Using Google Latitude to Control Your House

Thermostat Control Based on Location and Weather

Hans Scharler has designed an automatic thermostat for his house that uses Google Latitude, WeatherBug, and ioBridge to control his heating based on his location and the weather.

Using Google Latitude on his Android phone Hans is able to control his thermostat automatically when he leaves his house or when he is coming home. Leaving home is relatively easy. Using Google Latitude his 'Location Aware Home Automation' system can turn off or enter power saving modes when it detects he is away from his house.

When he is returning home the system checks the weather using the Google Weather API and the WeatherBug API, and then checks his home temperature (via ioBridge) to see if the house needs to turn on the air conditioner, the heater, or neither.

If you want to try and replicate this Hans explained how he put this together on his I am Shadowlord blog.

Via: ReadWriteWeb

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Commonwealth Games Baton Relay Mapped

Baton Relay Path

The XIX Commonwealth Games is due to start in a little under two weeks in India. The Queen's Baton Relay is now under way on its Indian leg, from the Wagah Border in Punjab to New Delhi.

The Queen’s Baton started its journey on 29th October 2009 from Buckingham Palace in London. It will arrive in New Delhi in time for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on Sunday, 3rd October.

Mibazaar has created an animated map of the route of the baton relay that runs through each of the 100 stages of its journey in India. The map automatically connects each stage on the journey and opens an information window for each stage displaying the date and location when the baton arrives.

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100,000 Markers & No Clustering

MillionMarkerMap

Jonathan Wagner of Scribble Maps fame has created a demo Google Map displaying 100,000 markers on one map. As you can see from the screenshot above that is enough markers to completely obscure the map tiles beneath.

Amateur map developers should of course not try this at home without wearing safety goggles and without the supervision of a qualified Google Maps Developer.

Usually if you want to place a very large number of markers on a map you will want to use a marker clustering solution such as Mapeed. However, if you are feeling brave, Jonathan has been kind enough to provide the source code for his MillionMarkerMap.

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Stockholm Bike Directions on Google Maps

Cykelreseplaneraren

This bicycle trip planner for Stockholm uses a combination of Google Maps and custom map tiles to provide cycling directions in the Swedish capital.

To use the route planner you just need to add a starting location and a destination. The best cycling route for your journey will then be displayed on the map and the directions listed in the map sidebar.

It is possible to add a number of other layers to the map, including a layer showing cycle paths in the city, bike parking locations and places with cycle pumps.

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The Real Heat Map of Amsterdam

Amsterdam Heat Map

The Amsterdam local council have flown over the city and used a thermographic camera to capture images of the heat emissions of buildings. The images have then been superimposed on Google Maps to provide a heat map of the city.

The map has been produced to help identify where home insulation can be improved. If you live in Amsterdam and you want to find your house you can use the transparency control to adjust the transparency of the heat map and the Google Map controls to zoom in on your house.

The town of Venray has also produced a Google Map with a thermogrpahic overlay.

Via: Nederkaart

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Friday Fun with Google Maps

Google's World

Spanish illustrator Alejo Malia has created a number of images of a world where Google Maps icons are real physical objects that can be viewed in the landscape. Alejo's illustrations include map markers, Pegman and even information windows.

Map Pin Coasters

Out in the real world, if you search hard enough, you can actually find the influence of Google Maps in the most unlikely places. For example, it could be directly under your glass with these gorgeous looking map marker coasters.

When Meteors Strike

Max Livesey has created a fun little Google Map application that lets you see what any location in the world might look like if it was struck by a meteor. Just enter any location into the search box to see how it might be improved with a meteor crater.

Flight Patterns

Aaron Korbin has used the Google Maps API to display images of flight patterns over North America visualised in color and form. The map allows you to view three different images displaying altitudes, manufacturers and models.

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Video, Weather & Google Maps!

Lissie 'Cuckoo' - Interactive Music Video

You have to love all the amazing Google Maps based music videos that are appearing at the moment. A couple of week's ago the world was amazed by the Google Maps and HTML5 experiment from The Wilderness Downtown. Now American singer/songwriter Lissie has released this amazing Google Maps, music video and weather forecast all rolled into one.

Essentially the application uses a spilt screen to display the video of Lissie's new track 'Cuckoo' at the top of your browser window and a Google Map at the bottom. The Google Map uses a live weather feed to display the latest weather around the world.

