Wiki for Maps

Map-wikis are an excellent way of generating digital map content for countries/regions that don't have digital maps. In addition, it is a cost-effective way of keeping the map-data updated, for a fraction of the cost that companies spend.Contrast this to a fairly new addition to the long list of Google Services - the Google Map Maker. Sitting in the luxury of your house you can add/modify map content. It has a simple-clean interface. This content is almost instantly added and used by the Google Maps. This service will be very valuable to countries that lack digital maps, e.g. countries in Africa, Asia and even India.



I am interested in learning more about how they will customize Google Maps/Transit for differences in countries/cultures. E.g. Indian addresses are very different from ones in US and Europe. Having "opposite ABC Hospital" is very common. Or including "auto rickshaws" in Google Transit :)

While different groups try to make it easier to add/update map-data in different ways, I continue to work on my university project on building a wiki for routes & campus activities (RouteKi) for Columbus/OSU Campus area. Start of a new quarter. Let's get started!

TomTom One and iPhone GPS

I was looking for a GPS which had good reviews and was relatively cheap. TomTom One has that, but most importantly it let's users make minor changes to the map and share it with others in the community. However, after using it for a few weeks I returned it. I now have an iPhone and I am pretty happy with its GPS. Below I share my experience with both of them.

Tom Tom One
• The map cannot be moved around easily. I am so used to having full control of the map that anything less feels too restrictive.
• Sometimes it took forever for the GPS to locate where I was.
• Worse, if I chose to make a slight detour, it would take forever to give me new directions. Sometimes it just gave an obviously bad direction, e.g. on an open straight main street, and it asked me to take a right into a smaller lane, go around the building and come back to the main street. I refused; continued on the main road and the device froze; it took forever to calculate the “new” directions!!
• The GPS did not speak out the names of streets, so I had to keep looking at the GPS screen to see where I had to go. Upgrading to more expensive models of the GPS would have dealt with this problem, but it definitely involved spending more money, and more work.

iPhone GPS
• It does a good job of locating where I am.
• It gives me full control of the map (thank you google maps!!). I can zoom in wherever I want, see neighboring areas with ease, see the map in multiple modes (satellite, map, hybrid, etc)
• It calculates a good enough route, comparable to any other GPS device. However, if I choose to make a detour, it does not automatically start calculating another route. It does not freeze. Last week I happened to get stuck on the highway traffic. So took the earliest exit and took a parallel road for a couple of hours. I could use the map to zoom in, pan around till I found a route I was happy with. The iPhone GPS ensured I didn’t get lost. I could plan my own route without the instrument recalculating a new route at every turn and asking me to go back to the clogged up highway.
• However, I feel the iPhone GPS requires more attention than the TomTom One, so I am not comfortable using the iPhone GPS when I am driving alone. It does not speak out directions, let alone speak out names of roads. It works perfectly well if you have a navigator who is fiddling with it the entire time.

And so, in spite of having some of the same flaws as the TomTom, I prefer the iPhone GPS because it gives me greater control of the map, and thus the route. And so for now, I stick to the iPhone.

TomTom has announced that it is making an app for the iPhone.