Google Maps

[+The Cheeseheads]

Yet another mapping service to try out. I've figured out how to sort of get coordinates in there, but it won't show a pointer.

 

It looks promising. Play with it a bit, and be sure to click the feedback link and request a way to enter in coordinates directly!

[+Divine]

A bit limited usage. Only one country.

[+IVxIV]

Yeah that's really something isn't it? Google is taking over the world lol

 

I hear Google's working on their own browser to compete with the likes of IE & Mozilla

[+Mopar]

A bit limited usage. Only one country.

Yes, but so far it looks like it does that one country VERY well.

Maps are faster uploading and updating then any other online ones I've tried.

Of course, that might be because so few people know about it yet.....

[+Mopar]

Now, if Google just frees up Keyhole and merges it with this.... WOW!

[+IVxIV]

...Only one country

 

www.google.ca does Canada quite nicely, but it doesn't appear www.google.fi has this feature yet.. give them time

[Taxman003]

A bit limited usage. Only one country.

I checked Ontario and it worked no problem, so it's obviously two countries as a minimum.

 

Mike

[+The Cheeseheads]

Of course, that might be because so few people know about it yet.....

It's been announced on Slashdot. If that didn't bring it to its knees, nothing will...

[+The Cheeseheads]

A bit limited usage. Only one country.

It is still in beta...

[+The Leprechauns]

Nice maps. Lose the annoying pushpins from "featured sponsors" and add a way to input coordinates, and I'm sold.

[Taxman003]

Been playing with it a bit and I think I like it. Fast page loads, driving directions, good coverage (for Ontario anyways).

 

Again, add co-ordinates and we're all set!

 

Mike

[+The Cheeseheads]

Nice maps. Lose the annoying pushpins from "featured sponsors" and add a way to input coordinates, and I'm sold.

Send 'em feedback about entering coordinates.

[+twqb]

i took a look at it and i send them a suggestion to add a function to put in lat and lon coords

[+briansnat]

What am I not doing right? All I see is a big pink box, no matter what I do.

[ju66l3r]

What am I not doing right? All I see is a big pink box, no matter what I do.

Must....hold...dirty...thoughts...

 

 

In the meantime, I *really* like the pan ability (click-drag to move the map).

 

When it's not being slammed by slashdot, it'll be nice to see if the load times on the pans will be higher.

[+Candover]

You can enter coordinates, as decimal degrees. Like this, for example.

 

I'm told that adding a scale bar is already in the works.

Edited February 8, 2005 by Candover

[Rabbit and Turtle]

At first I was getting only the pink box also... however I was using Opera. Under IE or Firefox the maps load and work normally.

[+RuffRidr]

The new maps are pretty nice. I do see some things missing that I thought they'd have, however. The State Forest areas here are not showing up, for instance. A bunch of the smaller lakes that are on almost every other mapping service aren't showing up. Really nice for a beta, tho.

 

--RuffRidr

[+The Cheeseheads]

You can enter coordinates, as decimal degrees. Like this, for example.

That's the workaround I used. Unfortunately, it doesn't add a marker to the map at that point.

[+Marky]

Want to see something funny/cool? Type in your city, and then after the map comes up, type in geocaching.com

 

--Marky

[+briansnat]

Still nothing but the pink box! And I'm using IE .

Edited February 8, 2005 by briansnat

[+Marky]

Still nothing but the pink box! And I'm using IE  .

Which version of IE? 4.1?

 

Edit: that reminds me, did you ever read that book by Carrie Fisher?

 

--Marky

Edited February 8, 2005 by Marky

[+Mopar]

Want to see something funny/cool? Type in your city, and then after the map comes up, type in geocaching.com

 

--Marky

Interesting.

When I do it the map shows a bunch of commercial locations. The very first one on the list happens to be the place we hold our monthly wings and beer event. If you click that on the map, it gives you address and phone #, along with links for directions and geocaches! The geocache link goes to our event page. Tooooo cooooool!

[+briansnat]

Still nothing but the pink box! And I'm using IE  .

Which version of IE? 4.1?

 

Edit: that reminds me, did you ever read that book by Carrie Fisher?

 

--Marky

V 5.5

[Taxman003]

Want to see something funny/cool? Type in your city, and then after the map comes up, type in geocaching.com

 

--Marky

Marky,

 

I did it and only the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (75 kms away) came up. What did you see?

 

Mike

[+Mopar]

Want to see something funny/cool?  Type in your city, and then after the map comes up, type in geocaching.com

 

--Marky

Marky,

 

I did it and only the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (75 kms away) came up. What did you see?

 

Mike

Here's the search Marky describes for my area: (link)

 

 

The geocaching.com link takes you to the cache page of the event that is being held at that location.

[+The Leprechauns]

Wow, I hope Groundspeak is getting paid for those links back.

 

And I hope there's no links to archived caches....

[+Mopar]

I just realized ALL the links are geocaching related. Some didnt seem to make sense, but every link turns out to be a geo-located reference to geocaching. Some are personal webpages, some are news stories. I guess anything that google can cross-reference to a location.

[ju66l3r]

Google has a number of ways to link a webpage to a location. It has developed what it calls Google Local (linked on their front page) and you can search pages that are "located" near you...this just puts them in map form.

[+sbell111]

Too bad it can't pull the coords from the cache pages.

[+Marky]

Too bad it can't pull the coords from the cache pages.

