The Titanic Passenger List on Google Maps

Every blue moon a non-Google Maps API map is so good that we feature it on Google Maps Mania. This ESRI story map is one!

Geography, Class and Fate: Passengers on the Titanic is an in-depth analysis of the passengers on the ill-fated Titanic. The map shows the route of the ship and where it hit the iceberg that led to its sinking.

What really makes this map stand out however is the passenger data. The map shows where every passenger on the Titanic was from. You can compare the survival rates of the passengers from the different classes, which show how first class survival rates were higher than those in second class, which in turn were far higher than those in third class.

Clicking on an individual passenger will show more details including their age, where they boarded the Titanic, their intended destination and, if they were one of the lucky ones, what lifeboat they got on.

Bookmark Your Favorite Locations

Pin Drop is a great way to bookmark your favorite locations on a Google Map.

Have you ever found somewhere cool and thought 'I must come back here' and then later forgotten where it was? Or have you tried to tell friends about somewhere but you couldn't quite remember where it was? Pin Drop helps you to keep track of your favorite locations.

Saving locations to Pin Drop is very easy. You just need to add a pin to a Google Map. You can tag and color-code your pins so it easy to quickly find all your favorite cafes, galleries or shops when you need to find them.

Pin Drop is also available as an iPhone app so you can access your saved location when you are out on the town and you can also bookmark new locations as you find them on your travels.

Friday Fun with Google Maps

Chinese artist Lu Xinjian creates paintings inspired by Google Maps. His series of paintings City DNA are re-imaginings of the Google Maps satellite view of a number of cities.

They are also rather beautiful.


In the UK Merceds Benz are running a TV advertising campaign that extends the idea in their clever viral game, Escape the Map. This week I also came across this 'making of' video. Who knew it was so hard to recreate the world of Street View?



Minecraft Comes to Life. Fans of Minecraft will love this. FigurePrints can make a 3D replica of your Minecraft world. I now have a burning desire to map out my neighborhood in Minecraft and use FigurePrints to create a 3D model of it.

Wolfram Alpha on Google Maps

Wolfram Alpha the online answer engine that gives factual answers to queries by computing the answer from structured data, rather than providing a list of documents, has a comprehensive API.

Jan Pöschko has used the API to create Alpha Maps, a Google Map that allows users to view useful information about locations given by Wolfram Alpha on a map.

To use the application you just need to enter a location into the search box. The map then displays nearby locations as generated by Wolfram Alpha and also returns reams of data about the searched location. The information provided includes demographic information, economic data, current weather and time, crime statistics and other useful information, such as notable people born in the searched location.

Remapping Cities with Google Maps

Livehoods is an interesting project to remap city neighborhoods by ignoring the traditional geographical boundaries and instead looking at human social interactions.

By analysing over 18 million Foursquare check-ins Livehoods, a project from the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, has produced three city maps with new neighborhoods based on the patterns of the groups of people that check-in to Foursquare venues.

So far there are three Livehoods maps: New York City, San Francisco, Pittsburgh. The dots on the maps represent different check-in locations. Groups of nearby dots of the same color form a Livehood. The groups are determined when the same people check-in to two nearby locations.

Create a Google Maps Context Menu

Martin Pearman has released a right-click context menu library for the Google Maps API. ContextMenu creates a menu for Google Maps that appears when users right click on the map.

The menu could be used for a whole range of user interactions. Martin has created an advanced example map where the right-click menu has been used to allow users to set the start and end points to get driving directions. The right-click menu in this example also allows the user to zoom in and out and centre the map on the clicked location.

The code for the context menu has been made available under a GNU copyleft license. Here is a direct link to the JavaScript for the menu - ContextMenu.js

Killing Zombies on Your Phone

One of the most popular Google Maps based games Zombie Outbreak Simulator is now available as an iPhone app.

Zombie Outbreak Simulator allows you to play a game of zombie survival on top of a Google Map of your own neighborhood. In the game your job is to kill off all the zombies before they have picked off the entire civilian population. Alternatively you can just sit back and watch to see how long it would take a zombie invasion to finish off your neighbors.

You can purchase the Zombie Outbreak Simulator iPhone app from the App Store.

Twitter Data Mining with Google Maps

DataSift recently struck a deal with Twitter which allows DataSift's customers to access Twitter’s past two years of global tweets. Included in those Tweets is a lot of geographical information that map developers can mine.

DataSift itself has created a number of examples of how the data could be used. Currently it has a number of live streaming Google Maps in the 'Geo' section of its examples showcase. The example maps include: Tweets from Fifth Avenue, New York, Tweets from the USA, Tweets from the Middle East and Natural Disaster Tweets.

