Welcome To Your New Gardening Zone / / No Comments In November of last year the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated the US plant hardiness map based on the latest weather data (1991–2020). The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is a tool which is designed to help gardeners determine which plants are most likely to thrive in their location. The USDA map is divided into 13 zones based on average coldest temperatures. Zone 1 is Maps Mania… more → Posted in: Interactive Maps Tagged with: Gardening, Welcome, Zone
Active Video / / No Comments Glen Chiacchier has devised an interactive mapped, timeline for the American civil rights documentary Eyes on the Prize. His ‘active video’ of Eyes on the Prize turns what might otherwise be a passive viewing exercise into an active learning experience by providing viewers with the opportunity to browse the documentary by date and location. The civil rights documentary Eyes on the Prize Maps Mania… more → Posted in: Interactive Maps Tagged with: active, video
The Future of Street View / / No Comments In 2007 Google began adding 360 degree panoramic images to Google Maps. It is no exaggeration to say that the introduction of Street View revolutionized online mapping. Now users could not only zoom into their neighborhoods in satellite view but they could also virtually explore their area in Street View.It is almost impossible to predict the next major revolution in online mapping. For a Maps Mania… more → Posted in: Interactive Maps Tagged with: future, Street, View
540 Million Years of Planet Earth / / No Comments 540 million years ago the Earth’s climate was very different from how it is today. During the Cambrian period global temperatures were warmer than they are now. It is believed there were no polar icecaps and there was likely to have been high levels of precipitation and humidity over much of the planet. Of course our world hasn’t always been so warm. The last Ice Age was during the Maps Mania… more → Posted in: Interactive Maps Tagged with: Earth, Million, Planet, Years
Whose Plaque is it Anyway? / / No Comments For over 20 years I’ve wondered what the text on this plaque in East London actually says. This morning I finally decided to explore a few memorial interactive maps to see if I could discover why this bridge over Bow Creek has a plaque, and what the text on the plaque actually says. I thought it might also be a good opportunity to provide a little round-up of the growing number of memorial Maps Mania… more → Posted in: Interactive Maps Tagged with: Anyway, Plaque, Whose
Weather or Not / / No Comments Do you dream of the perfect vacation weather? Sunshine on the beach, crisp mountain air, or vibrant fall foliage? Imagine a tool that helps you find the ideal destination for your desired climate, anywhere in the country and for any month of the year. This is the promise of Weather or Not, a new interactive map that leverages average weather data to recommend the best time to travel Maps Mania… more → Posted in: Interactive Maps Tagged with: Weather
Six Free Alternatives to GeoGuessr / / No Comments I am a huge fan of GeoGuessr, but unfortunately without becoming a paid subscriber it is now a very limited game. I don’t blame GeoGuessr for developing its subscription model. The Google Maps API isn’t cheap and I’m sure Google sends GeoGuesssr huge invoices every month. However that does mean there is a huge potential market for a free Street View game. A market that OpenGuessr now hopes to Maps Mania… more → Posted in: Interactive Maps Tagged with: Alternatives, free, GeoGuessr
Mapping a Global Coral Bleaching Event / / No Comments Last week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the ‘world is currently experiencing a global coral bleaching event’. The Earth has experienced 10 consecutive months of global heat records, and in the last year the average global temperature has exceeded pre-industrial levels by 1.58C. These unprecedented sudden rises in air surface temperatures are Maps Mania… more → Posted in: Interactive Maps Tagged with: Bleaching, Coral, Event, global, Mapping