Rain and Snow Effects for Mapbox

Mapbox GL now offers the option to add dynamic rain and snow effects to your maps. These new visual weather effects use particle animations to create realistic precipitation on any Mapbox GL map.

You can easily add these effects to your maps using the following functions in your JavaScript code:

map.setRain or map.setSnow

Both the rain and snow effects come with several customizable parameters that allow you to fine-tune their appearance. These include:

• Density: Controls the number of particles.
• Opacity: Adjusts the transparency of the effect.
• Speed: Defines how fast the particles move.
• Color: Modifies the color of raindrops and snowflakes.
• Size: Changes the size of the particles.
• Direction: Determines the movement direction of the precipitation.

You can experiment with these parameters in the Rain and Snow Playground. Once you’ve created an effect you like, you can copy and paste the corresponding JavaScript code into your project. Additionally, these parameters can be adjusted dynamically. For example, you can modify the particle animations in real-time based on live wind direction data for a given location.

Maplibre Snow Effect

With a little help from ChatGPT I was able to create a snowflake effect for Maplibre in under five minutes. If you want to use this effect yourself then you can clone the code my map's Glitch page.

The USA is Closing for Business

This animated map from the Lowy Institute shows whether the USA or China was the larger trading partner for countries around the world each year this century (up to 2023). The map provides a stark visualization of the economic shift away from the United States and toward China in the 21st century.

According to the Lowy Institute, around "70 per cent of economies trade more with China than they do with America, and more than half of all economies now trade twice as much with China compared to the United States." At the beginning of this century the situation was very different, when more than 80 percent of countries traded more with the USA than with China.

The map allows users to view the largest trading partner for each country (limited to China and the United States) in terms of two-way trade, imports, or exports. In terms of exports, the United States remains a larger export destination than China for more than half of all economies. However, given Donald Trump’s constant threats to impose tariffs on other countries, it is evident that he aims to weaken the United States' appeal as an export destination. What is less clear is how he plans to increase the United States' own exports.

Where's the Gulf of Mexico?

The Google Maps team has introduced a new 'Coding Challenge' for prospective members of the department. It is essential that all employees of Google Geo are able to track down and deport illegal place-name labels from the company's flagship mapping platform.

If you are in the process of applying for a position at Google Maps or are interested in joining the team in the future, you can prepare by familiarizing yourself with Google's MAGA Map of the World.

On the MAGA Map of the World the Gulf of Mexico has mysteriously disappeared - as if it has somehow been forewarned of Google’s decision to deport it from the map. As a potential employee of Google's Department of Geographical Corrections, your challenge is to track down the missing Gulf of Mexico. You have just 60 seconds to complete this Google coding challenge!

Automatically Mapping YouTube Videos

YouTube is an incredible resource for discovering new places, whether through travel vlogs, historical documentaries, or guided walking tours. However, manually noting down locations mentioned in a video can be time-consuming and inefficient. What if there were an easier way to extract and map these locations automatically?

Using the allStara Video AI

The allStara Video AI offers several features to analyze and extract information from YouTube videos. One available option is to "extract locations from a video and save them as a map for trip planning."

Using the AI is simple - just enter the YouTube URL of a video and press the 'Start Locations Extraction' button. allStara then generates a GeoJSON file containing all the locations mentioned in the video and provides a shareable link to a Leaflet.js-powered map of the extracted locations.

While allStara seems to work well with the short default video URL provided, I had no success in two attempts with longer videos (one was 5 minutes and 8 seconds long, and the other was 26 minutes and 5 seconds long). In both cases, allStara took over five minutes to process the videos but ultimately returned empty results, failing to extract any locations.

I love the idea of mapping locations mentioned in videos, but unfortunately, allStara seems to be inconsistent. Going forward, it would also be beneficial to include timestamps for each location in the generated GeoJSON file.

Using DeepSeek

Since my attempt to use allStara to map John Rogers' walking tour of Clerkenwell was unsuccessful, I decided to try DeepSeek to generate my own map.

1. DeepSeek prompt:- 'Extract all the locations mentioned in this video transcript (most should be in London) and then create a GeoJSON file with all the locations.  - {video transcript}


2. In about 40 seconds DeepSeek created a GeoJSON file with the coordinates of 38 locations it had extracted from the video.


3. I then copy & pasted the GeoJSON text into geojson.io to create the map (shown below) displaying the locations mentioned in John Roger's walking tour of Clerkenwell.

The New World Order

Press Release: Google Unveils "New World Order Google Map"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: [Press Office]

Phone: [123-456-7890]

Email: [press@google.com]

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – [1/28/2025] – Last night, Quisling, the parent company of Google, announced a bold and controversial change to its flagship product, Google Maps. We revealed that the "Gulf of Mexico" would be renamed to the "Gulf of America,". However, the Trump administration has deemed the update insufficient and pushed for a broader revision of global naming conventions on the platform.

