MapQuest

Remember when you would stop at a gas station to buy a paper map of the city to find out how to get somewhere? Today you can get customized step-by-step directions, weather conditions, traffic data and satellite images for your journey, whether it is ten minutes or ten hours away. You can even avoid highways or tolls, plot a course with several stops and find local business information as well. Maps sure have come a long way, but which service is the most hassle-free and helpful?

First let’s look at simple directions. That is why most of us find driving directions online after all, is it not? If you are worried about road hazards, construction zones and thick traffic, then Yahoo Maps (www.maps.yahoo.com) is good for that function. MapQuest (www.mapquest.com) lets you check boxes to avoid highways and tolls, choose the shortest distance or take the route with the shortest time. The user-friendly, simple nature of this site is also a good perk for someone who wants their directions right away. They also have recently added the drag-and-drop function that Yahoo has had, which helps you navigate around traffic obstructions. If you are walking or jogging, then Ask (www.maps.ask.com) is the only site that lets you plot your pedestrian course. Google Maps (www.maps.google.com) can zoom in for close topographical views of any continent. To sum up, Yahoo is the best site when traffic or construction sites are a concern, while MapQuest provides quick point-A-to-point-B directions.

For those of you who are looking for local businesses on your maps, then you could check the new Ask City site (www.city.ask.com). However, a better bet would be the Yahoo Local listings, which have been rated by users for years, so you can type in “best Chinese” and get restaurants with four stars or more. Google, on the other hand, will only show Chinese food establishments with the word “Best” in the name. MapQuest has greatly improved their local search capacity by partnering with sites like www.yelp.com, www.when.com, www.cityguide.com and more, although Yahoo still takes the cake for business searching. Another contender to keep an eye on is www.superpages.com, which specializes in local business searches, rather than mapping.

Another site not detailed here, but worth looking at, is the newer Microsoft Windows Live Local (www.maps.live.com). You can stick a pushpin on favorite locations, record notes and upload pictures to your sites to save or share with friends, which is sort of like the Google map creator function. You can also view traffic reports and get the clearest route, explore collections of sightseeing landmarks and tour 3-D cities. This new player seems to perceptibly take the best of the other sites and do it better. As you browse, you will notice that all the sites have similar interfaces (except for that rebel, MapQuest) but the subtle differences are what make people so adamant about their favorite mapping engines.

map help

For some people, mapping is the love of their lives. They enjoy spending hours plotting data onto a road map, such as satellite images, topographical relief coding, and streets and sewers. Yet, for the average person, the maps Google offer are a great resource and tool, yet not something that should take hours and hours to figure out. Millions of people use Google each day to find local businesses or get driving directions so it is not overly difficult. Even so, getting the right map help can make your experience more efficient.

Many people are looking for map help to print or save their directions. The default print option is the step-by-step directions with a tiny map that is barely legible. For you map-mongers, you can get a larger full-size map by canceling out of the print dialog box (in Firefox), at which point a new window will pop up, allowing you to check a box that says “Show original map view.” The preview then changes to a full overview of street maps and driving directions, where you can modify the zoom level on your print window.

When it comes to saving your directions, it may be surprising but you can’t actually just save your driving directions map on the Google map site; you can save place-marks and maps but not the full shebang. Instead, you have to click on and copy the link to the map (on the top right corner of the map that says “Link to this page”). If you save that link as a bookmark or in a Word document, then you will be able to access the exact same set of directions for next time.

Perhaps you don’t realize you need map help but you would like to know about some of the latest Google Maps features. For example, did you know you can get walking, biking and public transit directions, as well as driving instructions? You will see these options in a drop-down list under the “location and destination” window on the left-hand side. You may also want to try the neat “Street View” option, which allows you a 360-degree, real-time, video view of a particular street, like Miami Beach, FL or the Sunset Strip, CA. Just click on the street view button and drag the person icon to the street of your choice. However, be aware that this technology is fairly new so not all streets offer this special vantage point. On the top of the map, you may also click on the satellite maps, the street maps or the traffic pattern views. You may have also heard about a feature called “Latitude” where you can track your friends based on their cell phone proximity. Sure, it sounds a little creepy, but it can be extremely helpful if you have a friend traveling in from far away or if you are waiting on your late spouse to put that roast in the oven. Visit www.google.about.com/od/mapsanddirections/p/latitude_whatis.htm for more information on this new feature.

Travelers often need map help finding notable landmarks. You may not necessarily know the address of the Eiffel Tower, but you can zero in on the location by typing in “Eiffel Tower.” Now say you are in the car driving but you have no idea where you are. You can turn your cell phone into a GPS device using Google Maps for Mobile right on your cell phone. (Check out the video for this on the Google Maps site). You may also want to explore the country of Japan to decide where you would like to visit, just by typing in “Japan.” You can also search for zip codes, airport codes, latitudes and longitudes.

directions

Nothing beats that intuitive sense that says, “I know exactly where I’m going.” Unfortunately, we are simply not programmable, as robots are. We cannot just download directions into our brains to be stored forever, so we rely on maps. Over the years, mapping has become so much more than just street maps and road atlas functions. Today we use online maps to advise us on local businesses, news, weather, traffic and more.

Google Maps has become the template of choice for a number of local food maps. At www.menurequest.com, you can plot restaurants on a map of your city, as well as read/write reviews, make reservations and get driving directions. In Philadelphia, www.communitywalk.com is an amazing resource for local event organizers who want to ask a number of nearby restaurants to participate. At www.toeat.com, you will find a number of dining options in your neighborhood. In major cities like NY, Paris, Bangkok and Chicago, you will find baked goods at www.yummybaguette.com. Or you may need to get your burrito fix at www.burritophile.com. Drinkers can appreciate www.wineandtimes.com, which helps plan a winery tour, as well as www.drinktown.com, which lets you know all the local booze specials.

Google Maps is not the only “mashup maker” on the block, of course. A number of non-Google applications have popped up to serve a wide variety of functions. For instance, if you live on a fault line, then visit www.lerdorf.com/php/ymap/yquakes.php, as you may appreciate the “Real-Time Earthquake Map.” If you are looking for nearby bloggers, movie showtimes, gas prices or driving directions, then you can see “Atlas” (based on MSN’s Virtual Earth platform) at www.atlas.freshlogicstudios.com.

One of the most popular mapping sites is www.flickr.com/map, where amateur photographers can share their pictures and create maps of their favorite places, people and things. Readers have given rave reviews for www.gutenkarte.org, where lit lovers can read full books (such as Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days”) chapter by chapter, while viewing a map of the locations discussed in the book. If you prefer news to fiction, don’t miss the world and local news at www.mappedup.com or www.poly9.viavirtualearth.com/Poly9/MSNBC (where MSNBC news is plotted out on a map!)

If you are looking for directions as well as an overall sense of direction for the day, you might like www.randomdayout.co.uk, a “random day out generator.” Using MSN Virtual Earth, Flickr, the Yellowpages and other sites, you can gather lots of ideas on what to do just by typing in your location and checking off a list of attractions you might be interested in. You will soon have a map of a perfect date to impress that special someone and occupy your time!