VirtualGlobetrotting: Blog http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/ubbthreads.php VirtualGlobetrotting: Blog Virtual Globetrotting Forums - UBB.threads(tm) 'Long Overdue' Scavenger Hunt winners! http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4329 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4329 Long Overdue Scavenger Hunt wrapped up a few minutes ago, and we have a tie for first place! Congratulations to adrbr and mlc1us for tying for first place:

Final Standings:

Here are my two favorite submissions from the winners:

Glider in Flight
View in Google Maps
Glider in Flight
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2008-04-23 20:02:40
Surfer
GM-SVView in Google Maps
Surfer
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-05-06 08:40:04

Congratulations and thanks go out to all of the contenders! 216 maps were submitted for this hunt, with many great finds.

We really love doing these hunts, so we will be trying to hold a new one about once a month.

What did you all think of the hunt? Anything we can do to make it easier? More fun? Let us know!

-- nic]]> Wed, 07 May 2008 13:03:06 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4329 Scavenger Hunt: Good Progress! http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4311 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4311 Long Overdue Scavenger Hunt still underway and there are still 5 days left. We have 14 competitors submitting over 160 maps already!

Some of my favorite submissions so far:

Beach Towels 3 for $10
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Beach Towels 3 for $10
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: milwhcky
@ 2008-04-27 12:27:13
Sail boats
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Sail boats
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-04-27 18:36:02
Concert in Grant Park
2 CommentsView in Google Maps
Concert in Grant Park
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2008-04-24 16:40:07
Bluebird Canyon Landslide
LL-BEVMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Bluebird Canyon Landslide
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2008-04-26 14:09:10

There's still a bunch of time, with Trooper111, milwhcky and mlc1us wrestling for the lead.

Haven't done a VGT scavenger hunt before? It's simple and a whole heck of a lot of fun. To participate, you simply submit maps as normal, then select the category you are submitting to. Once a moderator approves your map, you automatically get points for that category! -- nic]]> Fri, 02 May 2008 02:38:20 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4311 What to do if you want your house post removed http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4310 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4310 Step 2: ??
Step 3: Profit!

Just kidding!

We have this detailed on the site policies page as well, but if your private property is listed on the website and you wish to have it removed, simply contact the admins and we will scrub all personal information from the post -- the location, city, and link to the Google/Live maps page. All that will remain is the cached images from the mapping sites (since that is publicly available).

We would prefer you not send us a threatening cease and desist, demanding that we remove a certain New York "flying" football team's head coach's name because we're infringing upon his rights of publicity (!?) and threatening legal action if we do not. It's quite unnecessary. A simply "would you please" works just as good as threatening to take us to court.

Thanks. -- nic]]> Fri, 02 May 2008 02:10:05 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4310 BEV comes to Canada! http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4302 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4302
Canada:
Abbotsford
Airdrie
Brampton
Calgary
Chilliwack
Coquitlam
Edmonton
Langford
Langley
Mississauga
New Westminster
North Vancouver
Oshawa
Pickering
Port Moody
Richmond
Sainte-Thérèse
Saint-Eustache
Saint-Lambert
Surrey
Toronto
Vancouver
Varennes
Vaudreuil-Dorion
Windsor

USA:
Russellville, AL
Longmont, CO
Pueblo, CO
Pueblo West, CO
Elfers, FL
Hudson, FL
Jasmine Estates, FL
Land O' Lakes, FL
New Port Richey, FL
Punta Gorda, FL
Spring Hill, FL
Conyers, GA
Dallas, GA
East Point, GA
Fayetteville, GA
Gainesville, GA
Griffin, GA
Monroe, GA
Peachtree City, GA
Stockbridge, GA
Cedar Falls, IA
Coralville, IA
Iowa City, IA
Sioux City, IA
Waterloo, IA
Charleston, MS
Cleveland, MS
Corinth, MS
North Tunica, MS
Senatobia, MS
Water Valley, MS
Greenville, NC
Hope Mills, NC
Concord, NH
North Sioux City, SD
Rapid City, SD
Sioux Falls, SD
Eau Claire, WI

Europe
Bottrop, DE
Dorsten, DE
Duisburg, DE
Düren, DE
Gladbeck, DE
Krefeld, DE
Moers, DE
Remscheid, DE
Solingen, DE
Willich, DE
Wuppertal, DE
Iráklion, GR
Kaválla, GR
Khaniá, GR
Lárisa, GR
Patras, GR
Volos, GR
Bray, IE
Dublin, IE
Swords, IE
Amstelveen, NL
Den Helder, NL
Hoofddorp, NL
Zaanstad, NL
Aberdeen, UK
Dundee, UK
Edinburgh, UK
Glasgow, UK
Liverpool, UK -- mlc1us]]> Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:51:44 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4302 Long Overdue Scavenger Hunt: Go!!! http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4291 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4291 scavenger hunt than 'Long Overdue'? Maybe 'Dropped the Ball'? Maybe 'What the heck were you guys waiting for?'. Sorry! Back by popular demand, 8 months since the last one, we are finally hosting another scavenger hunt.

This is a medium-length hunt - 60 points total - and will be held for two weeks.

Contenders, start your submissions! Good luck! View all the details on the Scavenger Hunt page.

(thanks to all of the moderators for coming up with this list!) -- nic]]> Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:39:53 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4291 VGT Scavenger Hunt starting 2008-04-23 (Wed) noon http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4277 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4277 scavenger hunt starting this Wednesday 2008-04-23 at noon EST. Nothing huge, but we're long due for a new one! -- nic]]> Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:51:25 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4277 Yahoo! Maps Update http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4255 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4255 Yahoo! HQHot on the heels of Microsoft's latest Virtual Earth updates, Yahoo! Maps posted the largest update to their imagery since inception. They claim new imagery both in breadth (with "freshness, color and clarity") of many parts of the US, as well as two new potential zoom levels for aerial and satellite imagery around the US.

