MIBAZAAR

Google Maps Street View debuts in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:32:00 +0000

France is the 1st European country to get Google Maps Street View. The Race route from Tour de France (due to start on Saturday) is also covered by Google Maps Street View. (more at Google Maps Mania Blog).

Enjoy this Google Maps Street view of Eiffel Tower.

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LA Times: Mapping the road to the White House, Google-style

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:00:00 +0000

Los Angeles Times in their Business Section (07/01/2008) writes about Google's Election 08 Gallery in a article titled "Mapping the road to the White House Google-Style". The article displays a snapshot from my John McCain's Journey of Life Google Maps Mashup. Additionally the article states that

Maps can add a whole new layer of understanding to the race and the people running it. A pair of maps tracks each candidate's life across the planet, allowing you to see, for example, the location where McCain was held as a prisoner during the Vietnam War (pictured above) and the private prep school in Honolulu that Obama attended.

This is quite an honor for me. (Thanks to Keir Clarke at Google Maps Mania Blog for alerting me on the LA Times article).

Barack OBama Events in your State or Zip Code Mapped!

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:31:00 +0000

Are you Barack OBama supporter/fan? Then check out this Google Maps Mashup of "Upcoming Barack OBama Events" in your Zip Code or State. The data source for this Google Maps Mashup is "barackobama.com".

What? Free Strawberry Daquiri at OBama event in Michigan!!

North Korea destroys water cooling tower at Yongbyon Nuclear facility

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:31:00 +0000

CNN is reporting that North Korea has destroyed a water cooling tower at Yongbyon Nuclear facility (Google Maps View shown below).

The massive implosion, which came at about 5pm local time Friday at the Yongbyon facility, was intended to be a powerful public symbol of a move to end nuclear activities by the Communist nation once branded a member of an "axis of evil" by U.S. President George W. Bush.

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Who in the world is Googling - "Eight Legged Freaks"?

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:04:00 +0000

Auckland, New Zealand and Phoenix, AZ top the list of cities searching for "Eight Legged Freaks" on Google. Check out my latest Google Maps Mashup which shows the top 10 cities for a given keyword search on Google. You can filter the search by country and by date (from last 30 days to January 2004)

And now who in the world is thinking about sex. Delhi, India and Chennai, India lead the list.

Google's desire to see the world Mapped!

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:39:00 +0000

And with that in mind Google's Engineers from Bangalore, India have come with a unbelievable tool - "GOOGLE MAP MAKER". What this tool does is

allows you and your peers to add, edit and moderate most features you see on maps including roads, lakes, parks, points of interest, businesses, cities and localities. You will be able to trace many of these features using satellite images; as you trace, maps are immediately updated.

As of now, you can build maps in the countries of Cyprus, Iceland, Pakistan, Vietnam and the Caribbean nations of: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago

The power and utility of Google's Map Maker can be seen with this before and after images from cyclone ravaged Myanmar. Google had no data for Myanmar prior to the deadly cyclone hitting the area. With the help Map Maker now it has all the data. (via)

CRUNCHBASE now with GOOGLE MAPS

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:40:00 +0000

CrunchBase (developed and maintained by TechCrunch) is the free directory of technology companies, people, and investors that anyone can edit.

CrunchBase has created a Google Maps Mashup of Company and financial organization headquarters. From TechCrunch

Say you’re checking out Yelp and want to see just where the company is located and what other startups are nearby. You can click on the [map] link next to Yelp’s address and its headquarters will show up among its 50 closest neighbors, including Kongregate the building over and Slide just a few blocks away.

Furthermore, you can now browse by City, State, Zip Code, or Country. Or choose an arbitrary location and map all of the results within a certain range (e.g., all the startups within 10 miles of Sydney, the 165 companies in Manhattan, or the VCs on Sand Hill Road).

maps.google.com

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:49:00 +0000

This is Great!!. Just noticed a huge spike in traffic from maps.google.com and the reason is that they not only have a link to "Elections '08 Gallery" which has 2 of my maps (OBama and McCain "Journey of Life"), it also has under the "Browse Popular Maps", my "New 7 Wonders of the World Google Maps Mashup". Here's a image from maps.google.com.

