Styled Maps Overview

Styled Maps Using Google Maps API Version 3


41Latitude has produced some great examples of the map styles that you can create in Google Maps with the new Styled Maps feature. Each of the examples is accompanied by some suggestions of how the styles could be used and the JSON code that you can use to create the style.

The styles created include ‘Buildings’ (example in the pic above), ‘Inverted Maps’, ‘Grayscale’ and many, many more. If you are looking to customise the look of your created maps this is a great place to get some inspiration (and the JSON code).

If you want some more ideas about how to customise your maps then the Google Geo-Developers Blog post Five Great Styled Maps Examples
 is also a great resource. The article includes seven (not five!) Google Maps applications that use Styled Maps to create an individual look. Here are the seven websites:

London at Night

Athens Taxi Cost Calculator

Google 2010 Election Ratings Map

Ubilabs’ Tour de France live tracker

Aquila Shoes Store Locator

Maps Without Maps

Team Coco Blimp Tracker

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Some updates from Bing Maps

Over the weekend, case Bing Maps launched a new application in partnership with National Geographic called Global Action Atlas. The new application allows people to peer into areas where our planet needs help. The actionable themes include Conservation, shop Humanitarian Affairs, decease Cultures, Exploration, Climate Change and Energy. For example, if you click on the Animal and Plants icon in the Pacific NW region, Global Action Atlas will provide an overview of Bird Protection in the Northwest, specifically focused on the spotted owl, and provide a call to action for people wanting to help.

More info can be found on the Bing Maps blog.

In addition, they’ve just released another nice-sized batch of imagery.  It totals 194,000 sq km and covers various locations in New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Namibia, Russian Federation and South Africa.  More about the update can be found here.

Post from: Digital Earth Blog

Some updates from Bing Maps