Monday, September 19, 2005

Google maps? PAH!

Ever since Google released the API for Google Maps it seems the whole of the internet has gone crazy for it. Cool things have appeared like an index of the current BBC news stories on a map of the UK. Add to that the fact that Google Earth is pretty tasty too and you'd be forgiven for thinking that no other mapping tools existed.

But... there is, and one of them does something cool and useful that Google Maps doesn't.

I run. Not much, but enough to manage a 10km run without passing out. And when I train I like to make sure that I know exactly how far I'm travelling. I like to plan my training schedule so I know that on Monday I'll do 5km, on Wednesday I'll do 2km fast + 1km jog + 2km fast + 1km jog. I know, I know, I can't help it.

Anyway. Google Maps doesn't help me there. But Map 24...

Map 24 has a really handy little ruler tool. Point and click a rubber band round the route you run and BOSH, the distance travelled rounded to the nearest 100th of a mile (or thereabouts). Very nice for working out 1km / 3km / 5km laps round your local streets.
Oh, and it does a really cool wooshy zoom thing when you put an address in!

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2 comments:

Rob Baillie said...

Some one had to do it, didn't they ;-)

Not sure it's quite as easy to use as Map24, but not too shabby either.
Maybe Google will pick it up and clean up the interface a little.

This being the quickest ever non-spam reply to any post I've ever made nicely illustrates a point... get people excited about your company / product and you don't need marketing!

Niall said...

Ah but, when I try it I get this instead of the map.

" Download the current Java Virtual Machine
For best performance and functionality, we recommend that you download and install the most current version of the Java Virtual Machine on your computer. Download it now:



After you’ve downloaded and installed the latest version of the Java Virtual Machine on your computer, you need to shutdown your browser completely, start it and try the interactive map feature again.

If you still can’t see the interactive map, please start the Map24 System Check again or switch to the static maps. You’ll find the links to switch the map technology in the upper right corner just above the map area: static | interactive "

This isn't that I have no java vm, just that I don't have the latest and greatest.