Mapquest is slowly adding on the missing pieces to its online mapping service.

- MapQuest Blog

The article by Brad Schleicher says nothing our community does not already know. But it does have some interesting errors.

"Using Google Earth, the free global mapping software distributed by Google Corp. and these devices, hundreds of thousands of individuals have created and shared an extraordinary array of useful maps."

It's Google, Inc.

"According to Douglas Richardson, executive director for the American Association of Geographers, the big recent change in the industry has been the development of means to give average people the ability to utilize real-time geographical information systems (GIS) and geographical positioning systems (GPS) that took decades to develop."

I suspect Mr. Richardson said global positioning system; he knows about it as he once ran a company dedicated to its use with GIS.

"The power of such maps was evident during the spate of California wildfires last October. San Diego's KBPS television station and the Los Angeles Times newspaper used Google's My Maps application to plot the fire perimeters, evacuation areas and shelters, road closures, smoke advisories and local assistance centers."

It was KPBS and it's a radio station. BTW, Google had to step in and help out with bandwidth challenges.

"Among the many other interesting map blog sites (you can find them by typing their names into Google search):"

This is online article! (I can understand this being in the print version, but they are not the same thing!). Oh, and some of the listed resources are apps (Cheap Gas, HousingMaps), not blogs.

- Baltimore Sun

GPS devices were one of the big tech sellers this holiday season. More than likely you or a family member or friend gave or received one that's now settled into a single car, or caught in play between two or more vehicles. What might the large number of sales of these devices mean for the growth of location-based services in 2008? Editors Joe Francica and Adena Schutzberg look into the crystal ball.

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It's time to look back on the year with Directions Media's editors Joe Francica, Adena Schutzberg and Nora Parker. The industry watchers pick out a few themes and explore what they mean today and look a bit into the crystal ball. Among the topics: the value ($$$) of geo, the new geodata, "neogeography," convergence, the quick-deciding user and the GPS-enabled ski jacket. The podcast is 27 minutes long and was recorded on Dec 17, 2007.

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The Internet-connected DASH is now available for pre-order. That means all the techies are showing off their reviews and sharing pricing.

Some tidbits:

Compared to your usual, run of the mill GPS, whole connected navigator experience was not dissimilar from the jump between going from a VCR to a TiVo -- which is why we think maybe, just maybe, people might actually want to pay for service with this thing.

- engadget

The big news today is that the eagerly anticipated Dash Express is available for pre-order for $599 with three months of free two-way GPRS information and traffic service. After that, the service will cost $10 to $13 monthly on top of that. Pricey to be sure, but the newly unveiled features solidify the Dash's reputation as a turn-by-turn GPS navigator unlike anything seen before...

- Gizmodo

And although it is by no means the most expensive GPS system out there, it is indeed a device that reflects the true spirit of Web 2.0. ...I didn’t necessarily want to do a review of Dash, but it’s allowed me to point out something that is being forgotten in the mad scramble that is Web 2.0: The Internet is not just about the browser, but rather it is about data and how one can use it to build clever products. I think Dash, much like Amazon’s Kindle and RCA’s Small Wonder video camera, is part of a movement that is breaking Web 2.0’s browser shackles.

- GigaOm

Also of note - "Mark from Dash" chimes in regularly on blog comment threads to answer questions posed by readers. This is the way to support marketing and outreach being done by bloggers. That's another sign Dash gets Web 2.0.

Retailers are reveling in the news that Black Friday saw a better than expected boost in consumer spending with Cyber Monday taking on a life of its own. Directions Magazine editors Joe Francica and Adena Schutzberg try to make sense of the current retailing environment with an eye on the location technologies that are contributing to the way consumers think about getting to the mall or shopping online. The podcast is 12 minutes long and was recorded on November 25, 2007.

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