the Geospatial Technologist of Google, will be delivering the keynote presentation. Other presenters that may sound familiar to you are Bill Cartwright, Sean Phelan, and Richard Fairhurst.

If you are curious to know what OpenStreetMap (OSM) is all about and can't wait until July? Its founder, Steve Coast, will be presenting during the Holland Open Conference on June 12. Talk the talk? Walk the walk! So, the people of OSM Nederland invite you to join them for the Second Amsterdam Mapping Party next weekend. Bring your GPS device and come and enjoy a day creating the free and open map of Amsterdam!

Saturday, June 02, 2007

A map is a map is not always a map

Disembarking at Weesperplein metro station in Amsterdam yesterday morning due to a earlier faulty train, many of the people around me had to look for directions in order to continue their journey into work. It was hilarious to watch one commuter staring at a large billboard when only after a few seconds he actually realised he was looking at a fictional map that was part of an advertisement for a BA degree in Media and Information Management with the slogan World of Communication! The map was an adaptation of the World of Experience atlas published by Meteor Press.

The communication agency is not the only one currently using maps in their advertising. The Dutch coffee brand DE and dairy brand Campina promote their iced coffee product Café Fresco using map-style adverts, designed by the advertising agency FHV BBDO. The ads cleverly tie in with the brand values of urban and to go by taking on the disguise of a town plan and metro map. So next time you are lost, make sure you are looking at a real map!