Each example includes a number of different views; a live streaming view, a Google Maps view, a graph view, a Klout (influence) view and a breakdown of the Tweets by gender.

The Map of Life

The Map of Life is an impressive attempt to map life on Earth.

Using the application it is possible to click on a Google Map and get a list of all the different types of bird, fish, reptile, amphibian or mammal that live in a set radius around that location. For example, if I click on my address the map returns a list of 168 different types of bird and 32 different types of mammal.

It is also possible to use the map to view the worldwide habitats of different species. If you enter the name of an animal species the map will shade in the areas of the world that the animal inhabits.

Meet in the Middle with Google Maps

Rendeznew allows users to enter up to four locations and find the best place to meet in the middle.

The application also allows users to find places to meet in a number of categories. Users can select from a number of different types of restaurant, places to drink or 'play' (e.g. museums, parks or galleries). The application then shows not only the best place to meet for everyone but also the best venues for the meeting to take place.


Mezzoman is another application that can help people meet their friends, family, clients or business associates in the middle.

The application allows the user to enter up to four starting points and to enter a search term, such as 'cafe' or 'sushi'. A Google Map then shows the midway point between the locations and a number of recommended venues for the meeting.

The British Library Sounds on Google Maps

The British Library Sound Maps is a nice collection of Google Maps featuring audio recordings in a number of different categories.

Users can explore traditional music on the Music from India and Traditional English Music maps. The Jewish Survivors of the Holocaust map features a number of first hand oral accounts from survivors of the Holocaust.

The British Library collection also includes sound maps of wildlife recordings and British regional accents and dialects.

In addition The British Library is currently working with the BBC on the Listening Project. The Listening Project is attempting to build a unique picture of life today by recording intimate conversations between close friends and relatives throughout the UK.

Agricultural Zoning on Google Maps

The Canadian Agriculture Land Commission are using Google Maps to show the location of Agricultural Land Reserve zones. Agricultural Land Reserve zones are areas where agriculture is recognized as the priority use. Farming is encouraged and non-agricultural uses are controlled.

The agricultural zones are shaded green on the map (although anyone who has ever played SimCity can tell you they should be shaded yellow) . It is possible to search the map using a postal address to see if it falls within an Agricultural Land Reserve area. If the location is inside the green area it means it is in the ALR.

Add a Post-it Note to Google Maps

Pinwheel allows users to pin notes to a Google Map. The note can be about anything, from a reminder to pick up a cartoon of milk to advice about the best dish to try at a restaurant.

You can browse locations and view your own notes, the notes of people you follow or notes left by all Pinwheel users. If you see a note that you like, you can add it to your favorites by clicking on the heart icon.

Users can organise their notes into 'sets'. By using sets it is easy to create your own map of your favourite bars, cafes or anything else that you want to collect.

When you are out and about you can use the Pinwheel mobile page http://m.pinwheel.com/ to access your saved notes or find notes left by others around you (an iPhone app is also coming soon).

Find a Record Shop with Google Maps

Today's theme on Google Maps Mania is definitely a lament for the continuing demise of off-line shopping.

As a teenager I would always look forward to Saturday mornings, which would inevitably involve a pilgrimage to a record shop and the purchase of some magical black vinyl. Even as a jaded adult I still love browsing around record shops. The problem is that they are becoming increasingly thin on the ground.

Recordshops.org is a store locator that will help you find your nearest record shop. The store locator is very easy to use. Just enter your address and the nearest record shos to your location will be displayed on a Google Map.

Find What You Need with Google Maps

The rise of internet shopping and the decline in mom and pop stores actually seems to have made it more difficult to buy certain items. It may be anecdotal but I often find myself wondering more and more where there is a store that will actually stock the thing I need.

Luckily Goodzer has come to my rescue. Goodzer is a local shopping service that can help you find all sorts of products in all kinds of stores nearby. It can help you find all sorts of items, big, small, or obscure, and not just from national chains, but from unique boutiques and small stores that can be easily missed.

If you share your location with Goodzer and enter the product you need Goodzer will display a Google Map with all the nearby stores that sell the product you want. It is possible to set the distance that you are prepared to travel and it is also possible to filter the results by relevance and price.

The Best Google Maps of the Week

The beginning of this week saw the release of three outstanding Google Maps based applications.


Disney released an amazing animated movie creation tool using Google Maps Street View.

After you enter your address into Disney's Giant Steps you can watch a video of a giant Goofy landing on your street (with a little help from Google Maps satellite view). Goofy then walks down your street (using Street View imagery) and actually opens the window of your house.


