Well, I’ve always wanted to make this site that would shorten your affiliate links and finally did it today so check it out, it’s called CozyURL.com:

Well, here’s another site called CozyURL.com I made today in about 2 hours while chatting on G-mail with Josh.

I didn’t add any graphics so it’s fast and you can easily access it from mobile devices too.

It’s basically a site that will shorten URLs like http://sdfkcs.com/jdsf923jfdsaf to http://CozyURL/120.

It’s a free site and your link will permanently remain so please knock yourself out the next time you need to shorten that long GoogleMaps URL, or simply want to remember one number for viewing the site on your mobile phone.

I might open-source the code since some of you might like to make your own, so leave a comment if you want it.

via Zedomax Blog Network

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Here’s a video of the new Mobile GoogleMaps version 2.3.1 with StreetView on my Blackberry 8830.  Above is me spying on Google’s San Francisco headquarter on 345 Spear Street.

Anyways, the new mobile GoogleMaps is pretty darn slow but I ain’t complaining since I am sure they will make it faster in the upcoming versions.

via Blog Network

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Google has just launched its new Mobile GoogleMaps that includes Street View.  Now you can see the street view on your Blackberry or PDA just like the destop version.

Today we’re launching a new version of Google Maps for mobile with the same street-level imagery available on desktop. Wondering if the restaurant in your search results is the one you’re thinking of? Just click “Street View” after your search to see the storefront. Unsure about a complicated intersection in your directions? Use Street View to see a photo, so there’s no mistaking your turn. You can also launch Street View from any address where we have photography, or simply by clicking on the map and selecting “Street View”. You can browse Street View overlaid on the map or in full screen, rotate your view to see more of your surroundings, and move along the street.

Download GoogleMaps Mobile here

via Blog Network, Google Mobile Blog

Google Rocket might give Google Maps better resolution!

Imagine that you could be using GoogleMaps to watch your neighbor’s latest backyard construction in real-time with a resolution as close as seeing your hands close-up.  With the new launch of Google’s partnership with Boeing to launch a new satellite, this might not happen but definitely the resolution of GoogleMaps and its zoom level might get much better than it is.

Of course, there might be more people suing Google for privacy issues but hey, at least we KNOW that North Korea will not be launching a nuclear weapon anytime soon with all the people in the world watching every details of it.

Google has taken the war over exclusive web content into space. Not directly, of course—the satellite that was recently launched into space on a rocket bearing the Google logo was the result of a joint venture between a commercial satellite imaging provider and the department of defense. In return for undisclosed terms, Google got two considerations: its logo on the side of the launch vehicle, and exclusive use of the mapping images that the satellite produces.

The partnerships in the new satellite are extensive. The hardware was built by General Dynamics and put in orbit by Boeing; the funding for the project came in part from a commercial satellite imaging company, Geoeye. The rest of the funding came from the Defense Department’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which provides map-based intelligence resources. The launch took place yesterday from the Air Force’s Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

via at

RoofRay is a site that let’s you calculate your home’s solar power potential using the power of GoogleMaps.

It’s very interesting as the site will caculate the solar power potential based on the roof area and the slope of the roof.

It’s probably pretty accurate as most data is using direct satellite images off GoogleMaps.

The greatest part about this site is that you can find out how much energy you will be able to make with new solar power cells.  Then you calculate how much it is to install new solar panels on your roof to see how long it will take you to payoff the panels itself.

The RoofRay site allows you to specify location, size and slope of your roof via Google Maps. It then uses this info to estimate how much energy can be generated from your available exposure.

via make

Google is working on voice search functions with their GoogleMaps on Blackberries.  Now, this is really old news as I have covered Microsoft’s TellMe service which does exact same thing for more Blackberries except using Microsoft’s LIVE search and LIVE maps.

Now, in the long run, I would predict Google win this voice-search race since Google does have better search engine and better maps.

via googlemobile

Now, you can drive on GoogleMaps or fly on GoogleEarth.
It’s really fun, I think there’s a potential for dozens of games and money to made off these types of apps.

The first, taking advantage of Google Maps’ new ability to work with Flash applications, lets you drive a car, bus, or truck around Google Maps. It won’t bat an eye if you drive through a building or into the ocean, but Katsuomi Kobayashi, the programmer from Osaka, Japan, who wrote it, was happy to note that the software can display images at 40 frames per second vs. 20 at best for JavaScript. And it uses less CPU power, too.

via crave

Garmin, a popular GPS manufacturer, has just introduced Garmin Edge 705 GPS for bikes.  The GPS system features the ability to monitor where you’ve gone by downloading data to your computer after your long cycle ride.

Looks great for people who are serious tracking their cycle data but if you just need a GPS, you could probably just stick a Blackberry with GPS and GoogleMaps to your bike using some clamps.

The Edge 705 combines (take a deep breath) GPS maps and navigation, heart rate, cadence and power output into a palm of your hand wireless unit. It can display up to 16 separate metrics during the ride and combined with the included software and web-based apps it becomes an incredible tool for social networking, exploration and serious training analysis.

via wired

Well, here’s a cool little hack for anyone who’s interested in building a GPS tracker for fun. Although I’d rather stick to my GoogleMaps on my Blackberry, this is good info for anyone who wants to build a custom app.

The Open GPS Tracker is a small device which plugs into a $20 prepaid mobile phone to make a GPS tracker. The Tracker responds to text message commands, detects motion, and sends you its exact position, ready for Google Maps or your mapping software. The Tracker firmware is open source and user-customizable.

via opengpstracker