Read more at the Yahoo! Local Blog

-- nic]]> Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:17:57 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4255 Live Maps / Virtual Earth Updates http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4239 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4239 The Live Maps (Virtual Earth) Blog has a huge post detailing all of the latest updates released to Live Maps today. There are some great new features! Instead of repeating their post, I'll let you read the details directly, but one thing I'm excited about is being able to export my collections to GeoRSS/KML/GPX. I'm just about to take a cross-country road-trip, and I have a collection of all the places we're visiting on the way. Now I can export our stops to my GPS device.

Besides collection exporting, updates include higher detail 3D cities, street labels for Birds Eye imagery (that must've been hard to get right), MapCruncher integration, enhanced 'geoweb' exploring, neighborhood RSS subscriptions of geoweb content, enhanced directions and traffic information and more.

-- nic]]> Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:17:44 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4239 13 New Street View Cities and a National Park http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4221 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4221 Google LatLong Blog:

* Albuquerque, NM
* Anchorage, AK
* Austin, TX
* Cleveland, OH
* Fairbanks, AK
* Little Rock, AR
* Madison, WI
* Nashville, TN
* Rockford, IL
* Richmond, VA
* Spokane, WA
* St. Petersburg, FL
* Tampa, FL
* Yosemite National Park, CA -- mlc1us]]> Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:55:59 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4221 Virtual Earth 42.85 TB March 2008 Imagery Update http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4214 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4214 Chris Pendleton's Virtual Earth Blog announces a 42.85 TB imagery update for Virtual Earth.

Orthos Updates
USA: Las Vegas, Denver, Phoenix, San Luis Obispo
Austria: Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Klagenfurt
Switzerland: Bern, Basel, Zurich, Geneva
United Kingdom: Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge, Hereford, Ludlow/Diddlebury Region, South Coventry, Bury St. Edmonds
India: Mysore, Ranchi, Mangalore, Lucknow, Guwahati, Amritsar, Surat, Taj Mahal, Jamshedpur, Koshikode
China: Fuzhou, Baotou, Macao, Wuhu, Xuxhou, Taipei

Obliques (Bird's Eye)
North America:
AL: Pickens Co, Cullman Co, Blount Co
AR: Sebastian Co
CO: Jefferson Co
FL: Hendry Co, Milton Metro, Orange Co
GA: Atlanta Metro
IL: McHenry Co, Peoria Co, McLean Co, Du Page Co, Belleville Metro
IN: Monroe Co
IA: Scott Co, Polk Co, Linn Co
MI: Saginaw Co
MN: Washington Co, Dodge Co
MS: Clarke Co, Holmes Co, Issequena Co, Montgommery Co, Yazoo Co, Washington Co, Humphrey's Co, Leflore Co, Sharkey Co, Sunflower Co, Tippah Co, Union Co, Madison Co, Pontotoc Co, Perry Co, Calhoun Co, Desoto Co, Chickasaw Co, Lafayette Co, Copiah Co, Franklin Co, Warren Co, Simpson Co, Pike Co, Marion Co, Lincoln Co, Smith Co, Lawrence Co, Jefferson Co, Jefferson Davis Co, Wilkinson Co, Grenada Co, Jasper Co, Carroll Co, Lauderdale Co, Walthall Co, Tishomingo Co, Claiborne Co, Quitman Co, Panola Co, Scott Co, Adams Co
NM: McKinley Co
NY: Sullivan Co, Steuben Co, Binghamton Metro
OH: Mahoning Co, Madison Co, Pickaway Co, Delaware Co
OR: Lane Co
PA: Lehigh Co
SC: York Co, Beaufort Co
TN: Knoxville Metro, Gibson Metro
TX: Stephenville Metro, Taylor Co, Orange Co, Erath Co, Fort Bend, Coryell Co, Hidalgo Co
VA: Manassas Co, Chesterfield Co
WI: LaCrosse Co

Europe:
Austria: Graz
UK: London, Wigan, Cheddar, Harlow/Sawbridgeworth
France: Lille Tourcoing Roubaix Villeneuve d'Ascq, Charleville, Amiens
Italy: Civitavecchia, Agrigento, Novara, Verona
Portugal: Almada
Norway: Kristiansand
Finland: Vaasa
Spain: Arona
Germany: Detmold, Gütersloch, Nordhorn, Ruhrgebiet Region, Koblenz & Neuwied, Gummersbach, Paderborn
Ireland: Limerick, Carlow, Wexford, Navan, Cork
Netherlands: Tilburg, Helmond -- nic]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:30:08 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4214 February 19, new GoogleEarth imagery update. http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4180 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4180 Americas:
- Canada: Significant amount of British Columbia, Oxford County (Ontario)
- USA: Madera (CA), Fernly (NV), Silver Springs (NV), Yerington (NV),
Cambria (CA), Creston (CA), Delaware, Connecticut

EMEA:
- Spain: Avila, Burgos, San Sebastian
- Portugal: Lisbon

- South Africa: 2.5m imagery for western half of the country

Asia & Oceania:
- New Zealand: Auckland, Wanganui Province, Tararua Province
- Australia: Sydney, Newcastle