Floating Shiny Knot is another impressive experiment that superimposes animation on top of Google Maps Street View. Here however the effect is rather more artistic

The application superimposes an animated shiny knot on top of any Street View image (you can choose a chrome or glass finish for the knot). The effect is very impressive and if you rotate and drag the Street View around then the application soars to even higher levels of impressiveness.


The world has had to wait a long time for this meeting of Tower Defence and Google Maps but the wait is now over.

MapsTD is an amazing tower defence game built using the Google Maps API and the new 8-bit map tiles.

In the game you can choose from a number of locations around the world. When you have selected a location you then have to defend it from attackers by strategically placing your defence towers. If you've ever played a Tower Defence game you should know what to expect. If you haven't then where have you been for the last few years?

The Altitudes of France on Google Maps

Cartes Topographiques has created a heat map of France that shows altitude throughout the country.

La Relief du France uses a choropleth image overlay to display the altitude data. It is also possible to click anywhere on the map to get the altitude in meters at that point.

Users of the map can get an altitude chart of any straight line simply by clicking on two points on the map. The altitude chart for that line is then displayed above the map.

The Outlook is Cloudy on Google Maps

The new weather layer in the Google Maps API is starting to be implemented up by a few Google Maps based websites.


Plane Finder, the real-time plane tracking website, has added options to view both the cloud layer and the weather layer on its Google Map.

To view the new weather layers on Plan Finder select 'Map Options', 'Map' and then select the 'cloud' and / or 'weather' check buttons.


Martin Kleppe of Ubilabs has created a rather beautiful example of the cloud layer in action on a styled Google Map. This example map uses dark map tiles which contrast nicely with the new fluffy white clouds.


My very own creation 8-bit Clouds overlays the new cloud layer on top of Google's April Fool 8-bit map tiles.

Startup Weekend Events on Google Maps

Startup Weekends are weekend meet-ups where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startups. The Startup Weekend Upcoming Events map displays upcoming events with the Google Maps API.

The initial map view shows the Startup Weekend events scheduled for the coming month around the world. A control in the map sidebar allows the user to change the month. When the user selects a different month from the sidebar the events for that month are automatically displayed on the map.

The map uses the Styled Maps feature of the Google Maps API to create map tiles that complement the color-scheme of the Startup Weekend website.

How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

Map of the Dead is a handy Google Maps guide about how to survive the approaching zombie apocalypse.

Once you enter your address into Map the Dead you are presented with a Google Map that shows you the zombie danger zones around your home. The map also displays nearby places that are likely to have resources to help you survive once the zombies begin to take control.

It is highly likely that the internet will not survive the rise of the dead so you are advised to print out your personalised Map of the Dead and store it in a secure location.

Earth Hour on Google Maps

On March 31 people around the world switched off their lights for Earth Hour.

The World Wildlife Fund has created a Google Map called Show Us Your Earth Hour 2012. The map displays photographs and videos from around the world showing what participants did for Earth Hour.

If you click on a map marker you can also click through to read details about how the respondents spent their hour of darkness.

Hat-tip: Street View Funny

A Weather Layer for the Google Maps API

Google Maps developers can now add a weather layer to their maps directly from the Google Maps API. Here is an example map displaying the new CloudLayer with the 8-bit map tiles from Google April Fool's release, 8-bit Clouds.

The new weather layer includes two main classes, the WeatherLayer and CloudLayer classes. The WeatherLayer class adds weather symbols to your map (sun, clouds, rain etc) showing the current weather using data from weather.com. Enabling the cloud layer will add cloud coverage imagery to your map, visible at zoom levels 0 through 6.

You can now also add upcoming events to your map with new support for events in the Google Places API. The API describes the events service as "intended to provide notice and information about events that are happening currently, so that users can find and check-in to them. Events are included in Place Search results as soon as they are added, and expire after their set duration has elapsed. Results will include events added by your application".

Augmented Google Maps On the Way

Google today released a video looking at the possible uses of their wearable augmented reality glasses, Project Glass.



The video is obviously augmented itself and is intended to demonstrate what the glasses might be able to do. However I believe Project Glass are already testing working prototypes of the glasses.

Location and Google Maps feature prominently in the video. One of the Google Directors behind Project Glass is Steve Lee who has previously worked on Google Maps for mobile and location services.

It seems likely that when Google are ready to release these augmented glasses onto the market that location services will be one of the central features.

Exploring Wikipedia with Google Maps

Mapping Wikipedia is a project from TraceMedia and the Oxford Internet Institute.

