I'm not at all sure of the details on how this works - but the new technology called MapSnapper is from Dr Jonathon Hare and Professor Paul Lewis from Southampton’s School of Electronics & Computer Science (ECS). It allows the user to take a picture of a paper map with a cell phone, then query the map as an interface to location based information. How the captured map is assigned real world coordinates is not discussed, but perhaps it will be at Electronic Imaging conference in San Jose, California, from 27-31 January where MapSnapper will debut.

- Scenta

"We're considering holding a competition. We want to challenge people to find out how much naughty stuff is happening. If you're having an affair in London, you'd better be careful!"

- Alastair Crawford 192 chief executive, quoted in the Guardian on his company's new 4 cm oblique online database of London.

Here is Massachusetts you stick out your bent arm to illustrate geography on Cape Cod. In Michigan, of course, you hold up your hand for the Lower Peninsula. So, why not take that further and put the map on your hand - in mittens? Erich and Connie Hahne launched Michigan Mittens with just that thought. "Maps are sewn into the palms - the Lower Peninsula on the right mitten, the Upper Peninsula on the left."

via Mlive.com

Google, which began putting mapped results on its general search page (Universal Search) some time ago, has upped the number of such results from a typical three to, in some situations, ten.

Search Engine Land tracks the details, but the most interesting part from my perspective is the "why?"

Google said today that the reason it's showing more links is because usability testing revealed that many people didn't realize there was additional local content available beyond the three listings, despite the "more results . . ." prompt. Accordingly, Google said that with the 10 links it is hoping to signal people that there is much more local content a click away.