Travel Blogs and Google Maps

Blogabond is a neat application that allows anyone to create their own travel blog with an accompanying Google Map that shows the location of your blog posts and photographs.

Blogabond is very easy to use. After you create an account you can create a new travel blog. This simply involves choosing a location, adding your text and uploading any photographs that you want to share.

When finished your travel blog is presented on its very own page. The blog includes a Google Maps header that displays markers for all of your entries. The map can therefore be used as an index for your blog. You just need to click on a map marker to view the entry for that location.

Blogabond

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Create a Google Map in Minutes

Topo.ly is a free Google Maps creation tool that you can use to create a map from data from a spreadsheet, for example from data in an Excel spreadsheet.

Using the tool it is very easy to create a Google Map with multiple dataset layers, apply filters to locations, choose different markers and securely share maps within a team.

You can register for free with Topo.ly. Then all you need to do is name your map and then paste a list of addresses into the map creation tool. Within seconds, all addresses and other location-specific data is plotted on a Google Map.

Topo.ly

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Map Your Life with Intersect

Intersect is an interesting new website that allows you to map stories by time and place and share them with the world. Once you have mapped your story you can then see how your narrative interacts with other stories - by seeing what else happened at the same time and place.

Intersect uses a time-line and Google Maps to show the intersections between your story and the stories of others. Using the map and the time-line you can find out what important events in other people's lives were happening at the same time and place.

The home page of Intersect features a large Google Map and a time-line that lets you browse all the stories already created with Intersect.

Intersect

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Lara Croft - Google Maps Raider

Mike Gleason has created two very nice examples of zoomable images created with the Google Maps API. He has also written a step-by-step tutorial explaining how you can create your very own image maps.

To help you create your own map tiles from any image you can use Mike's C# Code - Tiles Generator (a guide on how to install and run the tile generator are included in the tutorial).

The two example image maps include a simple zoomable image of Lara Croft and a more interactive image map with custom controls.

The custom controls in the 'Earth' map include hand drawn looking zoom buttons and some hand drawn buttons which open information windows on the map. The information windows themselves continue the hand drawn theme.

Create Zoomable Images Using The Google Maps API

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Map Channels Adds Fusion Tables Support

Map Channels, the popular Google Maps creation tool, now lets you add data to a map from Google Fusion Tables.

In the four years that Map Channels has been running over 20,000 maps have been created by its users. It has proved popular with casual map makers and with major news organisations., including Fox News and CBC.

You can create a Google Map with Map Channels using data from a KML, a Google Spreadsheet, a GeoRSS feed, tab delimited text and now with a Google Fusion Table. You can see an example of a Map Channels created map with data provided by a Fusion Table in this Wikipedia Events Map.

Map Channels

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Create Your Own Animated Google Map

Animaps lets you create your own animated maps. You could use the application to create an animated map of a journey you have taken, or to show how a bike / yacht race progressed or even to show the progress of armies in a famous battle.

With Animaps you can quickly animate, map markers, polylines or polygons. To get a true idea of what is possible with Animaps you should check out this showcase map that includes many of the application's features.

As well as the animation features you can add photographs and video, that will appear (and play) at the points you say in your animated map. An example of this feature in action can be seen in this animated map of a cycling trip to Asia that includes a number of photographs taken along the journey.

Animaps

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Custom Satellite View with Google Maps

Cartagen Warping Tool

The Google Maps API v3 has a great feature that lets you take and add your own Custom Street Views to Google Maps. Unfortunately it doesn't have a similar feature to add your own aerial imagery.

Step forward then Cartagen Warping Tool.

This tool allows you to upload your own aerial imagery and place it on top of Google Maps. The application includes tools that allow you to rotate and scale your images to fit the underlying map tiles.

In the unlikely event that you can't afford your own satellite you could always try and create aerial imagery with a kite or a remote controlled helicopter.

OK, the Google Maps API v3 actually does have a feature that allows you to add your own aerial imagery. You can use the Ground Overlay feature to place imagery on top of Google Maps. Using Ground Overlays though does mean that you will need to rotate and scale your own images.

