GeekSugar

Find the Distance Between Two Points With a Google Mashup

GeekSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:05:26 -0800

When you use Google Maps, the distance you're getting from point A to B is in driving, walking, or public transportation terms. But, if you just need to find the distance between two points on a map, then check out this cool Google Map mashup: Distance From To. It works just like Google Maps where you put in your starting and ending point, and gives you exact distance in kilometers and miles, but leaves out all that messy info like turn-by-turn directions and traffic. Besides, who needs traffic anyway?

Website of the Day: HousingMaps

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:26:27 -0700

If you're house hunting, Craigslist can be a great resource for finding a sweet rental property. But once you're inside Craigslist, you usually have to click around Google Maps to find the whereabouts of online listings. Not anymore! Because a site called HousingMaps is a mashup of Craigslist and Google Maps - showing you listings on the right side (which you can click on for the actual posting) with locations on a map on the left. You can also narrow down searches by price and bedrooms. And if your city isn't on the list, you can also check out MapsKrieg, which works the same way and includes many more cities but doesn't list the listings like HousingMaps.

Have a great website you want to share with geeksugar readers? Share it when you read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and "Regular Post."
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click "Next."
Choose the audience for your story to "Website of the Day" in the dropdown menu.
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to "Technology and Gadgets."
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click "I’m done" to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

Scope Out Your Facebook Friends' Locations on Google Maps

GeekSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:30:41 -0700

It's not every day a Facebook app catches my eye, but because I have friends from all over the world, I knew Map Motive would be something I might find useful. I saw this app on Digital Inspiration, and what's great about it is that if you're planning on doing some traveling and you're wondering if you're going to know anyone at your destination, Map Motive will instantly show you on a Google Map who is currently located in that city or town. But keep in mind, if any of your Facebook friends have their info set to private, you won't be able to see where they are on the map.

Geek Tip: Coordinate Time Zones With Tinyti.me

GeekSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:35:07 -0700

If you coordinate meetings for different time zones (say if you're in Chicago, and you're setting up a phone conference for others in Paris), you could try to convert the time zones on your own, but why do that when you can use Tinyti.me, and have it all done for you?

Just enter the time you want your video conference or phone call to start, add a quick description, and you'll be rewarded with a small URL and a Google map complete with various time zones for your attendees to reference. It's simple, quick, and prevents you from, you know, doing all that math.

Track the Swine Flu Outbreak on Google Maps

GeekSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:45:43 -0700

Unless you've been living a tech-free existence for the past week, then you've probably been hearing a lot about the swine influenza A virus. The outbreak has already taken 149 lives in Mexico and more confirmed cases have been reported in other parts of the US. On Twitter, the topic is already receiving over 10,000 Tweets Per Hour as people micro-blog their concerns and questions about the disease. Wondering if the virus is going to become a full pandemic or if it's reaching your neck of the woods?

Lifehacker has revealed that there's a Google Mashup that tracks the flu worldwide. You can access the H1N1 Swine Flu map here and there's a legend to the left for what the color of markers mean.

Geek Tip: Check Out YouTube Videos on a Timeline

GeekSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:30:26 -0800

The Internet can provide a wealth of knowledge these days, but sometimes I find that the news can get a little jumbled. Like searching YouTube for videos relating to the presidential election - although you can sort by when videos were uploaded (today, this week, or this month) things are still out of order and shown by how many views, not by latest video uploaded. I want up-to-the-minute results!

Which is why I think this latest YouTube mashup is pretty cool. Brought to us by Dipity, TimeTube lets you check out uploaded videos on a timeline so you never miss a beat. You can search any subject under the sun and TimeTube will show you videos dating back up to 500 years! Did YouTube exist back then? I didn't think so.

Planning A Vacation? Take Virtual Video Trip First

GeekSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:00:31 -0700

I'm a big fan of mashup sites especially when they help you with all important tasks like finding the nearest fast food joint or picking a house or apartment.

The Virtual Video Map won't solve your munchies or need for shelter problems, but it might inspire you to plan a vacation.

You just click on the markers on the map and are treated to YouTube videos about the location. It's essentially an extended version of the New Seven Wonders Of The World Google/YouTube Mashup, which offers a sneak peek at India's Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer, Peru's Machu Picchu, Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid and The Colosseum in Rome.

I never knew I wanted to visit Suomi, Finland until today.

Signal Map Compares Cell Providers In Your Area

GeekSugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:00:19 -0700

If "can you hear me now?" is part of your everyday vocab, you might want to check out Signal Map, a user-generated cell phone signal map that notes the strength of major service providers on a map. You can use the free service to find a cell signal in your area, or add your signal to help others. As you can see from the image below, my search for AT&T service in the 90210 zip code showed there is a three to five-bar signal in Beverly Hills, while there's limited coverage in the West Hollywood area. So, if Brandon Walsh had an iPhone, he'd be all set...

New Seven Wonders Of The World Google/YouTube Mashup

GeekSugar — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:00:39 -0700

The new Seven Wonders Of The World were just announced in an official ceremony last week, but the Google mashups have begun!

Mibazaar has created a Google Maps View (along with video from YouTube) of the new wonders, which include India's Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer, Peru's Machu Picchu, Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid and The Colosseum in Rome. You can explore all the wonders without hopping on a plane (although I suggest you do that too!) by watching the videos accompanying each site.

The map and video mashup is particularly absorbing in the case of Machu Picchu and Chichen Itza because you can check out the surrounding areas and revel in their wild architecture and existence.

Website Of The Day: Fast Food Maps

GeekSugar — Wed, 30 May 2007 10:00:14 -0700

Today's website of the day Fast Food Maps certainly isn't the most useful, or healthy site I've found, but it offers that oh-so-greasy quick fix we all crave every once in a while in the form of an innovative mashup site. (Shhh, don't tell Fit!)

The site combines google maps with the location of fast food restaurants in more than 50 cities across the United States. Last time I checked there were 49,747 McDonald's, In-N-Out, Burger King, Pizza Hut etc. on the map, stretching across the US but primarily on the east and west coasts as well as the south.

I'm a strict Fast Food naysayer, but the site could potentially be a great road trip guide or excuse to whip out your smartphone while on the road. While the selection is a bit limited right now I'm sure there will be a bajillon fast food restaurants on there in no time.