Just Iii Words

The globe is divided into 57 trillion 3 ten 3 meter squares. Each of those squares tin live on uniquely identified amongst only 3 words. If yous know the right 3 words yous tin at in i trial carry yourself to whatsoever location inwards the world.

Welcome to the globe of What3Words.

Launched final year what3words is a service that divides the globe into 3 ten 3m squares too gives each foursquare a unique address of only 3 words. Three words tin live on easily remembered hence what3words provides a slap-up service to easily portion locations amongst your friends.

Imagine, for example, that yous wishing to run across your friends at a specific location inwards the park. It could live on a location that doesn't accept an exact address, such every bit beneath a detail tree. With what3words yous only postulate to say your friends to run across yous at 'grow longer bottle' too they tin easily uncovering the exact location using the what3words desktop, Android or iOS app.

Try it at nowadays - grow longer bottle

For a pocket-sized cost users tin likewise purchase i give-and-take links. Today what3words has released native iOS too Android apps. The apps enable what3words users to purchase too motility their OneWords whilst on the go, hence sharing a electrical flow location is at nowadays easier than ever.

If yous purchase a i give-and-take link yous tin associate it amongst a describe concern - hence yous tin portion the location of your describe concern amongst customers amongst only i word. Alternatively yous tin associate a OneWords link amongst yourself. Using the what3words mobile app yous tin too hence update your location whenever yous desire too everyone who yous accept shared your i give-and-take link amongst tin at in i trial uncovering you.

The what3words application is likewise incredibly useful when travelling abroad. If you've ever flora yourself struggling to follow addresses too directions inwards a unusual script yous volition appreciate how tardily it would live on to only live on able to associate 3 English linguistic communication words amongst a location too live on able to ever at in i trial uncovering it on a map.

For example, inwards Moscow instead of searching for Красная площадь on your Google Map yous tin only function into brave.school.discount into the what3words app too at in i trial uncovering your agency to Red Square.

The Autocomplete Map Maker

I'm certain you've seen at to the lowest degree i of the pop autocomplete maps that accept been doing the rounds over the final few months. These maps purpose Google search autocomplete to present what are the most pop search damage for locations around the world.

Well at nowadays yous tin practise your ain amongst the Map Channels Autocomplete Map Maker. I hope yous that yous are going to accept a lot of fun playing amongst this, equally yous tin larn inwards whatsoever search damage that yous desire together with around immediately persuasion the results on your ain map. You tin fifty-fifty embed your created maps inwards your ain website.

Using the Autocomplete Map Maker yous tin practise your ain map inwards a affair of seconds together with using whatever search damage yous want. The sorcerer allows yous to larn inwards whatsoever search damage (both suffixes together with prefixes) together with therefore automatically creates your map built on Google autocomplete suggestions.

So, for example, yous tin larn inwards 'Why is' equally your prefix together with 'so' equally your suffix together with yous volition larn your ain map of the world, displaying all the pop search entries for the countries inwards the the world - Why is America therefore violent?

There are or therefore rattling clever things going on amongst the Autocomplete Map Maker. The map automatically retrieves the autocomplete search results for your ain damage from Google search. It therefore adds labels to a Google Map showing the results. You tin choose to persuasion either the results for countries or for U.S. of A. states. You tin fifty-fifty purpose your ain KML of locations to customize the map to present the results alone for your ain locations (for instance here is a map I created using a kml of or therefore of America's cities).

The labels on the map are displayed using an enhanced version of the Google Maps label library. Map Channels has enhanced the library therefore that the labels don't overlap. Where 2 labels mightiness overlap on the map, i is removed together with is alone shown equally the user zooms in. This is a slap-up enhancement to the map label library together with I'm going to endeavour together with persuade Map Channels to free the code on Github.

Why Are Foreigners As Well As Thus Rude?

It tin plough over the sack hold upwards tough beingness an English linguistic communication speaker travelling abroad, specially inwards countries where they don't verbalize English. I abide by that the louder I proper substantive at foreigners to attention them empathise the ruder they get.

This is manifestly a mutual sense of people when travelling abroad. At to the lowest degree judging past times my Nationalities Autocomplete Map. This map shows the autocomplete suggestions of Google search when you lot type inwards 'Why are (nationality) then ...' The results advise that everyone wonders why the English, the Czech, the Germans, the Spanish, the Russians together with the Indians are all then rude.

People look to hold upwards as dumbfounded past times the niceness of the Canadians together with the stupidity of the Americans.

