Friday, November 20. 2009

Google Goes Deeper on Real Estate with Place Pages

Now Google offers a page for each real estate offerings. (Generic "Place Pages" were announced in Sept. [LatLong Blog].) Data is drawn from a variety of sources (multiple listings!), perhaps pushing Google more toward aggregator of than organizer of the world's information. The sample page for property in Seattle noted has three listing for the property (it's interesting to look at the posting dates) with much the same information. Two state there are 2.5 baths, the third 2.1 baths. (I can't explain that.) Here's a house for sale's page in my city.

Also worthy of note: The National Associations of REALTORS(R) is launching its national database (" the Realtors® Property ResourceTM, a parcel-centric information database covering all of the more than 147 million property parcels in the country as a resource for NAR members") next spring, based on some tech it acquired (press release).

The new feature was announced in the Google Australia blog where much of the Google real estate innovation seems to appear first.

I'm thinking this new feature may be tied into Google's parcel layer that appeared earlier this fall.

- Search Engine Watch

Wednesday, November 11. 2009

Update: The Canton, Ohio Google Issue

Update: Canton is back where it belongs...but when you search for Canton, Ohio, you are not taken there. Instead, you are still in Massillon. So, I guess while the label is now there, the geocoding is not up-to-date.

Continue reading "Update: The Canton, Ohio Google Issue"

Crowdsourcing Where Animals Cross the Road

I-70 Wildlife Watch can use Google Maps of the interstate corridor to pinpoint an animal sighting (live or dead) within a tenth of a mile. The goal is to increase driver awareness of animals, which cause many accidents per year and to implement safety efforts in Colorado.

- Westworld Blog

Google Maps Flu Vaccine Provider App

I'm not sure why this is so exciting, but Google created a My Maps app that offers locations and times for accessing seasonal and H1N1 Swine Flu vaccines. ReadWriteWeb is very excited:

The application gives vaccine location hours, when available, and even lets users know when vaccine supplies have run out at a particular location.

Data sources?

Project managers Roni Zeiger, M.D., and Jennifer Haroon wrote on the official Google blog, "Especially given slower than expected vaccine production, we think it's important to bring together flu shot information in a coherent manner. We've been working with HHS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local health agencies to gather information on flu vaccine locations across the country, particularly for the H1N1 flu vaccine (both the nasal-spray vaccine and the shot)."

Now, Google has gathered information about locations of flu vaccine shots from 20 states in the U.S. Google is also collecting information from chain pharmacies and other vaccine providers in all 50 states. Currently, users can find vaccine shots available from retail chains such as Walgreen's, CVS, Kmart, and WinnDixie.

In my local search each Walgreens came up twice. Also, there is no information on the source of the data. I'd err on the side of sourcing and visit my state's public health website.

- ReadWriteWeb

Monday, November 9. 2009

Google Maps Glitch: Non-existent Rochester Near Henderson, NV

- Las Vegas Sun

Why are these taking so long to find?

Thursday, November 5. 2009

Google and TomTom Execs Address Google Navigation for Android

I dug this up in The Boston Globe writer Hiawatha Bray's overview of the Droid (which he says is cool, but no iPhone killer) and its free navigation app:

During a visit to Cambridge yesterday, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt was unapologetic. “Google is a disruptor,’’ Schmidt said. “We would argue that this disruption has a very strong consumer benefit. . . . As long as we’re on the side of making consumers empowered, we’ll be fine.’’

TomTom spokeswoman Kaitlin Ambrogio told me her company will be fine as well. “We believe there are opportunities for all of us,’’ Ambrogio said. Indeed, TomTom might launch a hugely successful Web search company, make billions of dollars, and start giving away their maps. Pretty far-fetched, I admit. But it’s been done.

- Boston Globe