Can you imagine how cool this mapping technology would be if they had a database of GC waypoints and links? That would be ultra cool. Of course, it wouldn't be all that useful unless it was able to filter out caches you found. I guess the best way would be to have it able to accept a .gpx file and map those locations on the map (and route to them).

 

--Marky

[ju66l3r]

Too bad it can't pull the coords from the cache pages.

Yeah, then Groundspeak's lawyers might actually have someone with deep pockets to sue for putting up dots on a map with cache page titles at specific coordinates and they wouldn't have to try to intimidate Ed.

 

[+RuffRidr]

Too bad it can't pull the coords from the cache pages.

Yeah, then Groundspeak's lawyers might actually have someone with deep pockets to sue for putting up dots on a map with cache page titles at specific coordinates and they wouldn't have to try to intimidate Ed.

 

LOL!

 

Seriously, if Google has spidered GC.com I wonder why caches aren't showing up. If they do, will gc.com take any action?

 

--RuffRidr

[+sbell111]

I wouldn't call locking the door 'intimidation'.

[ju66l3r]

I wouldn't call locking the door 'intimidation'.

Before the door was locked (assumedly primarily over bandwidth issues at the time), legalese was sent about copyright violations and terms of use violations.

 

The only reason Google Maps doesn't display GC.com cache pages at their listed coordinates is that from my understanding the Google Local data is from server information and on-page addresses, not from lat/long filters....yet.

[+mtn-man]

Thanks for your comments, but please get this back on topic.

Feel free to discuss Google maps.

[Voncachstein]

this google map thing is the best map thing I've seen yet except for the fact that its not complete yet and missing parts. I like the way you can freely move around, as someone already mentioned...hopefully it will be done soon and we can get some coordinates as well. I think ill go add a suggestion...maybe help the process, as was said earlier.

[+Kealia]

Want to see something funny/cool? Type in your city, and then after the map comes up, type in geocaching.com

 

--Marky

Interesting results.

 

 

Yes, please take the Buxley issue back to the thread where it belongs. It's bad enough we haveto read about it there - it doesn't have to infiltrate every other thread as well.

 

So far I'm liking the Google functionality. Handy to have the phone numbers, websites, directions, etc. listed on the page without having to jump back and forth or open new windows.

 

Will have to test the driving directions.

[+robert]

ok, now THAT'S weird!!!!!!

 

i live in baltimore, so on the main map, i double-clicked in the baltimore/DC area to center it. then i clicked the zoom in and it took me RIGHT TO THE EXACT SPOT OF THE HOUSE I GREW UP IN!!!!

 

no joke at all this is REALLY weird. the house is in northern virginia and i live in baltimore.... i was at the US view, double-clicked and zoomed in.

 

Edited February 9, 2005 by robert

[+treasure_hunter]

I would recommend using a topo map before going out caching where it envolves a hike in the woods, its really helpful with elevation and the overall location.

[+Poindexter]

There is another little known interactive mapping website out there. This will give you a close up map showing a new cache I just placed yesterday. These maps are panable and zoomable and if you click on my cache icon you'll go to the cache page. Iv'e also included a link in my cache description for a form that you enter your starting address into and it will get you a map with directions to the parking area for the cache. You can also view these maps in full screen.

[+orome]

Map24 is horrible for naming roads - it has Interstate 400 and Interstate 91 running through Orlando, which has Interstate 4 and the Turnpike respectively (400 and 91 are the hidden, not-on-signs Florida numbers for those roads, not the Federal ones). It also lists a US-25 on the west side of town I've never heard of in 36 years of residence. All of that would be very confusing to someone relying on the site for bearings or directions.

Edited February 9, 2005 by orome

[+Poindexter]

Place your mouse pointer over the roads and you'll get the correct numbers and names.

[+mtn-man]

ok, now THAT'S weird!!!!!!

 

i live in baltimore, so on the main map, i double-clicked in the baltimore/DC area to center it. then i clicked the zoom in and it took me RIGHT TO THE EXACT SPOT OF THE HOUSE I GREW UP IN!!!!

 

no joke at all this is REALLY weird. the house is in northern virginia and i live in baltimore.... i was at the US view, double-clicked and zoomed in.

 

Don't worry, they are not watching you. Really, they are not.

It probably was a good idea not to type "surveillance" in the top search box when you got the view of your old house. Not that google is watching you or anything. No way.

 

[+Mopar]

Someone has dissected the way google maps works pretty well over here.

Interesting reading.

[Dale_Lynn]

You can enter coordinates, as decimal degrees.  Like this, for example.

That's the workaround I used. Unfortunately, it doesn't add a marker to the map at that point.

Unfortunately, your solution does not seem to be very accurate...

 

Close as I coud get is 25 miles from to the cordinatres for my home when I tried to enter the coordinates. At least it put me in same county.

 

Dale

[+Jamie Z]

Unfortunately, your solution does not seem to be very accurate...

Worked perfectly for me. I suspect your conversion to decimal degrees is faulty.

 

Jamie

[+Candover]

parkrrrr has found a way to convert a mapped route to a GPSr-readable format. Neat!

[+robert]

Don't worry, they are not watching you. Really, they are not.

It probably was a good idea not to type "surveillance" in the top search box when you got the view of your old house. Not that google is watching you or anything. No way.

 

what would have happened if i had typed in "surveillance" and "geocaching.com"?

 

i mean, it couldn't be that ba..... HEY!! LET GO OF ME!!!!

[+briansnat]

Well I can see the maps from my hope PC. I wonder if there were some filters or something at work that prevented me from seeing them. Pretty neat stuff!!