Another occupation when travelling abroad is all that unusual food. The Food Autocomplete Map shows Google search autocomplete suggestions for queries inwards the bird of 'Why is (nations) nutrient then ...'. Based on this map you lot should avoid visiting America, Greece, Russia, Kingdom of Spain (all bad food) together with England together with Poland (bland food). Instead, to guarantee a adept dining experience, you lot should caput for France, Germany, United Mexican US or Nihon (all adept food).

Both these novel autocomplete maps were created inwards a few minutes using the novel Map Channels Autocomplete Map Maker.

Visualizing Route Direction Patterns

Over the final few days Visual Statistix has been publishing a dainty serial of maps showing the route direction patterns inwards American in addition to European cities. These static maps alongside accompanying rose diagrams are a swell visualization of urban route patterns. They are peculiarly illuminating inwards illustrating the differences betwixt the planned grid-patterns of American cities in addition to the to a greater extent than organic sprawl constitute inwards European cities.


VeloViewer has straight off released an interactive map that allows you lot to stance the route orientation for whatever district or urban nub inwards the world. Using the map you lot tin plow over notice zoom inwards on whatever surface area of the the world in addition to a rose diagram displays the route orientation distribution of the electrical current map bounds.

The map uses the underlying information for roads inwards OpenStreetMap to calculate the route direction patterns on the fly. This way that you lot tin plow over notice motility the map only about in addition to zoom inwards or out on whatever place in addition to the rose diagram volition update on the wing to present the route direction distribution inside the electrical current map view.

Google Naps

It exclusively takes 1 missive of the alphabet to cash inwards one's chips viral. I've been watching Google Naps for the final few days together with it has real speedily cash inwards one's chips to a greater extent than together with to a greater extent than populated amongst user suggested locations of where y'all tin cash inwards one's chips to own got a tranquility nap.

Google Naps doesn't precisely bang me every bit fulfilling a postulate that the the world has been crying out for. So why has it together with thence speedily cash inwards one's chips together with thence popular? Do nosotros actually postulate a map to attention respect nearby places that nosotros tin cash inwards one's chips for a quick snooze? I mean value not. Google Naps has gone viral because of its humorous name.

I suspect that correct similar a shot map developers simply about the the world are working on other puns on Google Maps. In the coming weeks I await to endure reviewing a map of rugs simply about the the world (Google Mats),  a map of drinking fountains (Google Taps) together with a map of world rest-rooms (I travel out that 1 to your imagination).

Google Maps Pokémon Challenge

Google has lastly added the place of wild Pokémon to Google Maps. Google Maps on Android as well as iOS is directly populated amongst 150 Pokémon.

What's to a greater extent than you lot tin locomote Google Maps to capture the Pokémon as well as instruct inward the Google Maps Pokémon Challenge. The 150 Pokémon are located throughout the world, thence you lot volition stimulate got to live a Pokémon Master to capture them all. If you lot ask a trivial assistance inward getting started inward your search as well as thence stimulate got a expect roughly the Googleplex inward California.


If you lot discovery a Pokémon spell browsing Google Maps on your telephone merely tap the brute as well as you lot tin grab it. The Pokémon is as well as thence added to your Pokedex (that's your ain personal Pokémon catalog). Every fourth dimension you lot capture a Pokémon you lot stimulate got a pace forrard inward your challenge to instruct the ultimate Pokémon Master.

Pokémon Challenge - Spoilers!

By forthwith you lot accept in all likelihood heard nigh the Google Maps Pokémon Challenge. Google has hidden 150 Pokémon characters on Google Maps. If you lot explore Google Maps on Android as well as iOS devices you lot tin commence your scream for to decease a Pokémon Master past times hunting downward all the 150 Pokémon characters hidden some the footing on Google Maps.

Unfortunately non everyone is cutting out to decease a Pokémon Master. Luckily the Reddit community rapidly crowd-sourced the Google Maps Pokémon Challenge as well as betwixt them constitute all 150 Pokémon characters hidden on Google Maps.

If you lot desire a piddling assistance inwards your scream for hence caput over to the Pokémon Apr Fools Wiki, which has published a listing of all 150 Pokémon, including links to all the locations on Google Maps. If you lot don't desire to cheat inwards your scream for hence you lot mightiness desire to outset instead past times searching some the national landmarks inwards unlike countries.

The Hand-Drawn Map Style

Here at MapBox Mania nosotros beloved around of the custom map styles that OpenStreetMap developers conduct maintain designed. So today nosotros desire to part 3 of our favorite custom map styles created amongst OpenStreetMap map tiles.


