Thursday, September 23, 2010

German Google Maps Round-up

Skobbler

Skobbler is a German Google Maps based application for the desktop, iPhone and for Android phones. Skobbler lets you search and save locations and places, create tips for locations, add photos, and rate venues.

The Skobbler website allows you to search for local listings on Google Maps. For example you can search for pizza in Berlin and view the locations of Berlin's pizza restaurants on a map. If you click on an individual listing you can read reviews, user ratings, view uploaded photographs and get directions to the venue.

Skobbler encourages user contributions with a 'local hero' rating system. If you contribute the most locations, comments and ratings in a neighbourhood you can earn yourself a coveted local hero status. Skobbler has even provided a Local Heroes Google Map to help you search for the local hero in your neighbourhood.

Maporado

Maporado is a German map search and route planning website that is integrated with Google Maps, Bing Maps, Open Street Map, Navteq and Yahoo Maps.

Using Maporado you can search for a location and choose on which map provider you would like to see the results. If you want driving directions you can use the route planner to set a starting point and destination. Once you have selected these you can then choose between a large selection of route planning services.

So, if you are very picky, you can view your route as suggested by different online map providers and choose which you think provides the best directions.

Street View Protest Map


This Google My Map has been created to provide a virtual protest against Google's plans to launch Street View in Germany. Some Germans are so opposed to the idea of images of their houses appearing on Street View that they have added photos of themselves standing outside their houses and posted these photos to the map.

If you are really opposed to Street View you could even take a 360 degree panoramic photo of yourself and post it to the map. If you got a few of your neighbours together you could even create a series of panoramic photos for your street. If you then linked these together with hyperlinks you could create an amazing virtual protest that allowed viewers to virtually walk down the street. I even have a name for this innovation: 'View Street'. I wonder if it will catch on?

Via: landkartenblog

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1 comment:

Ryan said...

I heard a story on NPR about the many Germans' frustration with Google Street View.

The countries history certainly explains why they aren't too keen about being publicized. What I found interesting is that there are many Germans who enjoy using Street View to look in other countries.