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Google Maps for Boingo -- And Any Page

Posted by timothy on from the where-you-at dept.

evdo writes "Last Monday, Boingo agreed to send http://wifi-hotspot.wirelessinternetcoverage.com their entire wifi hotspot database. They came through. Since then, the wirelessinternetcoverage.com guys have been working 24/7 to get all the "thousand points of light" in their new Google Maps Hack. It's done. The beta bugs pointed out by Peter Rojas at Engadget are gone. Now, you can bird's eye WarDrive instead of ascii search for the nearest hotspot in a town where none of the streets are familiar." And stockmaster writes "At last week's Where 2.0 conference in San Francisco, Tim O'Reilly extended his theme that Google Map hacks like Chicago Crime and Craigslist Jobs (which are called "mash-ups") represent a new future where hackers "remix" web services to create new capabilities. This inspired me to create Greasemap, a GPL Firefox plugin that injects a Google map into any page. Notably, it was a 7 hour project which I started when Google released their new API, and demoed the next day on the stage of the conference."

22 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. Did anybody just see that? by jZnat · · Score: 2, Funny

    Did anybody watch as Google Earth showed a live demonstration of their servers exploding? It was Independence Day on the 13th!!

    --
    'Yes, firefox is indeed greater than women. Can women block pops up for you? No. Can Firefox show you naked women? Yes.'
  2. When do we see ads? by moz25 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wonder when we're going to see ads appearing on google maps. Certainly, they have some business model to make that branch profitable? Would they allow a hack (enhancement) that included some form of paid services (as in: paid to be shown in the hack) or ads?

    --
    see a Text Widget
    1. Re:When do we see ads? by bedroll · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'm just wondering, with all these "hacks" to Google Maps when they're going to unlock the hidden sex game in Southern California?

  3. Another 'point of light' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Is their incandescent server...

  4. I propose... by Otter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...that people who say "mash-up" be locked in a room with people who say "boxen". And people like Tim O'Reilly who try to extend the term beyond mixing together a drum-n-bass loop and a Jon Stewart clip and pretending you're a real musician should be locked in a cell with people who complain about "hacker" being used inappropriately.

    --
    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  5. Wireless WiFi Finding by Gamzarme · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes!! Now I can find the nearest WiFi hotspot using my laptop while sitting at a Starbucks! Totally makes sense!

    --
    Pat
  6. With all these hacks and plugins by eieken · · Score: 3, Funny

    Soon we won't need all these websites, just one: Yagoogmailsourcedotazon.com

    --
    Meet new people, and kill them.
  7. RE: I guess they're not ready for wifi for the mas by marcantonio · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well here's the problem right here:

    Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework
    Version:1.1.4322.2300; ASP.NET Version:1.1.4322.2300     ;)

  8. They don't need them just yet by gunpowda · · Score: 2, Insightful

    GMaps also functions as a taster for Google Earth Pro and Plus, both payware (although there is a free version.)

  9. Re:I guess they're not ready for wifi for the mass by Rei · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I can just imagine all sorts of other neat things you could do with Google Maps. For example, a "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego", with real maps, satellite imagery, and yellow-pages lookups.

    "You arrange to meet with a contact in London. He says he'll meet you in the nearest Pizza place due west of Buckingham palace."

    1) Search for "London"
    2) Search for "Buckingham Palace". Go there.
    3) Search for "Pizza"
    4) Look due west; you find "Pizza on the Park". You meet your contact there...

    One could combine it with regular ground imagery of places, factoids, etc. :)

    --
    "/etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit is a gimp plugin and must be run by the gimp in order to be used."
  10. Overtaking GPS software? by theantipop · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I can't wait for Google maps to take over the same functionality common GPS software has in (reliably) highlighting restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and do it all by specific category (Italian restaraunts, or even 4-star Italian restaurants). As it is, it seems Google just searches their cache of websites for addresses in which to show when you do a "Local Search", though I could be wrong.

  11. Wow by fizban · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So, using a publicly available 3rd party API is now called "remixing?" Cool.

    --

    +1 Insightful, -1 Troll. What can I say, I'm an Insightful Troll.