Updated Imagery:
Americas:
- Canada: Vancouver
- USA: Portland (OR), Bay Area (SF, Oakland, Peninsula), San Simeon (CA),
Morro Bay (CA), Garden Farms (CA), San Louis Obispo (CA), Arroyo
Grande (CA), Nipomo (CA), Santa Maria (CA), California City (CA),
San Bernardino County (CA), Riverside County (CA), Salt Lake City (UT),
Denver (CO), Kalamazoo (MI), Detroit (MI), Hardee County (FL),
Martin County (FL), Tampa (FL), Philadelphia (PA), Boston (MA)
Onodaga County (NY), Norfolk (VA), Island County (WA), the state of
Hawaii, the state of Ohio, the state of Louisiana, the state of Virginia,
and the state New Jersey.
- Cuba: Havana - Brazil: Sao Paolo EMEA:
- France: Tours - Italy: Torino
- Spain: Almeria, Logrono, Pamplona, Santander, Segovia, Valladolid, Alicante,
Bilbao, Castellon, Cordoba, Coruna, Costa Blanca, Elche, Gijon, Huelva,
Leon, Oviedo, Salamanca, Vigo, Vitoria, Catalunya, Andalucia
- UK: Kent, Norfolk
- Switzerland: Zimmerburg, Pfannenstiel
- Denmark: Copenhagen
- Finland: Helsinki
- Norway: Oslo
- Iceland: Reykijavik
- Ukraine: Kiev
- Latvia: Riga
- Serbia: Belgrade
- Kenya: Nairobi
- Senegal: Dakar

Asia:
- Turkmenistan: Ashkhabad
- Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek
- Myanmar: Rangoon

Updated Terrain:
State of Arkansas -- dda]]> Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:45:15 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4180 New Google Street View Cities http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4109 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4109
From The Google Earth Blog. -- kjfitz]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:30:52 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4109 VirtualGlobetrotting embedded map viewer http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4104 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4104
VGT embedded map viewer

We hope it will enhance your map browsing experience! Some of its features:
  • Meta-data about the map such as description and location
    Easy VGT submit
  • Easily switch between Google Maps, Live Local and Yahoo Maps views
    Easy VGT submit

  • Updated latitude and longitude information as you move around the map
    Easy VGT submit

  • Quickly show the map's direct URL for sharing with others, and a Submit Location button to submit the current view quickly to VGT
    Easy VGT submit

Note: If you're a logged in user and you'd rather go straight to the mapping site (maps.google.com, maps.local.com) instead of the embedded map viewer, you can go your "Edit Profile" page and change your preferences.

If you see any problems with it, please let us know! -- nic]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2008 03:24:41 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4104 January Virtual Earth imagery update http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4002 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4002 Virtual Earth, much of it Birds Eye coverage.

Chris Pendelton's blog has the full list of updates. -- mlc1us]]> Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:04:03 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=4002 Year Two Thousand and Seven: Wrap It Up! http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3992 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3992 A Year In ReviewA lot of great things happened in 2007!

Globetrotters submitted 14,714 maps (a record!). 9,712 Virtual Earth (Live Local) maps, 4,976 Google maps, and even 26 Yahoo maps.

There were 31,338,172 page loads of the site, from an amazing 5,457,354 visitors.

VirtualGlobetrotting held four great scavenger hunts too!

Top Map Submitters

Wow! Look at how many maps the top 10 submitted:
  1. kjfitz - 3,121 maps
  2. tlp333 - 2,356 maps
  3. mlc1us - 1,016 maps
  4. milwhcky - 988 maps
  5. boothy443 - 916 maps
  6. neotrix - 732 maps
  7. pmoore66 - 524 maps
  8. Pdunn - 503 maps
  9. gamma - 435 maps
  10. daggerwell - 392 maps

Most Popular Categories

As expected, celebrity homes round out the most popular categories:
  1. Buildings > Homes - Celebrity - Entertainment - Actors - 728 maps
  2. Buildings > Homes - Celebrity - Entertainment - Musicians - 682 maps
  3. Land > Artwork - Sculpture - 582 maps
  4. Buildings > Homes - Celebrity - Former - 355 maps
  5. Buildings > Air Ports - 317 maps

Most Popular Maps

What is unexpected is the top two maps are not celebrity homes. Aren't they cool?

Blue Whale Skeleton
1 Comments3 PicsView in Google Maps
Blue Whale Skeleton
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mikeb9991
@ 2007-01-12 20:15:12
Very long waterslide
2 CommentsView in Google Maps
Very long waterslide
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: dda
@ 2007-07-22 05:12:44
Malibu Castle Kashan
LL-BEV7 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Malibu Castle Kashan
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-03-23 05:13:00
Will Smith's House
LL-BEV1 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Will Smith's House
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-04-06 16:44:24
Joseph Babajian's House
LL-BEV1 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Joseph Babajian's House
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: neotrix
@ 2007-08-14 08:27:49
Jay Leno's House
LL-BEV2 CommentsView in Live Local
Jay Leno's House
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-01-04 04:21:43
Gene Simmons' House
LL-BEVMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Gene Simmons' House
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2007-04-23 10:25:11
Avril Lavigne's House
LL-BEV1 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Avril Lavigne's House
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-03-17 04:19:08
Sean Taylor's House
LL-BEVMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Sean Taylor's House
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: milwhcky
@ 2007-11-26 17:48:08
David & Victoria Beckham's house
LL-BEVMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
David & Victoria Beckham's house
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: neotrix
@ 2007-07-05 16:05:38

Your Favorites

What were your favorite map submissions from the last year?

