Mashups go personal
Every week, plenty of new examples surface of Web mashups combining useful databases with maps from Google or MSN Maps.
It’s worth your time to keep track of the newer developments in Mashup Land. Just like magazines catering to niche interests, Web mashups target specialized needs of people across a gamut of interests.
Here are three examples:
•Mapmyrun.com
http://mapmyrun.com
A lovely site that is actually pretty easy to use after you figure out the locator system for way points. Runners or walkers can plot out detailed maps of any U.S. city (and many across the globe).
If you plan to do some rural running off the grid, you can use this site by plunking in GPS coordinates. After setting a start point and way points, the map lays out distance in miles or kilometers, along with an estimate of the calories burned in the effort.
If you have Google Earth, the site can cleverly load a 3-D view of your run.
•Fastfoodmaps.com
http://fastfoodmaps.com
If you need to find the five nearest KFCs and the eight Pizza Huts within 20 miles of your home, FastFoodMaps gets you that information. I have no idea how accurate or current the information is. A recent search on the site found 56 well-known fast food establishments within 15 miles of downtown Spokane. That list was limited to the 10 or so largest fast-food chains.
Not surprisingly, the site lists McDonalds as having the most fast food places nearby (16 in the 15-mile radius from downtown Spokane).
•State Sex Offender map
http://ml.waspc.org/
http://scso.spokanesheriff.org
Both Washington state and Spokane County provide online maps allowing residents to identify locations of sex offenders near your address.
The state map at http://ml.waspc.org identifies by name level 2 and level 3 offenders. The county site, at http://scso.spokanesheriff.org, only locates level 3 offenders. The two have overlapping value, since the state site gives more information. Neither lists exact addresses, instead offering either the general block, or, in the county’s case, just a name and an approximate last known residence.
Smart Search is a regular feature of .TXT.