Using Google Maps Mapping Wikipedia allows you to map the geography of all geotagged Wikipedia articles in a number of different languages. It can also create maps based on the word count of articles, the date created, number of authors, and number of images.

If you are interested about how the map was created TraceMedia has provided an outline of the tools used in building the application.

Harvesting Water with Google Maps

Save the Rain is a great application that helps users determine how much rainfall can be harvested from any roof in the world.

Using Google Maps satellite imagery of your house it is possible to draw a polygon on the map to determine the area of your roof. The application then uses the yearly precipitation data for your area to work out how much rainwater you could harvest in a year.

The results also display a number of different types of crops and tells you how much you could grow of each crop with the water harvested.

In addition to the water harvesting calculation tool Save the Rain provides a number of rain related choropleth map views. One map view displays worldwide annual rainfall. Another map view shows the projected change in annual precipitation by 2100. A third map view displays the percentage of the world's population with access to an adequate amount of water.

Google's Art Project Just Got a Lot Bigger

The Ambassadors, Hans Holbein the Younger (can you spot the skull?)

Google's Art Project provides Street View imagery taken inside art galleries around the world.

Today Google added new imagery for 151 more galleries and museums. The new additions include The National Gallery in London, the White House (see post below), The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar.

As well as allowing users to virtually walk around the world's art galleries The Google Art Project lets users to inspect paintings up close. If you select an individual work of art you can pan and zoom into the painting to view it in close detail.

Hat-tip: Street View Funny

Tour the White House with Street View

The Blue Room

Google Maps has released Street View imagery for the White House. Now in Google Maps you can take a virtual interactive tour of the official residence of the President of the United States.

Here are some quick links to take you to specific rooms:

The State Floor

Entrance Hall
The Entrance Hall (also called the Grand Foyer) is the primary and formal entrance to the White House.

The East Room
The East Room is the largest room in the White House. The picture to the right of the yellow curtains is the White House's oldest possession, the Lansdowne portrait depicting George Washington, painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1797.

The Blue Room
The Blue Room is used for receptions, receiving lines, and is occasionally set for small dinners.

The Red Room
The Red Room has served as a parlor and music room, and recent presidents have held small dinner parties in it. The Madisons, Lincolns, Grants, and Kennedys all used the Red Room as a music room. A guitar, piano and music stands were kept in the room. Today a music stand beside the fireplace recalls that earlier use of the room.

The Green Room
The Green Room is one of three state parlors on the first floor in the White House. It is used for small receptions and teas. During a state dinner, guests are served cocktails in the three state parlors before the president, first lady, and visiting head of state descend the Grand Staircase for dinner.

The State Dining Room
The State Dining Room is the larger of the two dining rooms on the State Floor of the White House.


The East Room

The Ground Floor

The China Room
The White House's collection of state china is displayed in the China Room. The collection ranges from George Washington's Chinese export china to Bill Clinton's ivory, yellow, and burnished gold china. The room is primarily used by the first lady for teas, meetings, and smaller receptions.

The Vermeil Room
The Vermeil Room houses a collection of silver-gilt or vermeil tableware, a 1956 bequest to the White House by Margaret Thompson Biddle. Portraits of American First Ladies also hang in the room.

The Library
The Library is used for teas and meetings by the President and First Lady. John Adams, the first President to live in the White House, used this room as a laundry room; at that time it was said to have been filled with "Tubs, Buckets, and a variety of Lumber."

Information for each of the rooms comes from Wikipedia.

Goofy Visits Your House in Street View

Giant Steps - Disney is a fun Google Maps based application from Disney that lets you invite a giant Goofy to your house.

Once you share your address with the application you can watch a video of a giant Goofy landing on your street (with a little help from Google Maps satellite view). Goofy then walks down your street (using Street View imagery) and actually opens the window of your house.

After you have created and watch your personalised video you can share it with the world via Facebook or Twitter.

The application obviously owes a lot to Chaos in Your Town. I wouldn't be surprised to find that they were both created by the same map developers.

I'm the King of America on Google Maps

REGOde is a Google Maps territory grabbing game. REGOde players can choose an unclaimed city anywhere in the world and claim the throne of the city.

Once a player becomes a king of a city they can then post comments on that city and become its exclusive voice for the length of their reign. Other players can visit the city and read the comments and choose to follow your posts.

I'm currently the king of Washington, D.C.. During the beta phase of REGOde you only get to be king of a city for three days. Whilst you are king however you can post tips for visitors to your city or leave comments for your loyal minions.

Is this the New Aesthetic on Google Maps?