The Hand Drawn Map of Toulouse uses TileMill to customize the await of OpenStreetMap to practice a beautiful hand-drawn styled map. It is the lovingly created special on this map that assistance instruct far too hence special. From the post-it banking firm notation themed labels to the hand-sketched textures it is slow to genuinely fault this for a existent hand-drawn map.

The map's creator Karl Azémar has every bit good published an interesting post most how he created the hand-drawn agency (in French).


Space Station Earth is a gorgeous scientific discipline fiction themed map created amongst MapBox. The map changes urban meat names to infinite colonies, uses custom textures for route too edifice borders and uses over-sized markers for stores, parks, too other points of involvement to copy urban meat lights.


Stamen's Watercolor Map is rightly 1 of the most pop map styles. I've fifty-fifty seen this 1 popping upward inwards maps developed amongst the Google Maps API, swapping out the Google Map tiles for this beautiful OpenStreetMap. If yous similar the Watercolor Map agency yous should every bit good conduct maintain a await at Oregon State University's Crinkled Watercolor Map.

Mapping European Migrant Deaths

The Migrants Files has mapped over 23,000 migrants who convey died on their means to Europe since the twelvemonth 2000. Partially funded past times the European non-profit organization, Journalismfund.eu, the Migrant Files has been compiling information on the deaths of Europe’s would-be migrants from a break of dissimilar sources.

The map shows the locations of where migrants convey died either inwards their attempts to motion into Europe or while seeking refuge inwards Europe. The map highlights the dangers for African migrants off the coasts of Kingdom of Morocco too Tunisia too likewise a large break of deaths of migrants off the coast of Turkey.

Google Maps Adds Multiple Directions Only However Sucks

Google Maps has addressed i of the master copy complaints nearly the terribly designed novel Google Maps. It is straightaway rolling out the pick to add together extra stops to driving directions.

Now when you lot inquire Google Maps for directions you lot volition meet a '+' pick that allows you lot to add together stops to your route. I'd honey to straightaway take directions from my 5 Reasons the New Google Maps Sucks listing simply fifty-fifty though multiple directions has straightaway been addressed the whole directions interface is however a consummate mess.


Click through on the 'list all steps' pick as well as you lot instruct a step-by-step (or turn-by-turn) guide to your journey. However if you lot scroll downwards through the steps the map disappears off the screen. Clicking on a footstep inward the directions guide does highlight the right place on the map - simply you lot can't genuinely meet that because the map is off the screen.

Upcoming Events

On a to a greater extent than positive depository fiscal establishment complaint the novel Google Maps straightaway has a overnice novel characteristic that allows you lot to click on a music, sport or theatre venue on the map as well as thought upcoming events at that location. When you lot straightaway search for a venue on Google Maps you lot should meet an Upcoming Events link that volition let you lot to thought all upcoming events at the venue.

Own Your Ain Norwegian Fjord

I've ever been a huge fan of Slartibartfast's terraforming efforts together with bring dreamed of the hateful solar daytime that I could ain a footling slice of his best operate on the Norwegian Fjords. Now that hateful solar daytime has come upwards at last!

Terrafab is cracking map application that allows you lot to exercise the 3d printer files to exercise your ain 3d model of whatsoever occupation of Norway. Even if you lot don't desire to ain a 3d model of a Norwegian fjord you lot bring to banking concern tally out this map simply to sentinel the 3d model persuasion update inwards real-time equally you lot choose dissimilar areas on the map.

Make certain you lot equally good click on the 'Get this model 3d-printed' to persuasion the spinning version of your selected 3d view.

Animating Big Information On Maps

CartoDB's Torque allows developers to homecoming large, time-series information on a map inwards the client. The library effectively provides a unproblematic method to animate large amounts of information on a map.

H5N1 proficient demonstration of Torque inwards activity is this Amsterdam: Fire Engine Callouts map. The map uses the Torque library to animate 62,415 burn downward brigade call-outs inwards Amsterdam betwixt Jan 2006 together with September 2010.

Another superb event of a Torque driven map is the amazing Navy of WWI animated visualization. This visualization maps 1 ane 1000 m WWI Royal Navy locations from earlier the outbreak of World War I until 1925.


The Torque library was too used to practice a fascinating animated map showing ane seagull's movements over 2 months. LifeWatch compressed 2 months of information into 120 seconds to animate the seagull's movements inwards together with to a greater extent than or less Zeebrugge inwards Belgium.

Ramping Upwards The Tension Amongst Torque

Ten minutes subsequently posting well-nigh the Torque library I noticed than CartoDB has officially released the tool for all their registered users.

To accompany the spider web log post announcing the loose CartoDB has also created a groovy animated map of all novel CartoDB users that signed-up betwixt belatedly August as well as early on Nov 2013.


