Map and data to provide new Network Services

Reference from: http://cgi.blog.yam.com/trackback/327858

David Gelernter, professor of computer science at Yale University, proposed in 1991 that the real world be virtualized on computer screens using software, from traffic, interior decoration, and even sales and currency data, can be displayed on the computer screen with icons.

Gelernter's idea took a big step weeks ago. A few weeks ago, Google and Yahoo published their results, allowing designers to more easily integrate a wide range of network information with smart network maps (such as Google's satellite maps.

After Google and Yahoo released tools, experts and companies have invented dozens of usage methods, including adding the California wineries and restaurants that appear in the movie "looking for new directions" to the Web Map to provide real-time maps, mark the location of the recent London bombing.

Microsoft also launched a similar service-Virtual Earth last week, where programmers can design a variety of innovative uses.

Currently, all applications are free of charge. However, Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft are gradually entering the smart map. They hope that the map of the merchant's location (contextual advertisements) will drive the Internet into a new era, google hopes to stand out and become a leader in the industry. Users only need to search for such semantic advertisements, which can be embedded in or along with maps.

Although the three companies have not yet announced how to profit from smart maps in the future, one of the possible models is that after authorizing the development tool, sellers who use smart maps for advertising purposes can split accounts with companies that provide smart maps.

Chris Churchill, chief executive of search engine advertising company fathom online, said: "This market has billions of dollars in business opportunities. Smart map supports advertising, which is the result of many people's efforts .」

Large map application business opportunities

Broadly speaking, this innovative service means that the network is heading for a new era. In the so-called "Web 2.0" era, network software technology is changing with each passing day, and all applications are integrated like Lego bricks.

Tim o'reilly, chief executive of California publishing and conference company oreilly media, said: "There are a variety of network services, one East and one west. engineers have developed new tools to integrate these different services .」

Location-based ad revenue is only part of the smart map service. Although it is still in its infancy, it is a known ready-made tool (application development interface API) various innovative application services have been developed.

Silicon Valley programmer Paul Rademacher writes software that enables the real estate list listed on the BBS site Craigslist to be displayed on Google Maps.

This hybrid network service (also known as mash-ups) can be viewed at housingmaps.com. The website has attracted more than 0.5 million visitors so far, and has been accessed 10 thousand times a day on average, almost all of them rely on the Internet to get online with the website. Rademacher said that he posted a short notice on craiglist to ask the author for the map program he designed. He did not expect a wide echo.

Rademacher said his mind was suddenly inspired to drive a house near Silicon Valley one day. He said that it was very hard to find a house in Silicon Valley to print out the locations of the houses to be rented on every website. He said, "It is very inconvenient for me to visit the house with a large pile of maps. I wonder why I can't show it on a map .」

Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft have their own policies

This hybrid service may cause the issue of splitting accounts of related groups, and the ownership of digital information may not be close. Rademacher decided not to allow advertisements to enter the website, therefore, this website is purely used to verify whether smart maps are feasible or not.

Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft have different policies for the map service.

Google encourages people such as Rademacher who are brave enough to try. Microsoft plans to win over professional programmers. It is clear that the design results of these people will attract advertisers.

Stephen Lawler, general manager of Microsoft Virtual Earth and mappoint, said: "We place great importance on programmers and will give them full support. We don't want them to play with tickets .」

One of the strengths of Google in the New Territories is simplicity, which allows web site owners to easily learn how to map. Bret Taylor, product manager of Google Maps, said: "Google maps is popular in simple and easy to understand .」

Google's tool is not only applicable to traditional maps, but also to recently released Google Earth software, which can integrate satellite maps, road maps and other information. Users can add directions or other materials next to these images, or create 3D animation photos as needed. Microsoft also plans to make good use of satellite data, but the interface is a Web browser, unlike Google Earth, you can download programming software separately.

On the contrary, Yahoo's supervisor has doubts about the satellite map, so he places his focus on the Data Map.

Yahoo hopes that the network user group will be able to share their comments or experiences on nearby restaurants and other businesses on Yahoo map.

Paul Levine, Yahoo's supervisor, said, "It is better to help people better understand the actual environment than to create a virtual world .」

Although there are many consumers in the New Territories, the customer-oriented map service has shaken the originally static Geographic Information System (GIS). Over the past decade, most of the GIS customers have been locked, meet the needs of enterprise customers.

Last month, San Francisco held a "where 2.0" meeting to discuss the positioning technology and map plotting methods. The conference organizer Nathan torkington said: "In the past, we used to learn about Tibet private, hoping to gain the dominance of this technology, now we will see the exchange of map technologies. 」

Although Microsoft, MapQuest, and other companies have launched map design interfaces, the main pipeline is trading.

For example, if a company develops its own map query program based on Microsoft's mappoint plotting data, the company will have to pay Microsoft once every time the program is activated.

Drawing experts say that the new drawing tools are different from the previous GIS systems, and almost any web designer can trust them.

Perry Evans, founder of Mapquest, said: "To be honest, tasemi is an old bottled new wine. The difference is that it is easier to get it, and there are also increasing sellers who buy advertisements .」

Google encourages you to join labs or "hackers", attracting high interest from programmers and traditional GIS practitioners.

"I'm very excited," said Rupert scammell, a program engineer at RSA Security, a software and consultancy. Google reduced the hacking protection from September 9, June 2. Writing three or four lines of JavaScript is enough to become a hacker .」 Scammell explores Google's program tools and creates several easy-to-use interfaces to improve Google Maps.

Many network experts said that Google waved to those brave adopters and experts. This decision is of great significance because this community is the main driving force behind the rapid development of the network.

O'reilly said: "The hacker guides us in the future. The above example is classic .」