  12. Great for travelers by lightyear4 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As a guy who's been out and about in most parts of the country, this will certainly prove to be an excellent resource! One might always poke around with kismet or netstumbler for an unfortunate, vulnerable network, but as we now know that's no longer very safe. Major kudos for the sort of cooperation that makes such a goldmine of information easily accessible.

  13. Greasemap by stockmaster · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sorry the server is slashdotted already. For people who asked "what's the point", it was to add maps to the many pages which contain addresses and/or Lat+Long geocoded coordinates but which don't yet have maps.

  14. Re:I guess they're not ready for wifi for the mass by schon · · Score: 3, Funny


    Sure, if you want to do it the easy way!
    </voice>

  15. Re:Illegal Purposes by Trevin · · Score: 3, Informative

    Who said anything about free internet or illegal? Boingo Wireless is a paid subscription service.

  16. probably could by Morinaga · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You could search for a Blockbuster address, zoom in on the map and Hollywood video could have a little symbol close by or visa versa. I guarantee if google maps got enough traffic they'd pay for that. Put in a directions query. Say San Diego to Irvine. Map displays route and sponsers like Shell Gas Stations, McDonalds and Starbucks show their little symbols you can click on to get more information. Or better yet they could list next to the query and you could click on them. After, they would show up on the map. I want to know where the Starbucks is by the time I hit La Jolla, boom there it is. Sponsor gets a hit, everyone makes money and I get wired enough to ride the shoulder past the horrid Orange County 405 onramp.

  17. Consolidation of map data by joeytheslimeball · · Score: 3, Interesting

    With map plotting becoming easier and easier, I can foresee a consolidation of all these datasets into geo-supersites that mix and match everything concievable on a map. http://www.globalcoordinate.com/default.aspx?conte nt=atlas has already started in that direction. If we all begin recording and storing GPS data of our lives then all new searches will becmes possible... "Show me all ramen shops with WIFI access within 300 feet of a location where Jane and I cross paths on Sunday afternoons"

  18. Re:What is the point of Greasemap? by stockmaster · · Score: 5, Interesting
    As I mentioned below, it's a Greasemonkey script which scans any web page for both addresses and geocode metatags in the GeoURL syntax, and if found, it injects a Google Map showing any/all such locations into the top of the page. You can choose whether it should show the map by default, or just a small bar indicating that addresses were found. My point in making it was to illustrate that the API can be used to add functionality to any site, not just to a particular site.

    I find it useful on sites like whitepages.com, real estate sites, company location "about us" sites, and a bunch of other surprising places. It just makes the whole web more "mappy".

    By the way, the site is back up, so if you got stuck before please try again now at www.vinq.com/greasemap. It's running on a single Xserve; we'll see how it creaks under the strain.

  19. Piggy Bank: Greasemonkey for web data by ddkilzer · · Score: 4, Informative

    Piggy Bank promises to turn Firefox into a semantic web browser by providing a means to mine data from web sites and then use that data on other web sites. It's like Greasemonkey for data on the web.

  20. Make Your Own Map Of Anything by blazerw · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Frank Lloyd Wright
    http://www.earthcomber.com/community/node/492

    Northwestern University
    http://www.earthcomber.com/community/node/125

    LUGs
    http://www.earthcomber.com/community/node/114

    Then, take 'em with you.

  21. A very rude word in a map URL by Basehart · · Score: 2, Funny

    Talking of maps, I was looking for a place in Washington this afternoon and noticed a VERY rude word in the URL.

    http://www.mapblast.com/(fyfuckuzldzflgqx1qop0cbz) /map.aspx?L=USA&C=47.18924%2c-122.22320&A=7.16667& P=|47.18924%2c-122.22320|1|154th+Ave+Ct+E%2c+Sumne r%2c+WA+98390|L1|

    You'll notice it actually says Fuck You (which is kind of appropriate seeing as MapBlast is owned my Microsoft).

    Imagine the horror if the Pope or someone in the White House was to see this terrible terrible word in their address bar.

    I wonder if anyone has seen others that are, gasp, worse??