BlogmyQuery – BMQ

Without a doubt Google Maps has opened new windows to our world and enabled us to look at ourselves a little differently. The ingenuity of 3^rd party developers using the Google Maps API has created a dazzling array of apps and tools that range from the brilliant to the bizarre. Here are 30 of the coolest waiting for you to check them out.

Cool Uses of Google Maps API

The Wilderness Downtown
Fantastic and revolutionary, Arcade Fire’s new music video The Wilderness Downtown enables web users to enter their childhood address to have Google Map images of the area appear within director Chris Milk’s film, creating instant nostalgia.

Tweeted Trips
Simply by tweeting, Twitter users can generate a map of their journey, whether it is a vacation, road trip or cycle tour, enabling family and friends to chart their progress.

Zombie Outbreak Simulator
Now available as an iPhone app, Zombie Outbreak Simulator places you in peril within a Google Map of your area overrun by marauding zombies. Kill the zombies to save your neighbours, except of course the one who won’t give your ball back.

Disney’s Giant Steps
One the kids will love, this Google Maps based app lets you extend an invitation to beloved Disney character Goofy, who runs right up your street to the door of your house.

MapsTD
This highly addictive tower defence game involves placing defence towers to stop invading attackers from overrunning a world generated using 8-bit map tiles and the Google Maps API.

Plane Finder
Plane Finder is a rather ingenious real-time plane tracking tool that presents a clear view of the congested skies. It now also features cloud and weather layer viewing options.

Phresheez
The smartphone app for skiers, cyclists, runners and hikers who not only want to chart their runs and routes on Google Maps, but have beautifully generated animations of them created to impress their friends.

Old Maps Online
Cartography and history enthusiasts around the globe can now get access to historical maps published online by libraries, seeing the world through the eyes of those who came before us.

Streetviolence.org
Launched by UK charity Witness Confident, Streetviolence.org is an interactive map allowing victims of muggings and assaults in London to pinpoint where the crime took place, alerting people to risky areas and enabling possible witnesses to come forward with information.

CNN iReport Map
More and more news stories and footage are being sent in by citizens. The CNN iReport Map identifies where stories came from, what has occurred and enables people to share information about the events.

Floating Shiny Knot
Choosing a chrome or glass finish, the viewer is treated to a wonderfully reflective shiny knot hovering through a Street View map, distorting the world around it in its mercury-like mirror.

Resource Intensity of Cities
Focused solely on cities, this tool lets you hone in on any area of America’s cities to find out where over population is running rife.

Leafly
Yes, this is real. Leafly enables people to find the finest marijuana dispensaries and strains available. The tool Cheech and Chong wished they had in their heyday, it’s all for medicinal purposes, of course.

Weather Hopper
Nothing can wreck a vacation like poor weather. However, use this Google Map app and you will be prepared for all conditions as it gives a weather history for every inputted region imaginable.

KESM Brain Atlas
Completely taking anything location related out of the equation, the boffins of Texas A&M University’s Brain Networks Laboratory instead used the Maps interface to capture brain scans of mice, in incredible detail. Who’d-a-thunk-it!

Startup Weekend Events
In today’s economic climate budding entrepreneurs need all the help they can get. This innovative tool identifies weekend events where businesspeople can discuss their startups and seek advice.

Show Us Your Earth Hour 2012
The World Wildlife Fund has created a Google Map use enabling eco-friendly people around the globe to share pics and vids of the action they took to celebrate Earth Hour. A green way to Google.

Mapping Wikipedia
Tracemedia and the Oxford Internet Institute have teamed up to create the Mapping Wikipedia project, indicating the source of all geotagged Wikipedia articles on an interactive map.

Save the Rain
There are many environmentally friendly Google Map tools, revealing the laudable ethical stance of many developers. Save the Rain helps homeowners work out how much rainwater can be reaped from their roof.

CEO – Heatmap
Another superb example of Google Maps being used to help combat climate change is the national CEO – Heatmap created by the UK’s Department for Energy and Climate Change, which helps people develop low carbon heat projects for their buildings.