Post a comment! -- nic]]> Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:49:27 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3992 New BEV Imagery http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3940 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3940
Bakersfield, CA
Redding, CA
Colorado Springs, CO
Danbury, CT
Wilmington, DE
Jupiter, FL
Boynton Beach, FL
Delray Beach, FL
Grand Rapids, MI
Kalamazoo, MI
Duluth, MN
Raleigh, NC
Charlotte, NC
Durham, NC
Cary, NC
Albany, NY
Knoxville, TN
Amarillo, TX
Waco, TX
Madison, WI

Brussels, Belgium
Zurich, Switzerland

There's bound to be lots more. Please post what you find....Happy Hunting! -- mlc1us]]> Thu, 20 Dec 2007 13:50:58 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3940 New Google Earth Imagery http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3938 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3938 Google Lat Long Blog is announcing the answers to its quiz for the latest imagery update.

In addition they have included a more complete list of imagery updates in this data push:
New high resolution:
Americas:
- Canada: Significant amount of British Columbia
- USA: Jefferson City (MO), Central Virginia, Tioga County (NY), Cayuga County (NY),
Jefferson County (NY), Broome County (NY),
- Brazil: Uberlandia
- Colombia: Cali, Pasto
- Mexico: Veracruz

Europe, Middle East and Africa:
- France: Le Havre, Dunkerque
- Poland: Poznan
- Russia: Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Vladikavkaz, Volzhskiy, Barnaul
- Ukraine: Rivne, Odesa
- Morocco: Agadir
- Nigeria: Abuja
- Egypt: 2.5m imagery for eastern half of the country


Asia & Oceania:
- Japan: Kagoshima, Hamamatsu
- New Zealand: Manawatu Wanganui Province, Thames-Coromandel Province
- China: Guiyang, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan, Neijang, Anshun, Zhuzhou, Changde,
Jiaoijang, Sashi, Qinhuangdao, Mudanjiang
- Indonesia: Sukabumi, Surakarta

2.5m imagery for the eastern half of Egypt.

Updated Imagery:
Americas:
- Canada: Calgary
- USA: Bend (OR), Reno (NV), Googleplex (CA), San Miguel (CA), Paso
Robles (CA), Buellton (CA), Thousand Oaks (CA), Los Angeles (CA), Orange
County (CA), Denver (CO), Saint Louis (MO), Knoxville (TN), Chattanooga (GA),
Dayton (CA), Atlanta (GA), Desoto County (FL), Onondaga County (NY), Cayuga
County (NY), McAllen (TX), Sanger (CA), Bellevue (WA)

Europe, Middle East and Africa:
- France: Nantes, Lyon
- Germany: Sindelfingen, Ausburg, Leipzig, Aachen
- Denmark: Entire country
- Niger: Niamey
- Zimbabwe: Harare
- South Africa: Johannesburg
- Iran: Tehran

Asia:
- Japan: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagano
- Thailand: Bangkok
- Vietnam: Hanoi

Antarctica: new 15m imagery

Updated Terrain:
Massachusetts

Virtual Earth update: There are also details of a new Virtual Earth Update -- mlc1us]]> Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:40:01 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3938 Google adds 8 new Street View cities http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3923 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3923 8 new Street View cities
As milwhcky pointed out in the forums a few days ago, yesterday Google announced 8 new Street View cities:
  • Boston
  • Dallas
  • Fort Worth
  • Indianapolis
  • Minneapolis
  • St. Paul
  • Detroit
  • Providence
Embedded Street View maps for your web page

Their blog post also gives you directions on how to place an embedded Street View panorama on your website, such as the below view of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco:


View Larger Map

milwhcky also found a view of construction workers on Minneappolis' I-35W bridge prior to its collapse:


View Larger Map -- nic]]> Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:29:40 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3923 November 2007 Wrap-Up http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3906 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3906 Top Map Submitterstlp333, kjfitz and neotrix are the top 3 submitters for November 2007 (keep them coming!), with regulars boothy443 and Pdunn submitting many great maps as well:
  1. tlp333 - 311 maps
  2. kjfitz - 191 maps
  3. neotrix - 141 maps
  4. boothy443 - 68 maps
  5. Pdunn - 57 maps

Most Popular Maps

Celebrity homes reign as the most viewed maps again last month:
Sean Taylor's House
LL-BEVMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Sean Taylor's House
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: milwhcky
@ 2007-11-26 17:48:08
Carrie Underwood's Home
LL-BEV5 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Carrie Underwood's Home
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: IndyFan032589
@ 2007-11-16 09:49:06
John Krasinski's Home
LL-BEVView in Live Local
John Krasinski's Home
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: IndyFan032589
@ 2007-11-26 07:26:26
Johnny Depp's House (rumored)
1 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Google Maps
Johnny Depp's House (rumored)
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: neotrix
@ 2007-11-10 05:47:49
Rashida Jones' house
LL-BEV1 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Rashida Jones' house
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: neotrix
@ 2007-11-25 09:42:43

What's your favorite map?

What was your favorite map from last month, either your own or someone else's? Post a comment!

Live Local or Google Maps (or Yahoo Maps)?

Virtual Earth (Live Local) is becoming increasingly the most popular service for new maps -- driven primarily by their amazing Birds Eye View imagery. Take a look at November 2007's maps submitted by service:
  • Live Local - 839 maps (779 Birds Eye View)
  • Google Maps - 239 maps (29 Street View)
  • Yahoo Maps - 39 maps
Here's a graph of number of maps submitted for Live Local and Google Maps, per month:

Number of maps submitted per month, by service -- nic]]> Tue, 04 Dec 2007 01:58:20 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3906 33.7TB Virtual Earth imagery update http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3879 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3879 Virtual Earth, much of it Birds Eye coverage.

Chris Pendelton's blog has the full list of updates.

