‘Mashup’ can mean a lot of things, but with websites, a mashup is when you take two totally unrelated sites and make a program that combines them together. For instance, “Chicago Crime Map” takes Windy City PD crime data and plugs it into web-based charts and maps, so you can look at a colorful map that tells you which El stop not to get off after midnight. Or, “PandoraPoot” would be a program that plays internet fart noises through Pandora, though so far nobody has invented such an awesome application.
No program is more ripe to be mashed than Google Maps, and designers have already made about a million mashups plugging various data into the popular mapping program, from bird flu outbreaks to places you can buy a Wii. These mashups range from useful to just plain f’ing ridiculous. And of course it’s this latter category we’re concerned with here on Paulspond.
Thus, I give you the ten funniest, most WTF web mashups involving Google Maps.
1) Google Nuclear Blast
Live in Jersey and want to know if you’d survive a nuclear bomb dropped on Lower Manhattan? Now you know, thanks to this paranoia-coddling mashup. Start building your bomb-shelter now – those sneaky Russians could attack any minute.
2) Geographic Seinfeld Map
A map of every real New York location ever mentioned in ‘Seinfeld‘. Since this mashup debuted, business at the Soup Nazi Kitchen has quadrupled.
3) If the Oceans Rose 5 Feet
Another parania-fueling mashup, probably brought to you by the hippie alarmist media. Because we all know global warming is just a theory, like evolution, and the metric system.
4) Google Fast Food Maps
Maps every fast food restaurant in America. In other words, it’s a map of McDonalds’ slow but certain takeover of the universe.
5) Red Light Cameras
This mashup shows every red light camera, speed camera, and even the dreaded stop sign camera in your totalitarian city. Here, you can see just one more reason why I hate Los Angeles.
6) Google Bible Map
Source
Maps every Middle-Eastern location mentioned in the Bible, except Jesus’ current home in “my heart, U.S.A.”
7) Twitter Vision
Shows Twitter posts all over the globe, as they’re Twatted, to see which country has the most thirteen-year-olds.
8) Diaroogle
A map of every public toilet in Manhattan (thus the clever title). Suspiciously similar to the map of Manhattan chili-dog stands.
9) Nudes in San Francisco
Apparently, there’s an underground organization in San Fran that sends random naked girls out on walks around the city, and photographs them as they go (only in San Fran…). This mashup maps these walks… and was basically just an excuse for some designer to look at the pictures and call it web programming.
10) Google Pot
Source
Maybe the most surprising mashup of all, this site maps the location of anybody growing weed outdoors (I guess they have this new camera that can distinguish marijuana from other plants during aerial fly-overs). So anybody farming serious weed in national parks – or even growing ganja in their back yard – beware… Big Brother is watching.
Comments
Rods
July 24th, 2009 - 1:06:07 AM
There is also http://www.rodsbot.com for Strange Sights on Google Earth ... ;.)