Trip Mapping

An impetus to the geospatial revolution is the rapidly growing popularity of web-based mapping applications for wayfinding.

Travellers might find two categories of software application useful in planning and documenting their trips.  In the first category are numerous applications like Mapquest for trip planning.  In the second category are applications that enable trip mapping. Trip mapping enables users to add photos and other information as well as to share their maps over the Internet, while the journey is underway or on its completion.

Both of the following trip mapping applications use Google maps as their online map service, although each offers a different scale and kind of mapping functionality: 

TravelPod  "... because your trips are worth it. TravelPod's free travel blogs let you chart your trips on a map, share unlimited photos and videos, and stay in touch while you travel."

EveryTrail  "the best way to share trips, connect with other travelers and find great new things to do."

 I can imagine that there are other examples of this type of application that need to be added to this list.  Another avenue for future study could be a comparsion of these types of applications to each other as well as to the more advanced functions possible in Google Maps and Google Earth.

Wayfaring

Here's a specific type of mapping, for visualising 'foursquare check-ins'.  Foursquare is a social networking site that allows a user to upload spatial coordinates and other information of where they are at any point in time.  These applications mostly use Google Maps,  although Open Street seems to lie behind...

Tripline

 foursquare

 weeplaces

Apps for Maps

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a study on mobile map usage based on data from its comScore MobiLens service. The study found that 14 percent of mobile users in the U.S. accessed maps on their devices in April 2010, as the mobile map audience reached 33.5 million users, up 44 percent from the previous year. The study also found that more mobile users now access maps via application than via browser, demonstrating the success of applications in penetrating the mobile map market.

“People are increasingly turning to their mobile phone for maps and directions when on the go,” said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile. “With summer travel season upon us, we expect even more mobile users to access both maps and location-based local search to help them navigate and find geographically relevant information.”

Source

TED talks on geography, mapping and more

TED talks have high impact value.  Here is a list of recent clips that wowed me.  For those of you who are sceptical of the benefits of video gaming, check out Jane McGonigal's talk. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/bill_davenhall_your_health_depends_on_where_you_live.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/blaise_aguera.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/tim_berners_lee_the_year_open_data_went_worldwide.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_tours_the_ghost_map.html