(thanks to mlc1us for pointing this out in the forums) -- nic]]> Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:52:49 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3879 October 2007 Wrap-Up http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3800 Top Map SubmittersVirtualGlobetrotting visitors added a ton of great maps last month -- with tlp333 dominating the celebrity home market. Good work!
  1. tlp333 - 313 maps
  2. neotrix - 83 maps
  3. kjfitz - 81 maps
  4. mlc1us - 60 maps
  5. milwhcky - 57 maps

Most Popular Maps

The top 5 most popular maps from last month were celebrity homes as well. Some of these homes are unbelievable!

Olivia Newton-John's House
LL-BEV2 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Olivia Newton-John's House
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: tlp333
@ 2007-10-09 15:32:59
Brett Favre's Home
LL-BEV1 CommentsView in Live Local
Brett Favre's Home
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mikeb9991
@ 2007-10-22 09:30:51
Kiefer Sutherland's Home
LL-BEVMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Kiefer Sutherland's Home
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: IndyFan032589
@ 2007-10-28 07:16:57
2007-10-03 - Sinkhole threatens homes near La Jolla
LL-BEV1 CommentsView in Live Local
2007-10-03 - Sinkhole threatens homes near La Jolla
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2007-10-03 14:17:40
T.I.'s House
View in Live Local
T.I.'s House
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: IndyFan032589
@ 2007-10-14 01:52:32

Malibu Castle Kashan

VGT saw a lot of new visitors from search traffic for Malibu Castle Kashan, which was destroyed in the wildfires in California last month. What a shame:

Malibu Castle Kashan
LL-BEV7 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Malibu Castle Kashan
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-03-23 05:13:00

Time for a Scavenger Hunt

We're thinking of doing another scavenger hunt soon. If you have ideas for a theme, let us know! -- nic]]> Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:17:28 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3800 Google Earth / Maps Imagery Update http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3749 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3749 Lat Long Blog announces another Google Earth / Maps imagery update in the form of a scavenger hunt.

Digital Earth Blog has it all figured out too. -- kjfitz]]> Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:42:26 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3749 Microsoft's Live Search Maps v2 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3723 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3723 Bird's Eye View imagery update a few days ago, Microsoft has also announced a big feature update to Live Search Maps. This is their largest update since it was first released in 2005.



Cool new features:

* Updated interface. The new interface is freshened and better organized. Try it out!

* Automatic routing around traffic. Did you know that many cities show real-time traffic data? Live Search Maps can now have your turn-by-turn directions avoid traffic jams.

* Data importing from GeoRSS, GPX and KML. You can import these XML-based files (such as KML exports from VGT) into a Live Search Collection.

Also, if you have a URL to one of these files, you can have Live Search Maps plot it directly: http://maps.live.com/?mapurl=UrlOfKML

Such as this link to VGT's solar power stations plotted directly into Live Search Maps.

* 1-click directions. Hosting a party? You can send out a permalink for your destination, and Live Search Maps will give your attendees directions for getting there from other parts of town.

* Bird's Eye navigation in 3D. This is really cool. Live Search Maps lets you see the amazing Birds Eye imagery in the Microsoft's 3D browser. See an example here.

* Tour collections in 3D. You can tag maps in your collection with a preferred viewing angle and animation delay, so visitors can see a "fly-by" view of your collection.

* Collection search and exploration. You can now search for collections, or explore existing collections on the map.

-- nic]]> Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:03:47 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3723 New Bird's Eye View Update http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3715 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3715
Copenhagen
Stockholm
Madrid

UK

* Aldershot
* Newbury
* Ayre
* Warwick/Leamington
* Telford
* Mansfield
* Blackburn / Darwen
* Basingstoke / Basing
* Burnley / Nelson
* Cannock / Great Wyrley
* Craigavon
* Nuneaton
* Redditch / Astwood
* Abergele / Rhyl / Prestatyn
* Weymouth

US

* Worcester, MD
* Orange, CT. (plus more CT)
* Warren, NJ
* Hunterdon, NJ
* Cape May, NJ
* Jackson, MS
* Tulsa, OK
* Reno, NV
* Marion, OR
* Fulton, NY
* Northampton, PA
* Albany Metro, NY
* Henrico, VA
* Yonkers Metro, NY
* Fresno, CA
* Harford, MD
* Larimer, CO
* Erie, NY

http://virtualearth.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!2BBC66E99FDCDB98!9246.entry -- mlc1us]]> Sat, 13 Oct 2007 13:09:29 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3715 Six new cities added to Google Maps Street View http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3712 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3712 Latlong Blog:

"Now you can check out 360-degree views of Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland and Tucson. As an added bonus, the images in Phoenix, Tucson and parts of Chicago are all in high resolution." -- kjfitz]]> Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:25:50 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3712 New Google Earth Imagery Update - October 2, 2007 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3708 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3708 LatLong Blog.

"Much of this imagery is concentrated in the U.S., Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, India, China, Australia and New Zealand."

I noticed a lot of new imagery in that western US around White Sands. No comprehensive list has been posted yet. -- kjfitz]]> Sun, 07 Oct 2007 12:15:17 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3708 Street View Hunt: 145 maps and one clear winner http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3624 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3624 Street View Scavenger Hunt has just finished, and we have a clear winner: mlc1us!

Congratulations mlc1us on getting 86 points and taking 1st place. maveriick was close behind in 2nd place with 63 points, and milwhcky trailing in 3rd with 18 points.

Check the final standings here.

