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• 28 Jan 2010 : Mobile GeoRSS Maps The easy way to add mapping for mobile websites • 10 Jan 2010 : Switch Maps Combine multiple map types - simple embeddable control • 17 Jun 2009 : Iran Election Twitter Map Mapping tweets about the Iran Election • 15 Jun 2009 : Map Feed Converter v1 A utility to convert data between KML and tab-delimited format • 1 Jun 2009 : Map Channels Version 3.02 Updated to fix some bugs and add new features. • 12 Apr 2009 : Dual Maps version 3 Dual Maps has been updated to include extra options and Google Local Search. The project has also moved to a faster server at Mashed World. • 30 Mar 2009 : Street Tours Use Street Tours to map your favourite Google street views. Share Street Tours with other users and embed them into your own website. • 22 Mar 2009 : EntCal.com An example site using Map Channels v3 to display event and venue maps. • 20 Mar 2009 : World Holiday Map An example site using Map Channels v3 to map hotels. • 7 Mar 2009 : Instant Map Creator Easily create a map and 'find directions' panel for a single location. Built on the Map Channels v3 code. • 2 Mar 2009 : Map Channels Version 3.01 Updated to fix some bugs and add new features. Google Map Maker tiles can now be selected. • 22 Feb 2009 : Map Channels Version 3 Version 3 is a full re-write of the Map Channels Code. New features include clustering, spreadsheet feed support, Virtual Earth, Street View and more. • 23 Dec 2008 : Team Maps Team Maps are maps which you can embed on your web page and which can be edited by your site visitors. • 5 Dec 2008 : Quiz maps Quiz Maps are geographical quizes using Google Maps and Panoramio Images. • 24 Sep 2008 : Map Channels Events Interactive event calendars and venue maps. Find events by name, category, date or location. Ticket price comparison. View city tours, attractions and activities. Explore venues with Google Street View and Google Earth
News Archive
17 Aug 08 : Feed Maps
Feed Maps is a new API available from Map Channels. Use Feed Maps to easily add a map containing one or more feeds to your website.
A number of example tutorials are included. Formatted supported include KML, GeoRSS, Tab-delimited text and Google Spreadsheets.
July 08 : Street Cities
Street Cities is a new site created by Map Channels which hosts embeddable Street View controls.
7 Apr 08 : Miscellaneous Improvements
- (v2.13) Fix for maps which use the Maps-for-Free relief layer (the url used by these map tiles changed).
- (v2.12) Support for custom markers in My Maps which use a size other than the standard 32 x 32 pixel size.
- Fix for a bug where the 'Get Directions' link was not being displayed.
- A 'pointer' cursor (hand shape) is displayed when the mouse is over a sidebar element.
- The colour of the 'Previous' and 'Next' links is set to the user specified text colour.
26 Mar 08 : Dual Maps and Street View Driver
- Dual Maps - combine Google Maps with Microsoft Virtual Earth Maps. Dual Maps let you compare imagery between the map APIs, use
the Virtual Earth bird's eye view and the Google Street View.
Dual Maps version 2 features a number of improvements for the display of Google Street Views. Street Views are now displayed in a separate pane above the Google map. A vehicle marker and 'Field of View' overlay
tracks your current location on both maps as you move through the Street View panorama.
- Street View Driver - Drive-Thru Street Views (just for fun)
9 Feb 08 : Lat49 Mapvertisments and The Food Directory
- A new advert option allows you to earn money from your maps through Lat 49 mapvertising.
- The Map Channels Food Directory is a map-based site profiling restuarants around the world. The site is currently beta, more restaurants and features will be added soon.
- A new flight search form has been added to the home page. This feature uses Momondo, the world's best flight search engine. Flight Search has also been added to the Map Channels Hotel and Attractions Directory
- Further support for geoRSS - now showing lines and polygons.
- Fix for a bug which was preventing the refresh of map data when a KML source was modified.
- Display of the Zoom In/Out links in info windows is now optional.
30 Dec 07 : A few improvements and fixes
- A preload option to size info windows correctly, preventing overflow of the images.
- A fix for display of markers in Internet Explorer 6 (the transparent background is shown correctly).
- Filters can be created for polygons and polylines.
- Line length in miles and km can be optionally added to the description of polylines.
- Horizontal and vertical scrollbars are only displayed in the sidebar when required.
26 Dec 07: The Website Atlas
- Website Atlas - a new feature we are developing. The atlas indexes websites which use maps, including Map Channels and APIs such as the Google, Yahoo and Microsoft APIs. This feature replaces the Big Map page that used to display users' Map Channels.
- Terrain Layer - a new Google Map Layer and a new style for the Map Type Control.
- Extra Map Channel Options - 100 % width option and reduced size icons for the side bar.
- Batch Geocoding Example - preview the free batch geocoding service in action.
