The Google Maps of the Week

I was impressed this week by this campus map of Arkansas State University.

The Google Maps API has been used by the university to create a map that has all the navigational controls that users love in Google Maps but doesn't actually look like a Google Map. Custom map tiles have been used to give an isometric view of the campus and custom Street Views have been created to enable visitors to take a virtual tour of the campus buildings.


In truth the ZSL Cat Map doesn't represent a huge jump forward in the design and application of online mapping. However, whilst it isn't going to win any design awards, the Cat Map has proved a hugely effective marketing tool for London Zoo.

The map allows anyone to share their kitty pics with the world and was created to help promote the new enclosure for Sumatran tigers at the zoo. Who knew that pictures of cats could be so popular on the internet?


CTV News has created an interactive Google Earth simulation of how two Canadian CF-18 Hornet fighter jets intercepted a Sunwing Airlines flight in Canadian airspace.

Due to pilot error the Sunwing plane failed to keep contact with air traffic control for more than an hour. In response the two fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the plane, where they finally regained contact with the pilot.

The CTV News interactive uses the Google Earth browser plug-in to create a simulation of the interception. The simulation uses 3d models of the Sunwing aircraft and the two jets and includes audio from radio transmissions between the fighter jets and the Sunwing plane and air traffic control.