CartoDB users tin laissez passer on the axe similar a shot implement Torque inwards their maps straight from the CartoDB user interface. One of the start examples is this amazing map animating 3.2 meg line-fishing boat locations some the UK of Britain as well as Northern Republic of Ireland inwards fifteen minutes.

Street Sentiment Disputation Shift

I've been puzzling for a spell nearly how to add together a contestation shift upshot to Google Maps Street View using CSS filters inwards Chrome. What has stumped me inwards the by was how to practice a slope blur that when applied to a Street View would add together a contestation shift upshot to the panoramic image.

Today I had a piffling eureka 2nd when I realized 1 solution would last to overlay 1 Street View layer on superlative of around other Street View of the same scene. You tin thus piece of job CSS filter transparency to practice a masking effect. If you lot add together this transparency filter to a horizontal band inwards the superlative Street View you lot tin meet the bottom Street View through the band.

Then all you lot bring to practice is add together a CSS blur filter to the superlative Street View. The upshot is a Street View that is blurred apart from 1 horizontal strip, creating a reasonable contestation shift effect. You tin meet the outcome on this Street View Tilt Shift picture (you volition likely entirely last able to meet this if you lot sentiment the page inwards the Chrome browser).

If you lot pan the Street View inwards this page entirely 1 of the Street Views volition move. You could add together an lawsuit listener to the superlative Street View thus that when you lot deed the superlative Street View the bottom Street View besides moves. I haven't done this hither thus you lot tin to a greater extent than clearly meet how the masking upshot works.

You tin meet other experiments using CSS filters amongst Google Maps Street View at Here Comes the Sun and Blurrd. Both of these pages 1 time again volition likely entirely piece of job inwards the Chrome browser.

Ada Lovelace & The Neo-Geographers

"Geography amuses me really much." 

- from the childhood magazine of Ada Lovelace

Today is Ada Lovelace Day, which provides us alongside the perfect chance to recognize in addition to celebrate the contributions of women to the public of online interactive cartography.

From the really early on pioneering function of Pamela Fox alongside the Google Maps API and Di-Ann Eisnor (Platial in addition to Waze) women stimulate got played an essential role inwards the evolution of what some telephone phone neo-geography.


In the concluding calendar month Google has featured a issue of vivid maps developed past times women. Last calendar week the official Geo Developers Blog picked upwards on 1 of these maps when it featured Abby Putinski's map of her ain illustrations of San Francisco every bit its Map of the Week.

One of my favorite maps of simply concluding calendar week was Katy Decorah's Static Map Maker, a neat sorcerer for creating static maps using the the Google Static Maps API. Recently Google has likewise featured Emily Bennet's Portsmouth History Picture Map in addition to her splendid series of tutorials on how to create a map alongside the Google Maps API.

Barbara J. Ryan is Secretariat Director of the intergovernmental Group on globe Observations (GEO). GEO's Global globe Observation System of Systems is linking together existing in addition to planned observing systems around the public inwards social club to furnish a unmarried access betoken for users seeking data, imagery in addition to analytical software packages relevant to all parts of the globe. Karla Baker is leading the Bartholowmew Archive's 10 twelvemonth projection to digitise in addition to convey on-line the printed maps of map engravers, printers in addition to publishers, John Bartholomew & Son Ltd.

Ada Lovelace Day is a rare chance to celebrate the achievements of women inwards science, technology, applied scientific discipline in addition to maths. If y'all desire to stimulate got utilization inwards the celebrations y'all tin uncovering events taking house close y'all today on Finding Ada's listing of Worldwide Events. There is fifty-fifty a Google Map of websites in addition to blogs that stimulate got posted articles for Ada Lovelace Day.

Google Maps Helps Yous Notice The Manner Home

Last twelvemonth the floor of how Saroo Brierley works life his vogue domicile after 25 years received worldwide attention. At the historic catamenia of iv Saroo was separated from his blood brother on a develop inwards Republic of Republic of India as well as ended upward lost as well as lone inwards Kolkata.

Saroo was eventually adopted as well as moved to Tasmania, Australia. 25 years afterward Saroo yet had memories of his woman bring upward as well as of his domicile town as well as inwards item the develop station where he begged equally a tyke amongst his brother. He thence took to Google Maps as well as began searching along the railway lines leading out of Kolkata until he eventually recognized the station inwards his domicile town on Google's satellite view.

Google has straightaway released the to a higher house video of how Saroo was eventually reunited amongst his woman bring upward after 25 years. It is a very heartwarming tale as well as easily Google's nearly effective marketing video to date.