AllTrails
More than 45,000 hiking, skiing, biking and snowboarding trails have already been mapped out using the innovative AllTrails tool. Join the thriving community of 200,000+ members to share your daring routes and runs.

London Typographica
Graphic design geeks will go mad for this awesome iPhone app enabling people to make a photographic record of publicly available typography adorning the streets of the big smoke.

Moet Rose
Wanting to show your other half an epic display of your undying love, but don’t quite have the resources or effort to do it? That’s where this nifty little tool from Moet comes in handy. Using Street View, you can simply pick any location in the world and tag it up with slushy gold tags and squiggles.

State of Chaos
Whether you’re an avid fan of Michael Bay, or you just hate the place you live; watch your place of residence get blown to smithereens in this thrilling, no holds barred joyride of a customized action flick.

First Peoples Language Map of British Columbia
Discover and learn about the first languages ever spoken by all 203 First Nation communities of British Columbia, as well as how many people still communicate in the native tongue.

Minefold
Minecraft continues to be an amazingly popular game. Minefold not only provides 10 hours a month free through their on demand servers, they also enable players to make an interactive Google Map of their Minecraft world.

Global Conservation Maps
This tool uses the Google Maps API to show us how much is left of our worlds resources as a way to illustrate where the world should be focusing its efforts in preserving the environment.

We Tell Stories: “The 21 Steps� by Charles Cumming
An example of innovative digital fiction using Google Maps, this first of six stories sees Charles Cumming rewrite John Buchan’s The 39 Steps. Check out the other great stories.

Earthquakes in the Last Week
Utilizing the data from Google’s news, blog and video search options, this tool does pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. See where earthquakes have cropped up in the last week, anywhere in the world.

Map of the Dead
At last, a Google Map detailing how to survive a zombie apocalypse (it’s on its way). Indicating zombie danger zones circling your abode, this fun tool helps you keep your brains. Out of my way!

Meograph
While it’s still in beta, Meograph is essentially a four-dimensional storytelling experience that integrates videos, photos and imagery with Google Earth and Street View. It will be a great tool for learning about news and historical events, and, eventually, will offer the ability for everyone to indulge in pure narcissism by creating their own Meographs. Expected to open up for registration by this summer.

Fin

It’s impressive just how customizable the Google Maps API really is, especially in relation to KESM’s brain mapping example. While the Maps API can be a great tool for creating an interactive viral marketing campaign, it’s real benefit is evident in the education sector, as well as its use for non-profit purposes; especially in environmental issues.

If you’ve come across any other ingenious uses of the Maps API on your travels then please share them in the comments section.

(rb)

It seems things are changing for website design. The minimalist style adopted by many websites is slowly being evolved into something a little more engaging. One of the main sources of inspiration for this change in the way website content is displayed has been print design, particularly newspapers and magazines. Here are some fine examples of print design inspired websites.

The Websites

Vogue

Placing an emphasis on striking photography and keeping text to a minimum, the Vogue website perfectly recreates the basic layout of its magazine, showcasing the latest fashion trends.

Armani

A stunningly beautiful website as sharp as the fashion wear, Armani’s site’s look pulled straight from a fashion photographer’s portfolio. A little text and huge exquisite images seize and hold the visitor’s attention.

Hollister

Before you even delve into the content of the Hollister’s website you have to admire their ingenious use of the dead space on either side, which looks like a sort of beautiful vintage Indian-style wallpaper. The rest of the site incorporates a wonderful use of shading and delicate colour textures.

Tommy

Digital creative agency Tommy has a fantastic website layout which mimics advertising boards of the past to great effect. Mixing bold headlines and strong colours, on close inspection the site almost has a ‘weathered’ or ‘worn’ look to it: retro brilliance.

Waltzing Mouse Stamps

The modest vintage design on the site cleverly represents the nature of their business and the products they sell. The slightly worn and torn Victorian-era wallpaper effect that is subtly added to the banners is one of the most eye-catching features.

