Google Maps for Boingo -- And Any Page

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."

Comments

When do we see ads?

[moz25]

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?

Re:When do we see ads?

[bedroll]

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

Another 'point of light'

[Anonymous Coward]

Is their incandescent server...

I propose...

[Otter]

...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.

Wireless WiFi Finding

[Gamzarme]

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

With all these hacks and plugins

[eieken]

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

Great for travelers

[lightyear4]

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.

Re:I guess they're not ready for wifi for the mass

[schon]

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

Re:Illegal Purposes

[Trevin]

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

probably could

[Morinaga]

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.

Consolidation of map data

[joeytheslimeball]

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"

Re:What is the point of Greasemap?

[stockmaster]

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.

Piggy Bank: Greasemonkey for web data

[ddkilzer]

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.

Make Your Own Map Of Anything

[blazerw]

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.