Geo Mapping Tools & it's application

Lecture Reflection - Pre-recorded via WebCT
Lecture: Web 2.0: It's Not New Technology, But it is New.

The lecture on this topic covered all the tools that encompass the Web2.0 today. It covered all the various types of Social Media, Social Networking, Wikis, blogs and all its collaborative applications. Some of the things that caught my attention tools like Geo Tagging combined with photo sharing, Google maps, wikimapia and Group Systems. So I thought of researching more on these since these could be tools potentially helpful in my group project for Disaster Relief and Co-ordination.

I was amazed at all the tools there are with respect to mapping by Google.

• Google Maps: you can find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions.
  http://www.maps.google.com/
  
  
• Google Maps with Street View
  www.maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/
  
  
• Google Earth: offers maps and satellite images for complex or pinpointed regional searches.
  http://www.earth.google.com/
  
  
• Google Transit: step-by-step transit directions in your web browser or your mobile
  www.google.com/transit
  

Google Maps API allows for the embedding of Google Maps in webpages using simple JavaScript
interface or Flash.

• http://www.programmableweb.com/api/google-maps
  

There are endless uses to Mashups created using Google Maps. Here are some examples:

• http://www.flashearth.com/
  
• http://www.weatherbonk.com/weather/
  

Google tools become even more powerful when combined with other applications such as Flickr.

• http://www.flickr.com/map/%3C/
  

Here’s a site that explains how simple it is to Geo Tag with photos on flickr.

• http://www.robogeo.com/home/flickr2map.asp
  

Wikimapia is another amazing tool that lets you generate content. You can add comments on locations. This can have a wide variety of applications.

• http://wikimapia.org/#lat=38.5765&lon=-121.4445&z=10&l=0&m=b

I can see how some of these tools can be utilized for our team project Disaster Relief & Coordination. We could use Google Earth and Google Maps with street view on mobile devises in an event of a natural disaster. User generated content input by mobile users can pinpoint the location and the extent of the damage in real time. Google Transit could be used to guide people get out to safer haven if they have the capacity to do so. Combining Flickr with Google Maps can let users upload photos happening during/after an event and Geo Tag them - giving visual information. Wikimapia can also be used to pin point location with descriptions as well thus creating rich user generated information. The potential of Geo Mapping is tremendous and I think it can find real use in Disaster Relief & Coordination