The New Yorker

The New Yorker is an excellent example of a publication whose website retains the trademark aesthetic, most notably the famous typography, of its print magazine, from the features to the cartoons.

IDesign

We should expect a firm specialising in designing websites and corporate branding to have a stirring website and idesign’s magnificent eye catching art nouveau aesthetic lives up to expectations and more.

Roald Dahl

The website for the legendary children’s storyteller beautifully replicates the aesthetic of Dahl’s famous fun-filled children’s books, with the marvellous artwork drawn by long time collaborator Quentin Blake.

Protest Boardwear

Wonderfully recreating the print design of a high quality fashion catalogue, the Protest Boardwear website features large colourful photography showcasing the brand’s head turning slope fashion wear.

Urban Survivors

Using huge and beautifully composed photography, the charity’s website captures the feel of a photojournal or a series of striking billboards, displaying the plight of unfortunate people in third world countries.

Nike Vision

Nike is famous for pushing the envelope in terms of style, and their Nikevision website uses large sliding images to display their stylish range of eyewear, replicating a high quality catalogue you might pick up in an opticians.

Little White Lies

Little White Lies is a bi-monthly film magazine that shapes and themes its publication around a specific film. The website showcases their stirring graphic design and has digital editions of the magazine to browse.

Targetscope

Texas based marketing firm Targetscope really hit the mark with their website design, which is modelled on American World War II propaganda artwork, delivering the message that their creative team is ready to take command of a client’s brand and steer it to victory.

The Dollar Dreadful

Beautiful to look at, the Dollar Dreadful publication has been running since 1882 and displays its stories using the same layout and typography used in the original late nineteenth century mini magazines on the site.

UGS Mag

This independent hip hop magazine celebrates rap music using a clear and colourful magazine layout that balances graphics, photography and text to stunning effect, creating a cool and vibrant web experience.

Voyager

The minimalist aesthetic and clear layout of BMI’s Voyager website perfectly replicates the in flight magazine. Uncluttered and nicely balanced, the information and features are easy to access and read.

Rolling Stone

The famous showbiz magazine is another example of a website that accurately replicates their print publication. Showcasing the latest news in music, film and politics, the site is simple to navigate and has a clear layout balancing image and text.

CultureLabel

CultureLabel is a different kind of gift site that sells products solely from museums and art galleries. The design of the website mirrors the art focused aesthetic by letting the imagery do the talking. This is also accompanied by lush, matted typography scattered throughout the site.

I-D Mag

Extremely simple and effective, the online version of i-d magazine has a clear scrolling blog design that enables visitors to scan the news stories displayed with an equally sized photograph and introductory text.

Antique Piano Shop

The Antique Piano Shop is dedicated to raising awareness of the need to preserve pianos from the last two centuries as valuable historical artifacts. Their website’s layout, typography and artwork beautifully capture the look of piano and organ catalogues and brochures from the past.

Squint Limited

Squint Limited is a fine epitome of Shoreditch and the website does further justice to the products with its portfolio of images that do all the talking. The grey-on-grey text, coupled with the use of gradient in the menu and product boxes adds to the stunning minimalist feel throughout.

Bob & Blossom

Intricate spacing and light pastel colours complements the array of baby clothing strewn over the site.

The Astonishing Adventures of Lord Likely

Resembling a Victorian Viz magazine, The Astonishing Adventures of Lord Likely is a lewd tongue-firmly-in-cheek collection of a rather randy Victorian aristocratic gentleman’s adventures. The typography, layout and writing style of the fake diaries brilliantly mimic a Victorian very-broad sheet.

XLR8R

While styled like a blog, the website for alternative music and culture mag, XLR8R makes intricate use of its layering with subtle grey tones and compliments it further with awesome documentary style photography of featured artists.

Dazed Digital

The stunning looking website for Dazed magazine has a less formal magazine layout, abandoning columns in favour of a cloud of images and text on a scrolling page that resembles the continuously flowing manuscript of a Jack Kerouac novel.

(rb)