- Various Bugfixes - A bug preventing display of maps in Opera has been fixed. The sidebar scrollbar works correctly for all supported browsers. The width bug affecting Internet Explorer 6 info windows is fixed.
26 Nov 07: Batch Geocoding and a lot more features
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Geocoding - the new Geocoding section lets you look up the location of an address or lat long value.
The Batch Geocoding facility allows you to geocode a tab-delimited file containing up to 200 addresses and create a Map Channel directly from the data.
An additional feature lets you compare the geocoded location against an existing location, useful for improving the accuracy of an existing location database.
-
Slide Show - the slide show feature has been restored and improved. An customizable on-map control lets you play or pause the slideshow.
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Maximizable Info Windows - this feature is a useful alternative for displaying info windows which have a lengthy description or large images. When first clicked
a small info window containing the place name is displayed. Click the 'Expand' control to expand the info window to nearly the full map area using the same style that
Google use on their local map pages.
Google Bar - This is an improvement on the Google Local Search control, taking up less screen space than before
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Relief Layer - this can be added as an extra map type and shows terrain elevation by colour up to zoom level 11.
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Improved Support for GeoRSS files - RSS files using Simple GeoRSS, GML or W3C formats can now be imported. Only single point placemarks are supported (we are working on support for lines and polygons).
30 Oct 07: Several Updates
Some new features are available for embedded maps :
• Internal Search - to search names and descriptions within your map data.
• Navigation Tools - you can include a set of map pan and zoom controls in the toolbar and remove 'control clutter' from the main map area.
• Drag Zoom control - allows quick zooming to an exact section of the map in a single operation. This control is developed by Andre Lewis at www.earthcode.com and licensed under the Apache Licence.
The Map Channels Code is now licensed under the Apache License v2.0 which still allows you to use the code without charge for commercial and non-commercial use.
We have experimented with embedded ads in the toolbar section of the map but have now decided to remove these.
Instead we have set up a Donations Page to let users donate through Paypal and suppport further development of Map Channels.
Donations will help fund the site and keep the embedded maps ad-free.
The Tutorials section has been expanded. There is still more information to add to these tutorials - please use the contact form if you have any specific questions.
We have removed the quick map option as the advanced map option can now provide maps without a sidebar if required.
An important change is the storage for map scripts. Script data is now stored on a separate site and will load more quickly than before.
This change will allow users to create many more maps through the site without slowing down the site speed.
Additionally a bug fix has removed caching problems that occured when script are added to a static HTML page.
Further features are under development for the next release. Please contact us with new feature requests or if you have any custom mapping requirements.
Oct 07: Major Update
After a break for other projects Map Channels has been updated with improvements in a number of areas.
• Site restructuring to help navigation
• Channel Management Improvements
• New Map Channels can be created using the style settings of an existing channel.
• The Channel Sidebar format has been re-organised
• Local scripts have been simplified and bugs fixed
• A Hotels Directory has been added as a subdomain at Hotels.MapChannels.com
• A Google Mapplets section has been added. We also offer a Mapplet design service.
Limited Google adverts are now displayed within embedded maps.
These ads are kept as unobtrusive as possible at the bottom of the Tools sidebar and help fund site development.
The slideshow facility has temporarily been removed, we will restore this soon.
Thanks for the user feedback that has help to add some of the new features.
Further features are in the pipeline to further improve the
Map Channels service. Please contact us if you have any feature requests.
Aug 07: Update
Three new features have been added
• Quick Map Option - for people wanting a simple map select this option to add a map with minimal code
overhead. Not all style options (e.g. the sidebar and search channels) are available for quick maps.
• Ads Layer Option - Google have released new features allowing ads to be included on maps and local search results.
This is a beta feature which currently only provides ads for businesses based in the USA. You can specifiy for own AdSense ID and
earn money from your map.
• Tooltip Finetuning - Allows positioning of tooltips so they appear adjacent to markers.
There are also a number of minor style changes and bugfixes to generally improve the site.
Jul 07: Events Channel
Events.MapChannels.com is a subdomain of the main Map Channels site.
This facility indexes events and ticket availability for thousands of events, primarily in the USA and Canada. The site also contains links to
KML files which list venues within regions or for a particular performer. You can include these venue KMLs within your own map and also an event
search channel.
Jul 07: Map Channels Launched
Map Channels is a new site building upon the design of our previous
website My Maps Plus. The
aim of the site is still to provide a means to easily embed advanced maps into your website or blog.
The name has been changed as the scope of the website is expanding beyond maps created by Google My Maps.
We now aim to support other maps created using the KML format and also geo-coded data feeds using the
GeoRSS format.
My Maps Plus will continue as a website
for users who might not want all the features available here. Development of new features will now be
take place on the Map Channels site.
As always feedback and suggestions are welcome. Feedback has helped to develop new features for My Maps Plus
so we are hoping to add additional features for Map Channels based on user feedback. We try to reply to all comments you send in.
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