Sunday, June 23, 2013

The Google Maps of the Week


ShotHotspot is a great resource that helps both professional and amateur photographers find great locations to take photos.

The application uses data from sites like Flickr and Panoramio to analyse the most photogenic areas. ShotHotspot's Google Maps allows users to scout for locations around any location worldwide. It is possible to narrow down the area of search by drawing the area you are interested on the map. It is also possible to zoom in on a location and update the results shown by selecting the 'Search Visible Area'.

You can select any of the hotspots displayed on the map and preview the photo opportunities by viewing photographs of the location taken by other photographers which have been posted to Flickr or Panoramio.


The Mapdwell Solar System helps Cambridge, Massachusetts residents find out how much electricity can be produced from solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, how the financial investment will pay off and how much pollution will be reduced.

The map uses Google Maps satellite imagery overlaid with a layer that displays the solar irradiation that falls on each roof in the city. The map takes into account the shape of roofs and even predicts the amount of solar radiation down to every hour of the day.

Users can click on their house on the Google Map and receive an overview of their building's recommended system. System tabs allow users to view detailed information in four categories: money, investment, technical and environment. 


Race Shape has released a Google Map of 240,658 Strava bike rides worldwide. The Strava Global Ride Heatmap is therefore a great resource for cyclists to explore popular cycling routes near their location.

Race Shape also has some great tools for analysing Strava rides that can show you how a gap changes between two riders on the same ride. Using the tool a Strava user can compare their performance against other bike riders over the same ride and explore the segments where they may be under-performing compared to other bike riders.

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