There were lots of great maps submitted! Some of my favorites:

Dog in a Car
GM-SVView in Google Maps
Dog in a Car
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2007-08-13 10:59:19

Funny Hat
GM-SVView in Google Maps
Funny Hat
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2007-08-11 15:27:46

Mounted Policeman
GM-SVView in Google Maps
Mounted Policeman
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2007-08-10 11:27:53

Looking out the front window
GM-SVView in Google Maps
Looking out the front window
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: milwhcky
@ 2007-08-17 15:45:55

Pink Castle Bouncy House
GM-SVView in Google Maps
Pink Castle Bouncy House
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2007-08-19 14:00:30


Feedback on the hunt is welcome! -- nic]]> Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:33:22 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3624 New Bird's Eye View Update http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3587 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3587
Athens, Greece!!

More NW of London, UK

Portsmouth, NH (including Portsmouth Naval Yard)
Omaha, NB (thanks mlc1us)
Winston County, AL
Columbus, MS
Fort Wayne, IN
SW of Toledo, OH
Louisville, KY
New London, CT
Dayton, OH

More to come... -- kjfitz]]> Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:25:37 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3587 Google Street View Scavenger Hunt on Thurs Aug 9 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3548 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3548
Update:

The Street View Scavenger Hunt is now on! -- nic]]> Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:07:05 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3548 Unplanned scavenger hunt from Google http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3511 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3511
* Two states known for their majestic peaks have gotten an upgrade.
* I can now see where my favorite maple syrup is made.
* Certain Florida beaches (and 1 mountain) are looking much improved.
* Try counting the warthogs in the Boneyard.
* Peek inside the home of the Brew Crew.
* You can read the Skin's logo painted on their field.
* An historic state capitol building is now in high res.
* This city was named after the Native American name of a nearby mountain, "Tacobet."
* A "far away" city that played a key role in trans-Saharan trade can now be seen close up.
* The town where Jane Austen spent her final years is much clearer.
* The topic of Vincent van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night is now bright as day.
* Take a look at "la ville noir," where Cointreau was invented.
* Only a third of this country's land is arable, but you can now view the entire country in high res.
* From 1880 to 1884 this German city was home to the world's tallest building.
* Rockets may be used to disrupt rain clouds over this city next summer.
* This country received an impressive terrain update, you might call it Lord of the Terrain.

Details at the Google Lat Long Blog. -- kjfitz]]> Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:49:12 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3511 Mother of all Scavenger Hunts: mikeb9991 wins! http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3509 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3509 mikeb9991 wins the Mother of all Hunts, his third consecutive first place finish, and the first VGT scavenger hunt standalone-winner (the first two had ties for first)! He wins with 94 points, missing only the 'A hot air balloon' and 'A parade in progress' 3 point categories.

Congratulations mikeb9991!

Tune in next week Thursday for the next scavenger hunt, which will focus on Google Street View maps!

Check out some of the cool 3-point finds!
Submarine off coast of Japan
1 CommentsView in Google Maps
Submarine off coast of Japan
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mikeb9991
@ 2007-07-19 15:25:45

Pool Party
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Pool Party
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2007-07-25 13:27:51

Go-cart race with giraffe sculpture
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Go-cart race with giraffe sculpture
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: daggerwell
@ 2007-07-15 09:56:08

Splash from diving person
LL-BEV2 CommentsView in Live Local
Splash from diving person
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mikeb9991
@ 2007-07-17 15:40:29

Firefighters at a fire training center
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Firefighters at a fire training center
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: milwhcky
@ 2007-07-25 01:25:37
-- nic]]> Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:42:03 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3509 We see you! Google Street View maps now accepted! http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3505 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3505 Now accepting submissions...
VirtualGlobetrotting is now accepting submissions for Google Street View maps. You can submit a Street View map using the same process as any other map, so it's real easy to share your cool findings. Let the fun begin!

Where can you find them?
There's a link in the left navigation pane (SV) to show all Street View Maps, as well as a new Street View category and subcategories.

You can also spot a Street View map by the 'GM-SV' tag in the bottom-right corner of its thumbnail. Additionally, Live Local's Birds Eye View maps now say 'LL-BEV' to make the clear distinction.

In a week or so we're going to have another Scavenger Hunt, and this one will be for Street View maps!

Mother of all Scavenger Hunts
Speaking of which... the Mother of all Scavenger Hunts is a mere 12 hours from closing, and we have a tie for first place! mlc1us and mikeb9991 both have 89 points!

Who will pull ahead!?!? -- nic]]> Thu, 26 Jul 2007 02:28:56 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3505 Mother of all Scavenger Hunts http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3457 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3457 Mother of all Scavenger Hunts, another 100-point hunt, opens at noon PDT today. It will last for two weeks, so good luck Globetrotters! -- nic]]> Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:47:35 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3457 Scavenger Hunt #3 on Thursday July 12, 2007 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3451 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3451
This will be another 100-point scavenger hunt, but only lasting two weeks.

Stay tuned! -- nic]]> Tue, 10 Jul 2007 02:02:02 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3451 Virtual Earth update http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3441 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3441 Virtual Earth / Live Spaces Blog mentions that Virtual Earth has just released their largest imagery update yet, 26 terabytes total! Dozens of cities in the USA, Canada and Europe were all just updated with new or expanded Aerial imagery and 3D buildings.

Looking forward to all of the cool new places you Globetrotters will find! -- nic]]> Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:56:35 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3441 Google Maps Is Changing the Way We See the World http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3433 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3433 Wired Magazine, Evan Ratliff writes an article titled Google Maps Is Changing the Way We See the World, about the awesome things that our communities are starting to build with the tools of Google Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth. It's a very interesting read, and we're excited that VirtualGlobetrotting gets a mention on page 3!

