It’s easy to take the things we use in our everyday life for granted. Maps are one of those things we use over and over again, but rarely take note of just how useful or influential they really are. Let’s take a look at how maps have helped, influenced, and made our lives more interesting today.

Mexico Drug War Interactive Map

Kidnappings, death threats, police deaths – drug-related crime and violence related to the Mexico illegal drug industry has been heating up. According to the University of San Diego Trans-Border Institute, there have been about 7,337 deaths related to the drug war in Mexico from January 1, 2007 to December 18, 2008. To visually represent the violence hotspots, the L.A. Times created an interactive map of Mexico that reveals how many deaths occurred in each city. The map also links the reader to stories that the paper covered about the incidents that took place in the city. Although the map’s focus is starkly serious, it’s a fascinating example of traditional mapping techniques coming together with modern technology.

Mapping the Early Life of President Obama

With the first ever Hawaiian-born president in office, Hawaii has seen a small surge of interest in the places where President Obama lived, worked and played in his youth. Hawaiian businesses have even started “Obama Tours” for people interested in a guided look at the area. For those who would like to explore the Hawaiian landscape on their own, there is now an “Obama’s Oahu” map. Thus far, the map has been popular, but it’s uncertain for how long the “Obama” buzz will last on the islands.

Controversial Roadway Map Images Upgraded to Higher Resolutions

In a previous post, we talked about the controversy over the Google Maps “street view”. Critics of the service say the images violate personal privacy, even though the pictures are taken on public streets. This week the Tampa Tribune reported that another company, Blue Dasher Technologies, has started taking higher resolution images of the Tampa Bay area. They are snapping up more pictures of each area than Google previously did to create “cinema-quality scenes of roadscapes.” The article also mentioned that Google will be returning to the streets to re-take the pictures at a higher-resolution in the near future.

Maps In The News is a post from: The Map Seeker

Related posts:

1. The Convenience and Controversy of Google Maps
2. How To Read Highway Maps
3. The Maps of Ptolemy

Even with today’s advanced GPS systems, knowing how to read a road map is great skill to have. Whenever receiving driving directions, it’s usually a good idea to check the suggested route on a map. Depending on the length of the journey, some street maps will be more useful than others; however, the fundamental basics of how to read them are the same.

Looking at the map, start by finding the current location and the intended destination. It may save time to find these points on the map by using the map’s index. Most highway maps have a grid made out of horizontal and vertical lines. To find a specific point on the map, the index may say it is in the A8 region of the map. Use the grid to line up lines A and 8 to find that spot on the map.

The map itself will be covered in lots of different colored lines. These lines represent the roads, streets, and highways found in a town, city or region. Traditionally, bigger roads will be represented on the map by darker, thicker lines. Major interstate highways may be colored differently from other highways, as well. Whether you are checking a route or planning one, simply follow the lines from your starting point to your destination. During this process, you may find that there are multiple routes to your destination. This step gives you an opportunity to decide if you want to take a scenic route on your journey or simply stick to the fastest route. Taking time to research the road trip route options could lead you to an exciting adventure.

Highway Tips & Tricks

When traveling on a highway, the route number can tell you about where you are while revealing an indication of where you are headed. Highways with odd route numbers run north to south (and vice-versa). For example, Interstate 95 (I-95) takes you either north or south, from New York to Baltimore or Miami to D.C. The evenly numbered highways, like the Interstate 10 (I-10), connect the nation’s coasts by running from the East to the West (and vice-versa). Bigger numbered highways are located in the north or in the east, while smaller numbered highways are in the south or west.

The best highway trick of all: Don’t hesitate to stop and ask for directions. Instead of driving aimlessly to find your way when you are lost, sometimes all it takes is a quick stop to get back on the right path.

How To Read Highway Maps is a post from: The Map Seeker

Related posts:

1. Australian Wine
2. The Convenience and Controversy of Google Maps
3. How To Use Maps In Your Home Decor

Online maps and GPS systems have revolutionized how we travel and get from point A to point B. Google Maps has impacted more than just driving directions with its features, becoming a source of both convenience and controversy across the globe.

The usefulness of this service has been tested in a number of ways. Recently, Google Maps was used to track the wildfires that ravaged Southern California. A local Chicago news station used the Google service to create a map of reported murders during the summer season. In October of this year, walking directions were also added and can be compared to the driving directions. Users of social networking group Facebook, can use a Google Maps related application to create maps of their friends and contacts. The list of current uses goes on and on.

However, not all of the Google Maps features have been openly heralded for their utility. In particular, the Street View option, which displays a still, 360 degree image view of a specified point on the map has received a lot of criticism, especially by critics who say the images violate personal privacy. Google obtains these images through cameras that are driven on public streets and claims to have taken privacy concerns into consideration when designing Street View. However, when the camera is rolling, whatever is happening at that moment on the street is captured – and in some cases, those moments have been less than flattering or can pose a security threat. In response, Google has taken a blurring approach to help remove security sensitive or personally identifying photos to address some of these concerns. Despite the usefulness of a three-dimensional display that can help prevent getting lost when en route to an unfamiliar destination, Google Maps still receives a great deal of scrutiny due to Street View. As Google continues to increase the number of cities on Google Maps with Street View, there are many alternative online maps and driving direction services available for those who are boycotting Google due to privacy concerns.

Although Google is often at the forefront of the debate over these concerns, the issues extend further than just Google Maps. As some critics note, satellite imagery of private residences has been online and available to the public through Google Earth long before the Street View service began. Critics contend that the lack of privacy is nothing new. Of course, Google isn’t the only company or organization monitoring the Earth via Satellite. NASA and other aerospace companies also have the power to peek into your backyard via satellite. It will be interesting to see how these privacy concerns can be addressed without compromising the benefits received from these services.

The Convenience and Controversy of Google Maps is a post from: The Map Seeker

Related posts:

1. Maps In The News
2. How To Read Highway Maps
3. The Maps of Ptolemy