MIBAZAAR's OBAMA and MCCAIN's Google Maps based journey gets notable mentions

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:00:00 +0000

Yesterday The Google LatLong Blog announced the official release of "Elections '08 Map Gallery" where they list political maps through which you can learn about this year's race for the United States Presidency and also you can

show off your favorites by embedding them around the web for the world to see.

4 of the maps (Primary Results, Twitter, Search Queries, and Campaign Trail) were made by Google itself. In addition they mentioned 2 of my maps (OBama and McCain's map based journey).

Another HUGE mention was in TECHCRUNCH in a post titled "Google Maps Gets Political" where my OBAMA map has been embedded.

Another mention I noticed via stats to my site is from Radio Canada.

Also noticed in NEWSDAY.

Jump in Worldwide Blogger Arrests

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:07:00 +0000

University of Washington annual report states that there have been 64 Blogger Arrests worldwide since 2003. Majority of these arrests took place in the Middle East and Asia with some in North America and Western Europe. Majority of the arrests were due to (Using Blog to organize or cover Social protest (15), Violating Cultural Norms (14), Posting comments about Public Policy (12).

Here's a Google Maps view of where the arrests have taken place with details on number of arrests and reasons for arrests.

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Tim Russert - "one of the premier journalists of our time"

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Tim Russert - Host and Moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press" passed away at a young age of 58. Tim passed away on June 13, 2008 just couple of days before "Father's Day".

Tom Brokaw of NBC describes Tim Russert as "one of the premier journalists of our Time". Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) noted that Russert

"was a loyal and loving son," as well as "a devoted husband and father. He was one of the smartest, toughest television news journalists of all time" and an astute student of American politics."

"I can say from experience that joining Tim on 'Meet the Press' was one of the greatest tests any public official could face, Regardless of party affiliation, he demanded that you be straight with him -- and with the American people who were watching."

I have attempted to map out Tim Russert's journey on Google Maps. My information source was wikipedia. Do let me know if any corrections/additions are needed.

Google Maps Street View comes to Ann Arbor, MI

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:40:00 +0000

Ann Arbor, MI is among 37 new cities added by Google Maps Street View. This on Google Maps Street View's 1st Anniversary. (more at Google LatLong Blog)

Here's a Google Maps Street View of Michigan Stadium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,MI

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Improved Browsability in Google Maps

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:53:00 +0000

Google LatLong Blog is reporting that "Richer Data automatically appears in the left panel on Google Maps". What this means is that now you can see a picture (of what you are searching) or read snippet from a review, and you are just one click away from voicing your own opinion by clicking the "Write a Review" link.

Here is an example I tried out. For example I am visiting Mountain View, California and I am craving for "Chicken Curry". So I head over to Google Maps and type in "Chicken Curry near Mountain View, California". Snippet from a review has been circled. Just above that you have "Write a Review" link.

A First - The 44th United States President's Birth Place not in lower 48 states

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0000

For the 1st Time in United States History a United States President's Birth place would not be in lower 48 states. Take a look at this Google Maps Mashup I had put together a while ago which shows birthplaces of United States President. All the markers are in lower 48 states. This will change on January 20th, 2009, with the 44th President being either born in Honolulu, Hawaii (Senator Barack Obama) or Coco Solo Naval Air Station, Panama Canal Zone (Senator John McCain)

See Walt Disney World in 3D on Google Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:20:00 +0000

Google Blog is reporting that

Walt Disney World Resort in 3D, an interactive, virtual Walt Disney World has been completely recreated on Google Earth. This revolutionary project features 3D models of four Orlando theme parks and more than 20 of Disney’s Resort hotels. Incredible in scope -- containing over 1,500 3D models -- Walt Disney World Resort in 3D is the most detailed 3D rendering undertaken on Google Earth to date

Also check out this awesome video put together by GEarthBlog which gives you a quick tour of 3D Disney World Magic Kingdom.