The article is in Wired 15.07 at your local newsstands, and online as well. -- nic]]> Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:02:36 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3433 And the winners are... http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3401 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3401 Big Kahuna Scavenger Hunt participants! We had a very successful hunt, with a tie for first place:

The top ten finishes are:
1. mlc1us - 100 points
1. mikeb9991 - 100 points
3. milwhcky - 96 points
4. berli110 - 79 points
5. daggerwell - 76 points
6. voldude123 - 66 points
7. DonMartini - 44 points
8. kaiken - 42 points
9. Effi - 37 points
10. boothy443 - 27 points

We've been pleasantly surprised at how good you Globetrotters were with some of the hard categories. You found two houses on fire, concerts in progress, airplanes trailing banners, and many other really cool maps. Thanks for participating!

We'll probably take a week or two off, and come back with a smaller hunt for the next round. Stay tuned! If you have any suggestions for categories you'd like to see, make a comment on this post! -- nic]]> Sat, 09 Jun 2007 23:52:42 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3401 Big Kahuna Scavenger Hunt almost done! http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3378 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3378 Big Kahuna Scavenger Hunt will be over tomorrow, Saturday June 9th at noon PDT.

We already have a perfect hunt, with two globetrotters (mlc1us and mikeb9991) scoring 100 points! milwhcky is only 4 points behind with 96 points!

Since it is clear there is already a tie, the rules state that we will have a face-off hunt to determine the winners. We're thinking of a small hunt, 48 hours in length with a smaller set of categories. We'll probably hold this hunt next weekend, if mlc1us and mikeb9991 have the time. Everyone will be able to participate, but only mlc1us and mikeb9991 (and milwhcky if he can get 100 points by tomorrow) will be in the running for the prizes.

Feedback on our scavenger hunts are welcome!
  • What do you globetrotters want to see next time around?
  • Was the length of this hunt good? Do you like short hunts or long hunts?
  • Is it easy to participate?
-- nic]]> Fri, 08 Jun 2007 21:53:55 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3378 News roundup from Where 2.0 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3326 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3326 Big happenings at Where 2.0
The third annual O'Reilly Where 2.0 conference - "Location Is Going Everywhere" - is underway in San Jose, CA. We'll probably see a lot of product releases and other goodies announced this week.

Frank Taylor of the Google Earth Blog is reporting live from the conference. The conference started out with Launchpad of 5 minute mini-presentations -- Frank has a good summary of some of these.

I'll try to keep on top of the news, but feel free to let us know of new stuff!

Google launches Streetside View

O'Reilly Radar reports that Google just released a street side view for Google Maps. This stuff is awesome! Check out Las Vegas. There's an icon of a man that you can move around the map, to pick out where you want to view from.

Amazon's A9 had a similar street-side view a while back, but they were static images. Google's implementation allows you to look in a 360* view. Sweet!

Virtual Earth update, 3D buildings in NYC

The Virtual Earth / Live Spaces blog notes that New York, New York now has 3D buildings available. Sounds like there's a big imagery and BEV update today too (we'll update once that's posted).

Update 12:42pm PST: The Virtual Earth / Live Spaces blog just posted the complete list of updated satellite and BEV imagery. Their largest update, over 11.5 terabytes of data!

VirtualGlobetrotting Scavenger Hunt
The Big Kahuna scavenger hunt is still underway, going until June 9th. mlc1us has 97 points, only missing a burning house from a perfect hunt. milwhcky, berli110 and mikeb9991 are close on his trail with several others over 50 points.

Good luck contestants! -- nic]]> Tue, 29 May 2007 12:54:51 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3326 Scavenger Hunt active & Virtual Earth screen saver http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3258 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3258 Scavenger Hunt Active
The Big Kahuna scavenger hunt started yesterday, and there are already a ton of submissions. Good job globetrotters!

Virtual Earth Screen Saver
Keith Kinnan from Microsoft pointed out that there is a Virtual Earth Screen Saver available from the Microsoft Codeplex. It grabs the latest RSS feed from VGT and Birds Eye Tourist and shows the maps in your screen saver. Cool! -- nic]]> Sun, 20 May 2007 19:49:14 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3258 New scavenger hunt coming on Sat May 19, 2007 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3235 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3235 bigger (100 points worth of categories) and better ($100 in total prizes!).

The scavenger hunt will start on Saturday May 19th, 2007 at noon PDT.

Please check back here tomorrow! It will last 3 weeks, so you'll have plenty of time to participate.

Good luck globetrotters! -- nic]]> Fri, 18 May 2007 16:07:31 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3235 Updated Yahoo Maps http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3219 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3219 Search Engine Land was the first to notice that Yahoo maps just got a face lift. Yahoo Maps has been in the game for quite a while, but they haven't been getting as much attention to their satellite offerings as Google and Microsoft have. They're #2 for general mapping (behind MapQuest), with Google and Microsoft hot on their heels.

I don't want to copy what SEL wrote, so you can read the full list of improvements here. However, some notable additions include:
  • Terrain overlays
  • View areas by neighborhood, and building 'footprints' in select cities
  • Updated printing support to make directions easier to read
  • Driving directions for 34 European cities

Check Yahoo's new features out. Not a lot of updates in terms of satellite offerings, but their interface is pretty hot. It feels very clean, and there are noticeable improvements all around. -- nic]]> Wed, 16 May 2007 12:56:18 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3219 Scavenger Hunt Winners http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3199 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3199 Scavenger Hunt was a great success!

We had 92 maps submitted for the hunt, and 6 winners all tied for first place by getting all of the categories. They are all receiving $10 amazon.com gift certificates!