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600 Free Google Map Markers

Map Icons Collection

I rarely make a Google Map without using map markers from the Map Icons Collection. The collection has more than 600 free icons which you can use as map markers with the Google Maps API, which means you can nearly always find a marker that fits the purpose and design of your map.

The collection has previously been hosted on Google Projects but now has its very own website. With the new website comes two cool new features, styles and custom colors.

The custom colors feature allows you to change the color of any map marker to fit the style of your map and website. The style feature lets you choose from seven different style of marker, including iPhone, gradient and classic.

If you are a Google Maps API developer then bookmark this collection now!

Via: Le Technology du LAC

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CartoView - Google Maps Templates

CartoView - SF Social

CartoView has released the source code for a number of Google Map templates.

This Google Map of San Francisco includes Fusion Tables, Twitter, Flickr and You Tube layers. The map lets you view layers that display San Francisco parks, events, Tweets and videos directly on the map.

If you want to create a similar map for your own town you can download the source code and adapt the map to your own purposes. The source code for the map and for a number of other Google Maps templates is available from the CartoView Demos page.

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Create a Google Map in Seconds

Map Channels v4

Version 4 of the popular Google Maps creation tool Map Channels was released yesterday. Map Channels lets you quickly and easily create your own Google Map using a Google My Map, KML, GeoRSS, Tab-delimited text or a Google Spreadsheet.

I managed to create this London Video Map in about two minutes from a Google My Map. Essentially all I needed to do was post in the URL of my Google My Map to create a finished map.

Despite the ease of use of Map Channels there are also a large number of options available. You can define the initial map view, use your own marker images, add traffic and Panoramio layers, set the map language and adjust a number of other map settings.

Once a map is created you get a URL for your map or you can embed the map in your own website or blog.

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Create & Share Routes with Google Maps

Routema.kr

Routema.kr is a simple to use tool for creating a route on Google Maps. If you want to show friends how to get to your house, or if you want to share the route of your favourite walk, or even show people how to get to a bar or restaurant then you might want to use Routema.kr.

Creating a route with Routma.kr is as easy as clicking on a Google Map and adding a description. When you have created a route you get a dedicated web page with a map and a description of the route. You can then share your link with the world and nobody need get lost ever again.

Each route created comes with a 'Share This' button. This allows you to send a link to the route by e-mail directly from Routema.kr and to also grab the embed code to add the map to your own website or blog.

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A Google Maps Coordinate Converter

The Worldwide Coordinate Converter

The Worldwide Coordinate Converter is a nice tool to convert data between different geodetic systems.

To use the converter select the reference system of your data and the reference system you want the data converted to. You can then enter the coordinates manually, click on a Google Map, or enter an address. Finally, when you press convert, your coordinates will be returned in your chosen geodetic system.

The converter can also accept data with comma separated values (CSV).

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Create Your Own Styled Google Map

FIND

FIND is the first Google Maps creation tool I've seen that allows the user to customise their created map using the Google Maps API Styled Maps functions.

Using FIND it is possible to add map markers, polylines, polygons, text and data from a number of sources to a Google Map. You can the style your map, changing the colours of all the map features to suit your preferences and then save your map to PDF.

The information that can be added to the map includes data from English and Scottish Heritage, the British Geological Survey, Natural England and the RSPB. Maps can be annotated with shapes, text, symbols and measuring tools and then saved to PDF in a neat print template.

A really nice feature of the tool is the ability to customise a Google Map through the 'Your Google Map' option. This feature utilises the Google Maps API Styled Maps functions. The 'Your Google Map' option allows users to change the colour of every feature on their Google Map to suit their specific requirements and preferences.

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Free Relief Maps for Google Maps

Maps-For-Free

Maps-For-Free has produced a nice Google Maps application that lets you view a number of relief map layers.

