After a period where progress seemed to have stopped, web-based map services are heating up again. Here are some recent developments:
Microsoft adds maps for 400 shopping malls in the U.S. in the mobile version of Bing Maps:
Microsoft's innovative but too-unloved mobile map search service announced today that it has added floor plan maps for 400 shopping malls to m.bing.com.
Full read: Bing Mall Maps and the Future of Mobile Retail http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/shopping_mall_maps_bing_mobile.php
Google is expanding it's travel-related services with a new interface to search for hotels and see their location at the same time:
Google’s Hotel Finder (not to be confused with HotelFinder.com) can find the ideal accommodation for a particular user based on a few different priorities, such as location and budget. For example, when searching for where to stay, the user can draw shapes around neighborhoods using a mouse rather than searching by individual addresses.
Full read: Google Experiments With Hotel Finder Search Tool
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/google-experiments-with-hotel-finder-search-tool/53425
Access: Google Hotel Finder http://www.google.com/hotelfinder/
More Google: tube directions for London!
Google made the announcement earlier today, and the 1bn+ passengers that use Transport for London (TfL) services each year, covering 18,000 bus stops and 250+ Underground stations, can now obtain transport options as well as navigate the streets – entirely within Google Maps.
Full read: Google Maps now gives public transport directions in London http://thenextweb.com/uk/2011/07/28/google-maps-now-gives-public-transport-directions-in-london/
More UK: an excellent G.I.S. application, showing property values for the UK
Zoopla, a UK property search and information website, has today launched heatmaps, which show the average current value of homes across the UK in an easy-to-visualize format
Full read: Heatmaps let Zoopla users see average house prices across the UK http://thenextweb.com/uk/2011/07/28/heatmaps-let-zoopla-users-see-average-house-prices-across-the-uk/
Access: Zoopla http://www.zoopla.co.uk/
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