The Wired folks are at the mapping block at Web 2.0. They explain the lastest goodies for the Internet-enabled Dash navigation system that's been all talk for some months. The new stuff: integrating mashups/rss feeds.

Dash offers each of its users a personalized web page to manage what shows up on your Dash device. The duo demonstrated how you could run a Craigslist search for "open houses" in San Francisco, grab the RSS link for the search results, then paste it into your MyDash profile.

The next time you're in your car, you'll see an option to show those realtime search results in the device's menu. Click on an open house you want to go see and Dash will show you how to get there.

Users can pull in any kind of mashup that uses geodata, as well. Grab the RSS feed from any geodata mashup -- like a map of yoga studios in LA from Platial or a listing of jazz shows on Upcoming.org -- and add it to your profile page.

"To me it is a very subtle attempt by Flickr to evolve from an enthusiast service to a visually delightful destination."

- Om Malik on Yahoo's updated, geo-centric interface for Flickr in his GigaOm blog

"Overall, the enhancements are good, but the real win here comes when devices auto tag photos via GPS devices. Until then, most users can’t be bothered with taking the time to add the appropriate meta data."

- Michael Arrington, on the same update, at TechCrunch

An article in the local paper speaks to how many maps are wrong as "roads" change to "streets" in the California city. I for one find it interesting to learn the "why" of the changes:

As the city has grown westward, rural routes known as "roads" have morphed into "streets."

As a "general rule of thumb," [Visalia's street safety director Eric] Bons said, the city attempts to call east-west roads "Avenues" and north-south roads "streets." That correlates with a long-standing Tulare County practice that makes it easier for emergency vehicles to find rural locations, Bons said.

...

Winding roads that have no discernably north-south or east-west direction are often called "drives," Bons said.

...

Derrick Lord, Visalia's Geographical Information Systems director, has digitized maps of Visalia — one with suffixes and one without.

Gee I hope he digitized once and labeled twice!

I'm surprised when locals are not aware of such organizational principles. I learned early in life that in and around Boston roads are named for "where they go." So, Lexington Street in Waltham goes to Lexington. The same street is called Waltham Steet in Lexington. Yes, it can get confusing, but it's also helpful - if you know the trick!

- Visalia Times-Delta