Boing Boing » gmaps http://boingboing.net Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:46:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 Google adds North Korean death-camps to maps http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/google-adds-north-korean-death.html http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/google-adds-north-korean-death.html#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:42:53 +0000 Cory Doctorow http://boingboing.net/?p=209534
Google Maps has added notorious, secretive North Korean prison camps to its maps of the country. The data is gleaned from user contributions, including a first-person account of Shin Dong-Hyuk, who escaped from Camp 14, a death camp where he was born and raised.

Called Map Maker, Google’s information for the country’s layout comes primarily from visitors and from former citizens who defected, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The mapping idea stemmed in part from a 28-year-old South Korean who tried to use Google maps on a trip to Laos four years ago, but found it unhelpful, at best. He ultimately helped devise the Google map application for North Korea.

“I thought if I could fill in information on North Korea, it might be useful in an emergency or tragedy if Google can provide a map for aid agencies,” the South Korean told the Wall Street Journal.

Google maps North Korea, including prison camps [Cheryl K. Chumley/Washington Times] (via /.) ]]> http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/google-adds-north-korean-death.html/feed 22 Kaleidoscopic maps: Rorschmap http://boingboing.net/2011/07/30/kaleidoscopic-maps-rorschmap.html http://boingboing.net/2011/07/30/kaleidoscopic-maps-rorschmap.html#comments Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:57:31 +0000 Cory Doctorow http://boingboing.net/?p=111501
James Bridle created Rorschmap, which kaleidoscopes the satellite views of your favorite spots (shown here, the center of Manhattan).

Rorschmap (via Waxy) ]]> http://boingboing.net/2011/07/30/kaleidoscopic-maps-rorschmap.html/feed 7