Google Maps keeps on impressing. Today they've released geocoding support for Australia and New Zealand. The satellite imagery has been there a while, and earlier this year they added streat maps, so now with geocoding it's actually useful to people living there.
For an example, check out where I used to live in Australia, note no lat/long included:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=37+Robin+Avenue,+Sorrento,+Western+Australia+6020,+Australia&ie=UTF8&z=17&t=h&om=1&iwloc=A
Only thing missing now is directions and businesses, I predict they won't be long in coming. |
Maps wasn't already available in Aussie and New Zealand since a while? |
Maps yes – addresses? No.
Satellite's been there for age, street maps since about May.
Before you could only really select state capitals (like 'Perth'). Now I can type '37 Robin Avenue, Duncraig, Australia'. |
UK now finds roads just not hous numbers, although my Town isn't part of Lewes as it claims:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Fullwood+Avenue,+Newhaven,+East+Sussex&ie=UTF8&z=14&ll=50.79834,0.0418&spn=0.021049,0.086517&om=1&iwloc=A |
Love those search wars.
It was just over a month ago that MS Virtual Earth announced full mapping and geocoding of Australia.
http://www.resourceshelf.com/2006/07/25/australia-now-home-to-full-road-and-aerial-maps-from-ms-virtual-earth/
A few weeks later, Navteq, another provider of mapping info to Google (for example in the U.S.) and others, announced they were releasing full coverage of Australia.
http://www.navteq.com/NewsUserServlet?action=NewsDetail&newsId=432
It looks as if Australia and New Zealand data comes from MapDataSciences.
http://www.mapds.com.au/index.shtm
While we're on the topic of maps, another major map info provider, Tele Atlas is asking for public help to make their database more accurate. MapQuest is one of many companies that use Tele Atlas data.
See:
http://www.teleatlas.com/Pub/Press/Press_releases/TA_CT011618
and
http://mapinsight.teleatlas.com/cfl?ClientId=MapInsight&Language=en&PlaceFindCountry=USA&PlaceFindPlace=Boston&PlaceFindAdministrativeArea=MA
See Also:
http://news.com.com/Dont+blame+the+online+mappers/2100-1038_3-5933609.html
"Tele Atlas updates its database every 24 hours and the changes are then pushed out to partners like Google, Yahoo, MSN and MapQuest for their online mapping applications, and to companies like Tom Tom, which makes car navigation systems and portable personal navigation devices" |
Wow Awesome neighbourhood Reto. |
Live by the beach...Cool!
I can't even swim....(I am serious) :( |
You're not alone Haochi :(
I should seriously learn to swim soon. |