In response, Google has launched what it is calling the "New World Order Google Map," a reimagined cartographic experience that reflects an aggressive overhaul of geopolitical labels and place names to align with evolving administrative demands.

We take feedback seriously and aim to ensure our platform serves the needs of our users, including governments and administrations worldwide. The New World Order Google Map represents our commitment to a more dynamic and responsive mapping experience that reflects contemporary perspectives on global geography.

You can now preview New World Order Google Map for yourself.

The MAGA Plugin for Interactive Maps

The MAGA plug-in for the Maplibre mapping library must now be used to ensure that all maps comply with the geographical dictats of the Orange Overlord.

To conform to the new geographical proclamations of the Trump Ministry of Geographical Truth, please ensure that you follow the steps below before publishing any new maps:

Step 1: Include maga.js in Your Project

• Download the maga.js file from the link above.
• Place the maga.js file in your project directory (e.g., in the same folder as your index.html file).

Step 2: Add the Script to Your HTML

Include the maga.js file in your index.html file by adding the following line just before the closing </body> tag: <script src="maga.js"></script>

Step 3: Initialize the MAGA Plugin

The maga.js plugin will automatically initialize itself when the script is loaded. It will start animating place-name labels on the map based on the default configuration. 

Step 4: Customize the Default Values

You can customize the default configurations by editing the placeNames array to your own values and by editing the country name in the setLayoutProperty.

Failure to comply with the new geographical standards will result in immediate re-education at the Ministry of Cartographic Corrections. Remember, the Overlord's vision of the world is the only truth, and any deviation from this truth is an act of thoughtcrime. By using the MAGA plug-in, you are not only ensuring compliance but also contributing to a brighter, more unified future - where every map reflects the glorious reality as decreed by the Trump Ministry of Geographical Truth.

Long live the Orange Overlord! Long live the truth!

Update: According to Reuters the quisling Google has announced it will be the first company to comply with the diktats of the Orange Overlord. It has announced that the "Gulf of Mexico" will be changed to "Gulf of America" on Google Maps. 

Dive into Your Maritime History

The marine area of the UK has played a pivotal role in shaping the country's history. The seas surrounding the UK are home to a wealth of historical treasures, including submerged prehistoric landscapes, shipwrecks, crashed aircraft, and maritime industrial structures. Unfortunately the historical collections, which document these sites, are dispersed across various government organizations, universities, museums, and archives in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The Unpath’d Waters Portal is a new online interface that, for the first time, enables users to access these disparate marine collections through a single, shared, and cross-searchable online catalogue. By consolidating these diverse datasets in one place, the portal allows users to uncover and study underwater artifacts and sites more effectively than ever before.

How the Portal Works

The portal provides a wealth of information about the UK's maritime past, including data on shipwreck sites, maritime archaeology, coastal defenses, maritime structures such as docks and harbors, and more. It is designed to help researchers and the general public discover and explore the UK’s fascinating maritime history. 

One of the portal’s most exciting features is its interactive map. Users can zoom in on the map and search the collections by location. As you pan around the UK and its surrounding waters, the map automatically updates to display all markers within the current view. Clicking on these markers reveals detailed information about the selected historical features.

The map is an invaluable resource for discovering more about local maritime history. For example, this morning, I used the portal to explore the historical heritage of the River Thames in East London. I discovered several nearby historical sites that I plan to visit in person in the coming weeks.

Your Local Business Chatbots

Mapchat: Exploring AI-Powered Conversations with Local Businesses

Mapchat is a new interactive map that enables users to chat with AI-powered chatbots connected to businesses in their local area.

Simply zoom in on a location on Mapchat, press the 'Search Map' button, and markers will appear, pinpointing local businesses. Then, by clicking on any of these markers, you can initiate a conversation with an AI chatbot representing the business.

Why Chat with a Local Business Chatbot?

When I first encountered Mapchat, my immediate thought was: why? Why would I want to chat with an AI chatbot for a local business? However, on further reflection, I realized that if the AI chatbot could provide accurate and relevant answers, it could be an incredibly useful tool for addressing customer queries.

According to the introductory blog post from Every AI, Introducing Map-Chats: A New Era of Global Conversations with Businesses, Powered by Every AI, Mapchat allows "users to connect to businesses in real-time, interact with AI-powered chatbots, and get personalized, efficient responses - no matter the time zone or language barrier."

This makes a lot of sense. Using Mapchat, customers should be able to find useful information tailored to their shopping needs. To test this, I decided to try chatting with the AI chatbot of my local Sainsbury's supermarket. Here's how it went:

Me: 'Are you open?'