Floating Shiny Knot is an impressive experiment using canvas with Street View.

The application superimposes an animated shiny knot on top of any Street View image (you can choose a chrome or glass finish for the knot). This is very impressive. However if you rotate and drag the Street View around then the application soars to even higher levels of impressiveness.

To view this you will need a modern browser (try Chrome).

What is the New Aesthetic?

Hat-tip: Street View Funny

Interactive Google Maps Code Tutorial

Code Tutor has a nice interactive Google Maps API tutorial.

The tutorial provides a step by step guide to building a Google Maps based application. It takes you through the steps of creating a map and adding markers, information windows, Street View and polygons.

Code Tutorial allows you to adjust the html and JavaScript in the code editor and see the adjustments you make by executing the code in a separate panel. It therefore provides a great hands-on guide to the Google Maps API.

Managing Urban Sprawl with Google Maps

Peri-urban Melbourne is a Google Maps based application for modelling peri-urban development pressures in Melbourne.

The site includes a series of interactive Google Maps that present information for the planning community and help to foster an understanding of future policy requirements. The maps are organised under themes: Population Projection, Supply and Demand, Impact Analysis, Offsets/ Mitigations, and Township Analysis.

The Google Maps provide spatial context to the details presented in tabular and graph formats.

Via: All Things Spatial

Find a Property in France with Google Maps

Ever since the very first Google Maps mashup HousingMaps there have been many real-estate applications built with the Google Maps API.

Affidata.co.uk however is the first Estate Agent (Realtor) locator I have seen. The application allows users to find English speaking real-estate agents in France.

It is possible to search the map by location and to set a radius within which to search. Once the English speaking agents are added to the map it is possible to click the map markers to open an information window with the name, address, telephone and the website of the agent.

Google Maps Tower Defence

Earlier today I created a pretty poor 8-bit Map Quest game using the Google Maps 8-bit NES map tiles. It didn't take long for Duncan Barclay to completely overshadow my pathetic efforts.

MapsTD is an amazing tower defence game built using the Google Maps API and the new 8-bit map tiles. I can't begin to imagine how Duncan could have put this together so quickly.

In the game you can choose from a number of location around the world. When you have selected a location you then have to defend it from attackers by strategically placing your defence towers. If you've ever played a Tower Defence game you should know what to expect. If you haven't then where have you been for the last few years?

Now go play - it is amazing!

The Google Maps of the Week

Today's release of the 8-bit map tiles for Google Maps has to get a special mention this week. The NES version of Google Maps is all sorts of awesome. If you haven't seen it yet then go to Google Maps and select the 'Quest' button.

However there were some other brilliant maps released this week.


The UK Department for Energy and Climate Change released this real heat map for England. I say 'real' because it actually uses Google Maps to display heat use at building level throughout England.

The CEO - Heatmap shows heat demand from individual buildings throughout England and provides a range of tools to help developers and planners identify priority areas for low carbon heat projects.


AllTrails wasn't released this week but it was the first time I stumbled upon it. AllTrails currently has over 200,000 members who have mapped over 45,000 trails. The trails includes routes and information on many different activities including hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and snowboarding.

It is possible to search for trails by location and the results are displayed on a Google Map. It is then possible to refine the trails shown by the driving distance from your location, the length of the trail and / or its duration.


The Yard Sale Treasure Map seemed to get a bit of buzz this week. You can use Yard Sale to find yard sales happening around your location and plan a route and an itinerary, to help you visit them all.

When you add a location to Yard Sale Treasure Map the nearest sales are automatically added to your itinerary. You can add or remove sales by clicking on their map marker. You can even search for places to stop off on your route. For example if you fancy a coffee between yard sales you can search for nearby cafes and add one to your route.

Dragon Quest with 8-Bit Google Maps

OK - it had to be done.

Here's The 8-bit Map Quest, a quest game using the new 8-bit Google Map tiles.

The game isn't very long (I got bored). Really it is just a proof of concept and an attempt to persuade Google that map developers will love these map tiles - so they should be added to the Maps API.

In the game you have to follow clues and find the right locations. If you find the right location then when you click on the map the next clue will be revealed. If you find the game hard or get stuck then just click on the 'spoiler' link.

Aerial Street View

Google Sightseeing has discovered that Google has plans to release aerial Street View. They even have a sneak preview of some of the amazing images taken by Google's Street View planes.

The Google Sightseeing team has also hacked together some of the aerial street view imagery using the Google Maps API which really gives a taste of what Sky View will look like when it is officially released by Google.

For plane fans there is also an intriguing photograph of the Sky View aircraft.