geo2web.com

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The Google Earth browser Plug-in supports a JavaScript API that allows you to manipulate camera angles, open balloons, add 3D models, draw KML, toggle to Sky mode and much more.

To see first hand what it can do and view some sample code, check out this sample page. For beta documentation, take a look at the developer guide. For additional help, visit the Google Earth Plug-in help group.

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Nokia Maps 2.0 Goes Mainstream

Finally after many months of ‘Beta’ status the Nokia Maps 2.0 has made it available to the normal users.

So whats changed?
Well from version 1.0 lots but from the 2.0 beta version not very much (a few bugs)

A quick summary:
Car Navigation
Pedestrian navigation
Multimedia city guides

Car Navigation has navigation carousel with three pre-defined navigation views (navigation, arrow and bird-eye) with multi-stops route planner.

(Purchase required based on region 3 day, 1 month, 1 year subscriptions - there is a option for 3 days free trial - this now tied to the SIM card not the IMEI of the Phone - meaning if you change your phone you can keep you licence.)
SIM to SIM licence copying can be done.

Satellite images
Hybrid mode

**Note these two modes use either Wifi or GPRS for displaying the layer they DO NOT come with the MapLoader pre-installed onto a memory card.

Nokia Maps 2.0 uses digital vector data provided by Navteq and TeleAtlas
Either download directly to the nokia device or by using the Nokia Map Loader on a PC. Nokia Maps 2.0 and the current commercial version of the Nokia Maps Loader are freely available for selected devices.

Downloads
Nokia Maps 2.0
http://europe.nokia.com/A4984199
(select your device)

Nokia Map Loader v1.3.8 (for Vista/XP on the PC - use this to save money on data transfer fees)

If your feeling brave there is a new beta version of Nokia Maps 2.0

Created Feb. 11, 2008 but updated on May 08, 2008
nokia_maps_2.0_1803_3.1_u.sis
http://www.nokia.com/betalabs/applications

Other Nokia useful applications recently released.

Mapperz

Update of Nokia Maps 2.0 source:
http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/9390.html

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SchMap - Interactive Maps and Guides
Maps and guides that are interactive and pull up information based on the area that you are exploring.

“Exploring a Schmap Guide is a uniquely interactive experience: maps and guide content are dynamically integrated, allowing intuitive, real-time access to reviews and photo slide shows for places of interest.”

Using Yahoo Maps, and joining real-time data feeds to gives the users up to date information.

There is also a desktop application that can download
Schmap 2.0 (desktop) you can:

• Browse this Schmap Guide on your PC, online or offline.
• View Schmap Guides for 200 worldwide destinations.
• Bookmark places of interest, plan trips and take virtual tours.
• Custom print your own full-color travel guides.
• Publish and share schmapplets with your favourite places

or use the Schmapplets for your website which uses Google maps.

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A few months back I asked VE blog readers for some advice on my next mobile. After investigating a bunch of phones I finally settled on the AT&T Tilt and have been using it for a month or so and totally loving it. Overall its a fantastic smartphone, and for a geohacker its the ultimate all in one dream gadget.

Before I get to what it was that sold me on the Tilt I should answer the question of why no iPhone for me. There are a bunch of rabid iPhone users right here in my workgroup at Microsoft and we have 2 Macs at home so certainly no shortage of evangelists in my life selling me on the iPhone. I was willing to live with the slower network access on the iPhone due to lack of 3G (even though it seemed unthinkable on a 500 dollar phone!) And I was OK with relying on a bluetooth connected GPS for my mapping needs (more on that in a moment - I couldn’t have been more wrong on this one). But in the end it came down to the fact that i couldn’t stomach buying such a closed, locked down computing device. A world where a single entity controls what apps you can and can’t run isn’t one our industry should be working towards. If I build an application I should be able to give it to you and you should be able to use it. I have no interest in developing on any platform, desktop, mobile or otherwise, that offers anything less than that. I’m trying to imagine the reaction if another software vendor had tried to float this 1998 thinking as a developer platform strategy In the end, lots of sizzle and flash (no, not that flash)in the UI and an excellent web browsing experience shielded by a velvet rope designed to control what applications the consumer has access to just wasn’t for me. If you read on you’ll see that I run a bunch of apps on my phone and it’ll become clear why the iPhone just wouldn’t do it for me.

Why the Tilt?
If you look back at my wishlist you see that on the surface the Tilt is a pretty good fit; superfast internet access (plus WiFi. the the AT&T 3G net is so fast I hardly use it though**), runs Slingplayer, keyboard, unlocked GPS, easy to develop for, etc… But as with any piece of consumer electronics, its how you feel after living with it for a week that really matters. The Tilt hasn’t disappointed; the build is amazingly good (slide the keyboard open to understand what i mean), its plenty fast and has lots of memory (256 megs, up to 32 gigs expansion via microSD)… My only gripe is that the installed browser is severely lacking in features which I took care of with Opera. Battery life is acceptable, but if you are running WiFi, GPS, etc… a lot, you’ll need to get it on the charger each night.

** while I hardly use WiFi to surf the net, I HAVE been using this app to turn my phone into a wifi Access Point. Totally sick! It uses the phones 3G connection to send/receive to the internet, and becomes a low power wifi router so anyone nearby can connect to the net using standard wifi via their Laptop.

What about Maps and GPS?
Killer! I had no idea how much having a built in GPS would change my life, until i lived with it. With my last phone i used an external GPS via bluetooth and found that when i needed it, i had often not brought it along. one more thing to remember to carry. as a result, over time I found I hardly ever used it. I’ve used the GPS on the Tilt more in 4 weeks than I have in the previous 2 years. when its always there, you start using it in ways you never would otherwise. one very nerdy example - i was at a music festival 2 weeks ago where parking was basically a giant open field, without lights or section marks. I snapped a waypoint each day when going in, then used the Tilt’s GPS to guide me back to our car each night.

I mentioned above that the Tilt with its unlocked GPS is a perfect for building your own applications. If you’re so inclined, I suggest getting started with the open source GPSTracker on Codeplex; very well written C# code that is easy to modify. I added KML export and a couple of minor features in 30 minutes! It will work with any WinMo device that has a GPS be it built in or Bluetooth.

And finally, if you have a WinMo or Blackberry and you haven’t installed Live Search Mobile, do it now, thank me later. Voice command, directions, GPS navigation, maps, aerial imagery, movie times, gas prices, Business Search… and the forthcoming release packs my favorite feature which I’m not allowed to tell you about just yet.

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Leica Titan has actually been out for a while. There is a post on OgleEarth from December 2006 when the first product was just coming out. My first try with it was not so smooth. But recent updates have gone much better.

It appears to be your standard 3d earth browser, but is oriented more towards data sharing and collaboration. It has a built in instant messanger to share your spatial data with others.

Leica Titan Globe

Search for a Place and zoom

Load a shapefile. It seems to be able to handle many different formats.

You can change feature colors (not based on attributes).

Click on a loaded feature to view attributes

You can also load photos and place notes on the Earth to send to others. Performance was not to bad, though navigation was a bit touchy and took some getting used to. It seemed to me to be a bit like ArcGIS Explorer, but without the extensibility.

Leica TITAN is available for download.

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