Notice the Wider maps?

You'll notice some maps have a new, wider format. This format will be available to other Map Managers in the coming weeks.

Send us feedback, and we'll update your map with a wider format.

Thanks,

Maps

Mapicurious Car GPS Review

I've seen a few GPS's this year for use in automobiles. If you will be purchasing one, or planning to receive one - some quick reviews based on the usability:

My Manufacturer Ranking:
1. Garmin - Garmin devices have the least cluttered map area. These devices are great for older users.
2. TomTom - TomTom devices have a similar uncluttered map, but it does have more options on the map. Probably best for younger users.
3. Magellan - Very slow calculating routes, and somewhat cluttered map. Could create confusion while driving.
4. Mio - Not recommended. Map is too cluttered with information. Would be great for small fingered navigators - not the driver.

A little disclosure:
Mapicurious.com is not paid to endorse or review these devices. Each of these devices were purchased at retail locations, and used to route around various US cities.

Happy Holidays,

Maps

Mapicurious GPS Holiday Gift Guide

Here is the official Mapicurious, "I need a GPS this Holiday Season", gift guide.

Hopefully these will help you create maps.

I've already got a digital camera, and I want to remember where I took the picture.

SONY GPS-CS1KA GPS Logger

Works with most newer digital cameras, not just Sony products. You turn on this device, wait for the unit to pick up GPS signals, and then start shooting pictures. This $149 device uses USB to download the GPS tracklog to your computer, and synchronizes your camera's pictures based on time the picture was taken with the GPS information from the device.

The device comes with software from Sony that merges the GPS data, but after that you can use your favorite photo editing software to manage pictures. When you upload these pictures to Flickr or Picasa, the GPS data is read and used to plot the photos on a map.

Happy Holidays,

Maps

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs

A friend told me about her map. How do I find it?
If you don’t have a link to the map from your friend, you can use the “Search for Maps” function in the Mapicurious Navigation box. You can search their name or e-mail as a “Map Manager” or search for another term if you know some specifics about the map like the “Anchor City”, “Title” or “Description”.

Are you an owner of a listed business?
Congratulations on getting noticed! We offer some interesting options to get even more exposure such as the ability to place “rich media balloons” so a personalized message goes to visitors that happen upon your Mapicurious listing. Please contact us if you are interested in enhancing your brand.

How do I add a data point?
Adding data points is easy. If you have already registered as a Map Manager and entered the basic description for your map, you will see a “Data Point Editor”. Click on the “Create New Location” link and it will take you to a form. You will need to get the Latitude and Longitude for a particular address (geocode.com is a good place to go) and enter the rest of the information. If you don’t provide the coordinates, our scrubbers will fill it in, but it may take some time. After entering a data point, zoom in using the satellite or hybrid views to verify it’s mapped right.

How many data points can I add to a single map?
You can have up to 25 data points on a single map. Why 25? It’s a nice sounding number, plus you don’t want to make your map too cramped. If you have more data points, create another map, since it’s free!

How many maps can I manage?
As many as you want! Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of storage space so create as many maps as your imagination desires.

What does being a Map Manager mean?
A Map Manager means you’re willing to share your geocentric experiences with the rest of the world.

Content Ideas for Fall

OK mapping community - Here are some Fall mapping ideas:

First of all, check out the waterfall maps (start with Waterfalls of GA, SC, & NC Vol 1). With the leaves changing - wouldn't these waterfalls be the place to visit this Fall?

Second of all, what other things could you map that are Fall related?

- Corn and pumpkin mazes
- Haunted Houses
- Bed & Breakfasts
- Great places to see Fall's color across the country
- Football maps - tailgating, travel blogs, etc
- Octoberfest celebrations

Hopefully these spark you....

Thanks,

Maps

Map Management for Real Estate Agents

A few Real Estate agents asked me about how they could highlight their businesses using a map on Mapicurious. So here are 5 simple ways to use a map in the Real Estate business.

