Tag: maps
8-Bit NYC is the coolest map–ever
by neetika on Mar.12, 2010, under Latest Web Technologies

The 8-Bit NYC map is simply fantastic. The service displays New York City in a depiction that’s modeled after maps in adventure video games from the 1980s. Even better, all the content in 8-Bit NYC is accurate, making it a viable mapping tool, as well.
“I hope to evoke the same urge for exploration, abstract sense of scale, and perhaps most importantly unbounded excitement that many of us remember experiencing on the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Commodore 64, or any other number of 8-bit microcomputers,” the map’s developer Brett Camper writes on the site.
Camper built 8-Bit NYC on top of Open Street Map, an editable map of the entire world. You can zoom in on individual streets, look all around the city, and much more. You can even search for a specific address or location.
I’ve seen several interesting maps in my day, but 8-Bit NYC easily takes the cake. If you’re an old-time gamer who enjoyed eight-bit adventure titles, you’ll want to see this map.
Plan Multi-Stop Trips With Route4Me
by neetika on Feb.20, 2010, under Latest Web Technologies
Route4Me is a free, online service that provides optimal routing for multi-destination trips.
With a nice web interface and a new iPhone app, Route4Me is a great way to create a route for trips that have more than one stop.
In the age of GPS and Google Maps, getting directions isn’t that difficult. How good or accurate those directions might be depends on the service and location, but finding creating a route map is a pretty simple process. Route4Me, however, lets you enter in multiple destinations, giving you the most efficient route so you can save time and energy by driving less.

The web interface is pretty basic — just enter in your starting address and your destinations and you’re off. Be aware, if your addresses aren’t specific enough, you might have to change them. The system isn’t as forgiving as some mapping tools.
We like that you can then download those routes into a file that will work with other navigation systems. This is nice for people with TomTom or other GPS systems.
The new Route4Me iPhone app, which is $1.99, is designed to make turn-by-turn directions to multiple destinations really simple. The app has a solid interface, but be aware: If you just want to go one place, the app won’t create a route for you unless you enter it twice.
A nice feature of the iPhone app is that it can use your Address Book for location information. This is handy if you are visiting friends and don’t want to have to manually type in each address.
The Internet has made mapping and route planning easier on all of us and Route4Me is another tool that can help users save time and gas.