Last Direct Chances To See

Google volition terminate supporting the Google Maps API v2 on Nov 19th. This way that you lot alone bring a few days left to upgrade your v2 maps to v3 of the Maps API.

All applications however using v2 volition from the 19th hold upward served a special, wrapped version of the v3 API instead. This wrapped version of the API volition move for the almost uncomplicated maps merely is non probable to move for a lot of applications. If you lot however need to upgrade your maps to v3 in addition to then you lot powerfulness desire to bring a await at Google's direct to upgrading.

If Google's direct to upgrading doesn't aid in addition to then your best bet is to inquire for aid on Stack Overflow (use the google-maps tag).

None of my maps using Google Maps API v2 teach much traffic these day. I'm so leaving them lonely equally I'm intrigued to come across which ones volition intermission in addition to which ones Google's wrapper volition save. One map which I'm pretty sure as shooting volition terminate working is my Star Viewer app. This was i of my ain almost viewed maps (back inwards the day). Therefore if you lot desire i concluding gamble to thought around amazing astronomical animated videos on altitude of Google Sky you lot alone bring 2 days left to visit, earlier it implodes into the dark hole of Google's deprecation.

Mapping Modern Global Slavery

The Global Slavery Index has released a map displaying the seat out of people living inwards modern slavery inwards countries approximately the world. The 2013 Global Slavery Index ranks 162 countries based on 3 factors: the estimated prevalence of modern slavery yesteryear population, the prevalence of youngster marriage, together with the prevalence of human trafficking.

The Global Slavery Index Map provides a global rut map showing inwards which countries inwards the the world slavery even together with then remains a huge problem. Users tin forcefulness out click on private countries on the map to persuasion the estimated seat out of enslaved people. It is likewise possible to click-through together with persuasion a to a greater extent than detailed breakdown of the problems of slavery inwards each country, including where the solid set down ranks inwards the index, the full population together with the country's GDP.

It is likewise possible to choose regions of the globe from a drop-down carte on the map together with persuasion a study on the prevalence of slavery inwards the selected region.

Location Inward Advertising

Using location inwards advertising is hard. Google has tried advertising on Google Maps together with it besides offers advertising options to developers inwards the Google Maps API. From what I tin hand the sack scope neither approach has actually worked inwards monetizing Google Maps.

The other long running endeavor to purpose location inwards advertising has been to mail text messages to consumers based on their whereabouts. If you lot are a regular attendee at online mapping conferences together with meet-ups you lot volition in all likelihood hold out equally bored equally I am of pitches from geniuses who claim to convey discovered a novel method of sending consumers text messages (containing adverts or coupons) based on their location.

My instinct is that people don't desire ads on their maps together with they don't desire to hold out bombarded alongside text messages every fourth dimension they walk yesteryear a store.



So location inwards advertising is hard. However British Airways has managed to crevice location rather spectacularly inwards their novel advertising displace inwards London. And they convey done this non yesteryear using the location of consumers only yesteryear using the locations of BA planes.

In London British Airways are launching novel video billboards that react when planes wing overhead. Using the Automatic Identification System (AIS) the billboards are able to rails the position of British Airway flights together with to display flying details alive inwards video adverts.

You tin hand the sack regard the number inwards the video inwards a higher house equally a pocket-sized inwards the cite points at planes flying overhead together with the plane's flying number together with beginning or goal is displayed alive on the billboard.

Remembering Jfk

Slate has mapped over 400 streets, parks, as well as schools named later John F. Kennedy unopen to the world. Fifty years later the American president's assassination his cite lives on inward locations named inward his honor, non alone inward the USA precisely inward many other countries across the globe.

The Slate map uses the OpenStreetMap platform as well as used OSM information to notice points of involvement named 'Kennedy'. Only those locations that could last verified every bit existence named later JFK convey been added to the map.

Where the Streets Have Your Name is a corking application that yous tin operate to practise a Google Map showing all the places unopen to the basis that convey your name.

The app tin too last used to practise a trivial query into the worldwide reputation of American presidents. If yous larn inward Kennedy as well as Nixon into the app yous larn 2 real dissimilar maps.





Looking at non-English speaking countries is peculiarly informative. It is less probable that geographical locations inward these countries are named later dissimilar Kennedys or Nixons.

The results present that continental Europe has commemorated the life of Kennedy past times naming numerous places later the president. For some argue Europe has non been as well as thence keen to cite streets as well as squares later Richard Nixon.

In fact yous convey to become dorsum to George Washington to notice some other American president who has been commemorated inward house names exterior of the U.S. to quite the same marker every bit JFK.