Trip Planning made easy with Google Maps

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:56:00 +0000

Just in time for your Summer Vacation...

Check out this video put together by folks at Google which shows you how easy it is to create Travel Maps using Google Maps. It shows you how to create placemarks of your travel destination, take a scenic route to your travel destination, check out the area around your travel destination, add photos to your map, find hotels near your desired location and finally share the map you have created with friends. (via Google LatLong Blog)

Top Finishers in National Spelling Bee Competition - 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:14:00 +0000

The 81st National Spelling Bee just concluded in Washington D.C. Sameer Mishra of West Lafayette, Indiana was the winner, followed by Sidharth Chand of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Here's a look at Top 12 finishers on Google Maps (includes information on words spelled incorrectly)

John McCain's Journey from his Birth Place to possibly the White House

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:00:00 +0000

(Update: The mashups in this post covered at Google Maps Mania today. Thanks to Keir Clarke and Mike Pegg)
Couple of months back I had traced Barack Obama's journey on Google Maps from his birth place (Honolulu, Hawaii) to possibly the White House.

Now I have done a similar Google Maps Mashup of John McCain's Journey from his birth place (Coco Solo Naval Air Station, Panama Canal Zone) to possibly the White House. Here it is in a IFRAME
(also: Barack Obama , John McCain

(BTW: if you want to check out my journey of life - click here)

Google Maps Directions from Detroit, MI to Sydney Australia (includes 7906 miles of Kayaking across Pacific Ocean)

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Tue, 27 May 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Imagine Kayaking 7906 miles across the pacific ocean. This is part of Google's driving directions from Detroit, MI to Sydney, Australia. The way the GAS prices are skyrocketing, kayaking might not be such a bad idea :-)

Memorial Day Google Maps Mashups

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Mon, 26 May 2008 04:29:00 +0000

National Cemeteries maintained by Veterans Affairs, National Park Service and Army

IRAQ War Casualties Count (both Dead and Wounded) by State

Women Casualties of IRAQ War

Google Mapping Top High Schools (2008) in United States

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Wed, 21 May 2008 04:23:00 +0000

Newsweek has published a list of Top High Schools (1300+) in United States. Topping the list is "Basis Charter" from Tucson, Arizona. Alaska, Hawaii and North Dakota did not have any schools listed.

Check out Newsweek's entire list of Top 1300+ schools in United States on Google Maps at mibazaar.

Detroit Red Wings in Stanley Cup Finals

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:31:00 +0000

After 6 long years Detroit Red Wings are in Stanley Cup Finals by beating out Dallas Stars (4-1) in the clinching game of the Western Conference Finals.

This is great the for Detroit Area after all the negative publicity Detroit has received because of the texting scandal.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals (Detroit Red Wings Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins) starts at 8 p.m. Saturday at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit.

Go Wings!!

Google Maps Street View of Joe Louis Arena, Detroit:

Walter Gropius - Happy 125th Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Sun, 18 May 2008 13:15:00 +0000

Today May 18th is the 125th Birthday of Walter Gropius, one of the pioneering masters of "modern" architecture. To honor Walter Gropius on his birthday, Google has changed its logo for today as shown in the image above.

One of the buildings Walter Gropius helped design was "The Pan Am Building" now called the "The Met Life Building" in New York City. Google Maps Street View image of Met Life Building shown below:

Check out Wikipedia for Walter Gropius's Architectural work.

New 7 Wonders of the World (facebook version)

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:50:00 +0000

I was looking into porting my mashups to facebook. So the 1st Google Maps Mashup I attempted to port was the popular "New 7 Wonders of the World". After couple of attempts was able to port it over. Here's the link. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Haunted Locations around the World

noreply@blogger.com (Virender Ajmani) — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:45:00 +0000

GhostLogs.com is a website which tracks haunted locations from around the world on Google Maps. So next time you notice that strange look object floating around in the middle of the night, head over to GhostLogs.com and let the world know. (via Mashable)
Related: World's Creepiest Places