Mapchat AI: 'I am available and ready to respond to your questions 24/7, as long as our system is functioning properly! If you have any questions about Cookie Settings or any other topic, feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to provide a helpful response.'

Me: 'No, are you open for me to come and shop?'

Mapchat AI: 'I'm afraid I won't be able to facilitate physical transactions or have a storefront. However, I can assist you with ... guidance on managing your cookie settings if needed.'

Me: 'Do you have gochujang in stock?'

Mapchat AI: 'Unfortunately, our database doesn't seem to have any direct information about your store's inventory or products, including whether or not you carry gochujang.'

At that point I gave up.

My experience improved significantly when I tried a smaller business, a local bakery named Signorelli.

Me: 'What is your menu?'

Mapchat AI: 'Welcome to Signorelli! Our menu is a reflection of our passion for Italian-inspired baking and delicious food. Here are some highlights: (followed by a long list of cakes and breads on sale)'

Me: 'Do you sell gluten free bread?'

Mapchat AI: 'Yes, we do offer gluten-free options at Signorelli. While our traditional Italian-inspired baked goods are made with yeast and contain wheat flour, we also have a variety of gluten-free alternatives available. Would you like me to recommend some specific gluten-free bread options from our menu?'

Based on my limited testing, Mapchat can be very helpful - at times. However, at other times, its responses can be unhelpful and / or irrelevant.

Use Map Labels!

My main criticism of Mapchat isn't the occasional irrelevant response - the Mapchat AI can and should improve with time. Instead, what I find most frustrating is Mapchat's reliance on unlabelled markers to show the locations of businesses, rather than using map labels with their actual names.

The lack of labels forces users to either know the precise location of a business beforehand or waste time clicking on every marker until they find what they’re looking for. Adding filtering options (e.g., restaurants, grocery stores, clothing retailers) would also significantly enhance usability, making it easier to search for specific types of businesses.

Biographical Mapping

If you've ever dreamed of walking in the footsteps of your favorite historical figures, then Maptale is the map for you. This new platform lets you explore the life journeys of significant historical and contemporary figures, as laid out on an interactive map.

What Maptale Offers

At its heart, Maptale is a collection of mapped biographies, with each map showcasing the life journey of a notable individual through the significant locations that defined their story. For instance, selecting Abraham Lincoln from the "History and Wars" category allows you to explore locations such as the birthplace of the 16th President of the United States, his family’s farms, his marriage home, the White House, and the Lincoln Tomb, where he is laid to rest.

Maptale’s approach is inclusive - which means that users can upload their own maps, to visualize the life journeys of their own heros and heroines. These custom user maps add a community-driven aspect to the platform. It should also help in ensuring that there is a wide selection of notable individuals whose life journeys can be explored on Maptale.

Improving Maptale

One feature that seems to be missing from Maptale, and which I believe would enhance the platform significantly, is a universal map displaying all the locations in its database, encompassing the lives of all the individuals mapped so far. This consolidated view would allow users to uncover the famous connections in their own neighborhoods. It could help transform Maptale into a fantastic tool for local exploration and educational discovery.

Also See

Notable People Map - a map showing the birthplaces of the most "notable people" around the world.

GeoGuessing Reimagined

World Guesser is yet another alternative to the ever-popular GeoGuessr Street View game.

Like GeoGuessr, World Guesser drops you into a random location and asks you to guess where you are based solely on the clues you can find in Google’s Street View imagery. The gameplay is divided into two main phases:

Investigate:

This is where the detective work happens. Navigate through the surroundings to analyze clues. Look at architectural styles, read signs in different languages, and study the geography of the area. For example, a desert landscape might hint at North Africa or the Middle East, while lush tropical greenery could point to Southeast Asia or South America.

Guess:

After gathering clues, you mark your guess on the world map. The closer your guess is to the actual location, the more points you earn.

Why It Stands Out

One of the best features of World Guesser is its accessibility. The game is entirely free to play, with no hidden subscriptions or paywalls. You can dive into unlimited rounds without creating an account, making it easy to start playing right away.

If you find World Guesser too easy (you won’t), then you’re ready for the exceedingly challenging EarthGuessr. EarthGuessr provides a refreshing twist and a whole new perspective on the ‘geoguessing’ format.

EarthGuessr challenges players to explore five random locations on Earth as seen from above. Instead of navigating Street View, you zoom and pan through satellite imagery to identify your location. This aerial vantage point introduces an entirely new layer of deduction, as you’re now challenged to identify locations purely based on the landscapes and geographical features visible from above.

In other words, EarthGuessr is very, very challenging!

If you want even more geoguessing fun then check out these Six Free Alternatives to GeoGuessr.