1. Showcase clusters of homes you are selling and significant points in the neighborhood beyond the school systems and police stations. This establishes credibility that you really know this neighborhood. A great example of this kind of map is Catherine Nelke's Housing Map.

2. Create a driving tour of houses for a client to be downloaded into their car's GPS. You probably thought this service would cost a fortune to implement, but it is easy to do with Mapicurious. You will see either Garmin or GPX on each map's Locations sidebar.

3. Add your homes listings and business cards to Google Earth. When you create locations on Mapicurious, they are surfaced in Google Earth. Now you can do 3D fly-overs of the areas you are selling homes.

4. You already have a website, how about adding maps without paying a programmer. Each Mapicurious map can be embedded into your site to look as part of your own existing site.

5. Custom brand your maps, by adding picture packs, color schemes, and You Tube videos. If you read about vCards used on Mapicurious, you can see that people can download your electronic business card. Check out Green Key's map.

If you have any questions about how Mapicurious can differentiate your Real Estate business - send me an email.

Thanks,

Maps

Add a Point and the Fun Map

Sometimes you don't want to add a whole map, but just tell the world about a single location. Now you can add a point just by completing the form at http://www.mapicurious.com/addapoint.

These points will automatically be displayed on the Mapicurious Fun Map.

If you already manage map at Mapicurious, you still need to login and create a location for that map as you did previously. This feature is for the users that just want to broadcast one point.

Thanks,

Maps

Bermuda Disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle!

Hello to my friends at Google Maps - What happen to Bermuda?

I recently checked on the island myself, and did find it did actually still exist. No hurricane or other natural disaster has removed it from Earth - even Google Earth.

So for Mapicurious users that are exploring the Bermuda maps, for now, you want to open the points of interests within Google Earth. You will be viewing the KML version of Mapicurious maps. And the best news is this feature works with all maps on the site.

Thanks,

Maps

Send a location to your phone

Did you know that when you see a location on a map (typically one with an address), you can send that location's data to your cell phone?

This feature has been in place for years - mainly because I felt if there is a location highlighted on the map, it would be great if you could send it to yourself or others as a reminder to visit.

It sends a small file called a vCard - which is an electronic business card - that most mail systems know how to process and add to the address book. This feature easily works for email clients like Outlook and Lotus Notes.

If you've never heard of a vCard - pull up your address book in your favorite email client now. Create your own entry, and save it as a vCard. The next time you run out of those little paper business cards, send someone your vCard.

Then remember that Mapicurious can send locations via vCard.

Thanks,

Maps

What is Map Slice?

What if I wanted to see all of the waterfalls on Mapicurious?

Well, you would go to the Waterfalls Slice - by Mapicurious map. This map contains a snapshot of the waterfalls listed on various maps at Mapicurious.

When we have enough content to create an entire map of all of the interesting locations within a similar category, we create "Slice maps". These maps are created a few times a year, and hopefully you find them useful. If you have a suggestion for a Slice map drop us a line.

And that is what we've done with waterfalls.

Thanks,
Maps

You Too can embed YouTube on a Map

If you haven't seen the few maps with YouTube videos embedded, then here are a few links:

Real Housewives of Orange County
Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
Eastern Air Lines Sites
Kwik-E-Mart Locations

Now this feature is available to every Map Manager at Mapicurious.com. You need to find a video (It doesn't need to be your own, but it is always wise to ask permission), and copy the entry for URL from the YouTube site.

You'll get something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYALZWFfPO0

Take the video id (the combination of letters and numbers after ?v=) and paste it into the new YouTube Video ID field when you are editing your map.

You should see the video come up when the map reloads.

Enjoy this feature, and let me see some cool maps that integrate video!

Thanks,
Maps

Don't Leave Your Points on the Internet

Look at all of these maps on Mapicurious! While it is wonderful to have all of these points of interests plotted on maps sitting on Mapicurious.com, it would be pointless if they just stayed on the web.

Now anyone with a GPS that supports the file exchange format called GPX (or the previously supported Garmin GPS's) can download the points to your own GPS. Then you can follow in the footsteps of the Map Manager, and actually visit these points. Click the links for Go to Garmin or GPX to get the files for each map.