  • mikeb9991
  • boothy443
  • daggerwell
  • DonMartini
  • mlc1us
  • milwhcky


We'll be starting another one up shortly, this time with a lot more categories! -- nic]]> Fri, 11 May 2007 11:27:59 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3199 Scavenger Hunt! http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3161 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3161 scavenger hunt! Users who wish to participate simply need to submit new maps to the categories below.

First place is determined by the number of points you get for the categories below. First place receives a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate or via paypal. If there are ties for first, all first place entries win!

1 Point
  • A boat in motion
  • A casino
  • A castle
  • A censored area
  • A train in motion

2 Points
  • A building under construction
  • An animal clearly identifiable

3 Points
  • A car accident
  • A hang glider, parachute or skydiver in descent
  • A sporting event in progress


To participate, simply submit your maps as usual. There is a new field on the submission page for the category you are submitting to.

We are doing a 10-question mini hunt for now. If the system works good, we plan on doing monthly hunts with more categories and bigger prizes!

Good luck! -- nic]]> Thu, 03 May 2007 19:19:33 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3161 New Live Maps 3D cities released http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3147 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3147 Virtual Earth / Live Spaces blog writes that there is a big updated on Live Maps today. Seven new and updated 3D cities were published: Calgary, Redmond, Buffalo, Beaverton, Portland, Swindon and Brighton.

They also mention that birds eye and aerial imagery was updated too. As soon as they provide a solid list we'll update here as well.

Let the hunting begin!

P.S. -- Tune in soon for a scavenger hunt. We'll be posting a list of interesting maps we want you to find (new submissions only!), and there will be prizes for the globetrotter that finds the most. Look for updates on this next week.

Updated 04/27/2007 1:57PM PDT
The Virtual Earth / Live Spaces Blog updated their list of cities with new and updated satellite and birds-eye imagery. Cool! -- nic]]> Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:00:15 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3147 VGT RSS feeds now include GeoRSS http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3118 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3118 GeoRSS markup to all of the VGT Maps, Pics and Comments RSS feeds.

What is GeoRSS? Basically, GeoRSS is a normal RSS feed, with geospatial information for each post -- latitude and longitude information. GeoRSS is an emerging standard for geocoding RSS content. The great thing about it is that Microsoft, Google and Yahoo are all on board with the standard.

How does this affect you? Well, you can pass any maps feed, such as the VGT's Latest Maps to your favorite GeoRSS viewer. There are only a couple of viewers at the moment, but I'm sure this will grow over time. Here's quick list of ones that I found:

Online viewers:

Standalone viewers:

Did you know that all of the States, Countries and Categories all have their own RSS feeds? Just look for the icon.

Since Microsoft, Google and Yahoo all have at least partial GeoRSS support in their APIs, I'm going to be expanding the Map View for maps to support all three.

Are you using GeoRSS in another way? Let us know! -- nic]]> Sun, 22 Apr 2007 03:32:30 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3118 2 years and 30,000 maps http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3104 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3104 :

Philadelphia Stadiums (seperate entries submitted)
1 CommentsView in Google Maps
Philadelphia Stadiums (seperate entries submitted)
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: nic
@ 2005-04-10 00:00:00


The site was called Google GlobeTrotting back then, too.

Today, two years and 30,000 maps later, we received the 30,000th approved map, posted by milwhcky:

Bowling pin shaped pool
LL-BEV1 CommentsView in Live Local
Bowling pin shaped pool
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: milwhcky
@ 2007-04-20 19:00:29


I just wanted to give a big thanks to everyone out there who's visited, everyone who's submitted, everyone who's commented or contributed in any way. This site is all for, and because of, you. You guys and gals rock!

My question to all of you: What is your #1 favorite map of all time?.

I know that's a hard question, one that I had to think a lot about to answer. It's my submission of the Boneyard in AZ, one of the first maps I submitted. The image doesn't look like a lot, but I can remember spending hours scouring all parts of the boneyard for cool planes:

Boneyard, The
3 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Google Maps
Boneyard, The
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: nic
@ 2005-04-10 18:15:12


What's your favorite map of all time? -- nic]]> Fri, 20 Apr 2007 22:55:08 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3104 Globetrotters are lovin' Live Maps http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3087 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3087 Virtual Earth / Live Maps Blog gave us a shout out today. Hello back at ya!

They mention that many of the maps submitted to VGT these days are Live Maps' birds eye and satellite images. They're quite right -- already a good number of the submissions from today are awesome birds eye images:

Pirate ship
LL-BEV1 CommentsView in Live Local
Pirate ship
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 00:10:48
SH-60 Seahawk
LL-BEV1 CommentsView in Live Local
SH-60 Seahawk
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: daggerwell
@ 2007-04-15 09:33:21


Taking a look at our historical data, the number of Live Maps images submitted by VGT visitors has been increasing quite a bit. In 2006, 76% of the maps submitted were of Google Maps images. So far in 2007, Live Maps images are beating Google Maps images 51% to 49%. Lots of cool things to be seen from up above! I definitely think that Live Maps' birds eye images are helping Microsoft out here -- the detail they're getting is amazing!

The best part about all this Microsoft/Google competition? Us globetrotters are the winners

Speaking of which... Live Maps? Live Local? Virtual Earth? Live Search Maps? While Microsoft keeps tweaking the name of their service, others such as Robert Scoble have noticed and ask why Microsoft Maps doesn't get the hype?. Does the constant name changing have something to do with it? Personally, I think Live Maps has the best ring to it. Virtual Earth was great back in the day too, but if it has to have 'Live' in the name, leave it at 'Live Maps'. The Virtual Earth / Live Maps blog has a response to Scoble as well. -- nic]]> Sun, 15 Apr 2007 21:33:33 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3087 Google Earth maps atrocities in Darfur http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3050 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=3050