However that's not all it does. If you click on any of the weather symbols on the map the music video switches to a video of a Spanish language weather presenter reading the weather for your selected location. Have a look at the screen cast above - but make sure you visit the site to actually listen to Lissie's song - it's pretty good!

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The Onion on Google Maps

The Onion - Atlas Of The Planet Earth

Forget Wikimapia! If you really want to find out about the World you need to browse The Onion's Atlas of The Planet Earth. This Google Map's based guide to the countries of the World includes hundreds of little known facts.

The map includes some very interesting country profiles. For example, did you know that Canada will live in the shadow of the USA until it stops refusing to drill for oil in wildlife preserves and begins to unilaterally invade Middle Eastern States.

As well as country profiles the map contains many other interesting factoids about the countries of the world. In India, for example, The Onion reports that Gandhi, discouraged by the failure of his many hunger strikes, vowed to eat non-stop until India was granted Independence.

The Onion's Atlas Of The Planet Earth is full of scintillating facts such as this. If you find that there is far too much information to peruse via your browser you can even buy the Atlas in book form.

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Google Map of the Week

Commute Map

This Google Maps lets you discover who commutes where from any given zip code. The map uses data from the Census Transportation Planning Package and calculates travel times using the Google Maps API.

To use the map you first need to enter a zip code and choose whether you want to view commutes from this area or commutes to the area. The map will then displays the commuting results using blue lines and red map markers. The blue lines indicate where people commute to and from. The size of the red dots reflect the numbers of people commuting in that location.

As well as the map view Commute Map presents the results of your search via an interactive chart.

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5 Google Map Apps You Can't Live Without

I've only had an Android phone for a couple of weeks now and I've already discovered a few Google Maps based applications that I now can't imagine how I lived without.

Google Navigation, the Android phone's GPS navigation system has already proved invaluable to me on more than one occasion. I'm now looking forward to trying out the new Google Maps Navigation Walking.

I haven't had time yet to explore all the great Google Maps based applications available in the Android Market but here are five free applications that I have already installed and love:


My Tracks
My Tracks allows you to record GPS tracks and view live statistics,such as time, speed, distance, and elevation, whilst hiking, biking or running. The application includes the option to export your tracks to Google Spreadsheets and visualise them on Google My Maps.

My Tracks also allows you to view the elevation profile of a track by time or distance, create waypoints on your track and spilt tracks into subtracks.

http://market.android.com/search?q=com.google.android.maps.mytracks
(use your Android phone to open these links - the links won't work from a desktop)

Google Sky Map

The Google Sky Map is a brilliant window into the night sky and an essential tool for astronomers. The map uses the Android phone's built-in compass, GPS, and clock to display an annotated Sky Map of the area it is facing.

The application includes an horizon layer, planets layer, Messier Objects layer and a constellations layer. The application also includes a great gallery of Hubble photographs. If you click on a picture in the gallery the Sky Map will even point you towards the location of the subject in the night sky.

http://market.android.com/search?q=com.google.android.stardroid


Been There
Been There is a Google Maps based browser for your photographs. The application allows you to view the photographs you have taken with your phone on a Google Map.

The photographs are displayed at the location where they were shot. This is a great way to browse photo albums on your phone. Not only does it allow you to view your pictures in their geographical context it is a handy way to find pictures, as you can normally remember where you were when you took a particular photograph.

http://market.android.com/search?q=com.picmap.ui

WHERE
WHERE for Android is a local search and recommendation service. The application lets you search for local restaurants, bars and cafes and read real-time user reviews. The application comes with a host of other features, such as local events, gas prices, movies, weather, news, traffic information, special offers and coupons.

Once you have found a destination with the WHERE application you can get text or mapped directions. WHERE also includes a check-in feature called Placebook that helps you keep track of your daily travels and reviews.

RunKeeper
RunKeeper uses the Android phone's GPS to track your runs. The application can track your distance, time, pace / speed and how many calories you burn. The applciation can also show you your track using Google Maps

RunKeeper Pro for Android has also just been released. This paid application has all of the same core functionality as RunKeeper Free, plus audio cues and no advertising.

http://market.android.com/search?q=com.fitnesskeeper.runkeepe

If you are interested in developing your own Google Maps based application for Android InformIT has a great tutorial: Mobile Mapping on Android and iPhone Using the Google Maps JavaScript API.

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