Many attribute the saying "Wherever you go, that's where you are" to Confucius. However, it's doubtful the Chinese philosopher ever considered how apps, social networking sites and map-making software would encourage people to redefine that phrase for a new era.
Creative developers are becoming more and more focused on connecting people and displaying the world in novel new ways. From a touchscreen map that stretches and contorts to map-editing software for aspiring cartographers, how we see the lay of the land is changing.
Unveiled last month, the Flex Touchscreen is the culmination of work that boasted contributions from Osaka University faculty members. Unlike vanilla scrolling touchscreen technology, the display folds, wrinkles and flexes -- sort of like a real map. Furthermore, dismissed areas won't necessarily leave the screen; they will remain available albeit in a shrunken, distorted form.
Its developers believe the unique software - which would include pinch-to-zoom and multi-touch - would be a perfect fit for handheld online-enabled devices like smart phones and tablets.
The touchscreen-based technology could find a perfect partner in Google Maps and Google Earth if recent plans by the search engine giant catch on.
According to Google's official blog, "Before Google Map Maker only 15 percent of the world’s population had detailed online maps of their neighborhoods. Using Map Maker, people have built out and edited the maps for 183 countries and regions around the world, and now, due to the contributions of citizen cartographers, 30 percent of people have detailed online maps of the places they live."
The company wants to add one more country to that list: the United States.
"We’re opening the map of the United States in Google Map Maker for you to add your expert local knowledge directly," declared the company on Tuesday. "You know your neighborhood or hometown best, and with Google Map Maker you can ensure the places you care about are richly represented on the map."
The chance to alter how millions of people view local areas almost seems like playing God, but Google maintains the technology will help not hurt: shortcuts, accurate location outlines and more will benefit everyone, the company believes.
PCMag points out that this is similar to how Wikipedia provides information, but with one major difference: map edits must be reviewed and approved prior to implementation. This would cut down on after-the-fact fixes and misleading digital cartography.
The company understandably doesn't want internet pranksters mapping fast food restaurants inside lakes. (Via Walyou, PCMag)
Are you already a "citizen cartographer"? Is the flex touchscreen the next wave in map viewing technology? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
