The Secret Life of Maps

Mapbox has created a beautiful looking data report into OpenStreetMap. The 2013 OpenStreetMap Data Report includes a number of interesting maps.

The map displayed above shows all roads shaded by how recently they've been updated by users. Amongst the other beautiful maps on show in the report is a real-time map of OpenStreetMap edits.


This week also saw the release of an amazing application from Foursquare that allows Fousquare users to visualise all their check-ins on an animated map.

The Foursquare Time Machine not only animates through all your check-ins but also provides a breakdown of the days of the week that you use Foursquare, the top places where you have checked-in and which types of places you check in at most frequently.

If you don't have a Foursquare account you can still view a demo of the Foursquare Time Machine in action. 


The BBC documentary programme Horizon this week broadcast a fascinating special about the domestic cat. For the programme The Secret Life of Cats Horizon and a team from the Royal Veterinary College attached GPS trackers and micro-cameras to a number of domestic cats in a Surrey village.

The BBC has published ten Ordnance Survey maps showing the tracks of ten of the cats over 24 hours. Each of the maps is accompanied by a small film clip of the particular tracked cat in action and a summary about how far each cat roams from its home and the size of its roaming area.