Not only can you use the application to view the relief maps you can add them to your own Google Maps. Maps-For-Free offers free relief maps and other additional layers which can easily be integrated into your own Google Map projects.

A drop-down menu at the top of the map lets the user select from a number of relief map layers, including forest areas, swampland, tundra and many more. The application also includes a nice snapshot tool that allows you to define an area of the map and grab a still image.

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Create a Google Map in 60 Seconds

Mapbiquity

Mapbiquity is a Google Maps based creation tool that can help you create a Google Map for your website.

Mapbiquity helps you build a map with your own data. To create a map all you really need to do is upload some Shapefile data. You can then style the map to fit the design of your website.

When you have completed you map you can then add it to your site by cutting and pasting a short piece of code.

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Create a Google Map in 60 Seconds

TIXIK.com

If you need to create a simple Google Map then TIXIK.com can help. Using this map creator you can create an embeddable map for your website in a matter of seconds.

To create a map you just need to enter a location. A Google Map showing the location is then displayed with the code to embed the map on a website. If the location needs adjusting you can drag the map marker to the correct position.

TIXIK.com also allows you to adjust the height and width of your map, set the map type, the zoom level and adjust the map border.

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A New Google Map Creator

Mapfaire

Map Faire is a new Google Map creation tool that is very easy to use to create your own map with its own URL.

To create map markers to your map all you have to do is click 'Add a Point", fill in the information that you want to appear in the information window and drop the pin at the correct location. If you need to adjust the location of a marker you can simply drag it to the correct place on the map.

Once you have added a map marker to the map it is also listed in the map sidebar. When you have finished adding all your markers if you click 'Save Changes' you can then choose a URL for your map, which you can then share with your friends, customers etc.

The app creators are currently working on adding features that will also let you set colours, a logo, marker images and map styles.

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Detachable Google Maps

Free Reference Map Service

Arek, of the excellent Australian mapping/GIS Blog All Things Spatial, has released a new Google Maps creation tool.

The application allows anyone to publish and share spatial information with Google Maps and a KML/KMZ or geoRSS link. The service couldn't be simpler to use. All you need to do to create your own embeddable map is append the URL of a KML/KMZ or geoRSS file to an aus-emaps.com URL. For example,

http://www.aus-emaps.com/svs/ref/map.php?kmzl= FullURLaddressOfYourFile

Once you have appended the URL of your file to the aus-emaps.com you can then link to the created URL or embed the map in your own website or blog. There are a number of parameters that you can change in the URL to change the default map type, the location and the zoom level. You can also adjust the width and height of the map.

The application is very easy to use and provides a great way for you to present your KML/KMZ or geoRSS creations on a Google Map. Of course you don't need to use your own KML's or geoRSS files. The application will work with any KML or geoRSS file published on the internet. For example you could take the geoRSS feed from the USGS, showing the location of earthquakes in the last week and create a map, like so,

http://www.aus-emaps.com/svs/ref/map.php?kmzl=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/catalogs/eqs7day-M5.xml

Arek also says that there are some more advanced sharing and map creation options under development, which he hopes to make available soon.

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Create Your Own Google Maps

TargetMap

TargetMap is a powerful new creation tool to make your own Google Map mashups.

To create a map with TargetMap you can import data from an Excel file. Target Map can then automatically geocode your data as long as it includes zip / postal codes. It is also possible to use data from other public TargetMaps. Maps created with TargetMap can be shared online and embedded in blogs and websites.

All maps created with TargetMaps can be shared via the TargetMaps public library where all maps are available for viewing.

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Create Your Own Google Map

CartoView

CartoView is a free map creation tool from CartoLogic. CartoView allows you to easily create maps using Google Maps, the Google Earth browser plug-in or Openlayers.

If you want to see what you kind of maps you can create with CartoView the site has provided a number of working demos. This example shows a map created with CartoView and data from Flickr, YouTube, Wikipedia, Gowalla and Twitter.

If you browse through the examples on the demo page you will see that CartoView gives the user the ability to customise the look of the created map.

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