If you have trouble with either the Garmin feature or GPX formats, please let me know.

Thanks,
Maps

What is an Anchor City?

When you create a map on Mapicurious, you are asked to choose an Anchor City. What is the significance of an Anchor City?

An Anchor City is a major destination or a well-known central point that most travellers can relate to. Larger cities like Los Angeles, London, New York might have many smaller Anchor Cities to choose from. Selecting the Anchor City that is closest is best for other users to find your map.

By default a map will center on a random location, so the Anchor City might not be the center of your map. If you desire that focus on your Anchor City, try zooming out on the map.

If you would like to add a city as an Anchor City, contact me.

Thanks,

Maps

How easy can maps be to make?

That is a question I've tried to answer for years, and I'm not sure the map making process can be made any easier.

A Map Manager has to formulate an idea, gather the data, and present the data in the context of the map. Accuracy is most important, as I've "not been on a digitized route" many times on inaccurate maps.

The first step is to develop your content idea. Look to your hobbies, interests, and your travels for inspiration. If this is your first map create one about the area you live.

Otherwise pick a location, event, or theme to center your map around. Having a clearly focused map helps you organize and prioritize data. And now you need to collect your information.

Write a short description of the map topic. On Mapicurious you will want to use this as the Map Description. You might also think of keywords for your map, based on your description. This "tagging" helps other Mapicurious users find your map via search or via navigation links.

Happy mapping,

Maps

Embed a Map in Your Blog

Why not share your map on a blog? Sometimes just a link to the map is appropriate, but you may want to display your map as an embedded map. If you are logged in and on your map, just copy and paste the code in the box labeled Add it as iFrame:

You might need to adjust the height and width attributes of the iframe to get the look you desire.

If you need additional help, just contact me.

Thanks,

Maps

Australian Anchor Cities Added

For my friends Down Under, I've recently added most major or significant cities in Australia. While this list is not complete, it will help Map Managers add locations around these cities.

If you know of any Anchor Cities to add to Mapicurious, send me an email.

Thanks,

Maps

Find a Map with Our Tag Cloud

There are so many ways to finds maps of interest on Mapicurious: you can search for maps, you can visit related maps to the map you are currently viewing, you can pick from a list of the most popular and newest maps, and you can search by map tags using the tag cloud at the bottom of the page.

To use the tag cloud, just click on a term. The term will take you to a list of maps with that specific tag.

The tags with the biggest lettering are what Mapicurious has the most of.

The color can indicate a new term on the tag cloud or a popular search done by other users.

I update these about once a month. Give it a try!

Thanks,

Maps

Go to Garmin

One problem with the web is it typically doesn't do you much good in the car. This is definitely a problem for me, because I like to travel to places referenced on Mapicurious. (If you have found a way to use the Internet while driving, please let us know at Mapicurious.com - We will avoid you when we are on the road.)

I think I've found a compromise: I recently acquired a Garmin nuvi 650 (most any Garmin GPS that connects via USB to your computer will work), and I can now download points directly from Mapicurious to the Garmin.

This saves so much time!

Now I can appreciate the content of Mapicurious as Points of Interests while in the car.

Thanks,
Maps

No Locations Yet!

I've seen a handful of great idea maps, but no locations are visible. Don't let this happen to you!

If you have any trouble adding locations - let us know. We are more than happy to help. You never know, but you might have found a trouble spot on Mapicurious.

Thanks,
Maps

Content Ideas

A lot of historical markers and Southeastern United States information dot the maps at Mapicurious. Looking for a better diversity of points of interest.

Here are some things I want to know (and see a map on Mapicurious):
1. Where is root beer produced in the United States?
2. Toy train museums.
3. Bird watching spots.


And I would love to see some of these on the site:
1. Historical markers from New Mexico, Utah, Montana, and Minnesota.
2. Places to view Fall colors in the Northeast.
3. Indoor Go-cart tracks.

Thanks,

Maps