Mike Blumenthal

Google Maps needs accurate underlying maps data to be successful. It needs the data to not only provide a positive user experience but to correctly deliver ads and a safe mapping environment. The change to TeleAtlas in September appeared to many to be a step backwards in map quality, partiuclarly in the U.S. But the …

As the release date of the iPhone upgrade approaches, the rumor mills are churning. Gizmodo has a good roundup of likely new features that are thought to be in the next iPhone update (2.2). There are a number of interesting Google Map features that seem ready to appear on the iPhone in this update: Street …

Ed Parsons is the Geospatial Technologist of Google and he has noted for Geospatial services to belcome really mainstream, the ability to determine a users/devices location needs to be a standard function. Windows 7 announced that it would include the capability, the iPhone and gPhone already do. In a recent post Parsons speculates that All …

Goog-411, Google’s voice driven 411 directory assistance that uses the same business listings and rankings as Google Maps, has recently been upgraded to only require a single business + city search phrase. This upgrade mirrors the late  July blue line upgrade to Maps that moved Maps from a two field entry (one each for business …

The community edit hijackings started in the Payday Loan industries to create location confusion, moved onto theft in the floral industries, were highlighted with a bit of pranksterism with the Microsoft Escort example and subsequently moved into the consumer complaint arena. As Ben Allen noted in his blog: You Deserve a Rake Today at Ickdonalds. …

Google has roled out two new Maps transit trip instructional videos: For new users: As we are having more and more new Maps users and new forum members everyday, we customized an Introductory Maps video for people who has just about started to use Google Maps yet not very familiar with all kinds of great …

Google Maps, since my Microsoft hijacking, has taken on a whole new role; consumer advocate and complaint department against major national firms. Google’s community edit feature is allowing the “community” (aka disgruntled consumers) to speak out in ways that were not anticipated when the feature was released. I was browsing Maps when I found this …

Sometimes Google Maps just gets it wrong. It is a large and complex system where a single switched byte makes all the difference.  For whatever reason if you do a search on Pregnancy Testing Wellsville , it wants to send you off to Amsterdam NY for your appointment, 265 miles away. While Wellsvile is rural, it …