London Cycle Hire Visualisation In Google Earth
Live availability information based on the Boris Bikes API.
ViaDigitalUrban.
Live* Tube Mapping
This map shows all trains (yellow pins) on the London Underground network in approximately real time. Click the stations for a local map of that station. I have a (per-station) National Rail version, and abookmarkable train times planner.
*Approximately
Parkopedia
Not to be mistaken for someone that likes having sex in car parks, Pakopedia is a wiki for car parking based on Google Maps. You just tell it the area in which you wanna park and it comes back with info. As they say themselves: 1+ million satisfied drivers | 19 countries | 25,010 towns | 5,895,179 spaces.
Pretty useful – especially if you like having sex in car parks.
EasyJet Vs Facebook
The cynic in me is constantly searching for examples of good brand interaction on Facebook. As we all know agencies and brands are literally crawling all over each other to create some kind of ‘strategy’ or ‘activity’ that will leverage the millions of people knocking round on the networks. Yet seldom do I see an example that I think succeeds. Clients and agencies too often consider social media as simply another channel (mostly for some more content), which is questionable at best (if indeed a strategy at all).
EasyJet, on the other hand, seems to have (on this occasion) a good grasp of the one of the core fundamentals of brand interaction on a platform like Facebook: Adding value. It’s not rocket science – the people on social media are being social, augment that behavior and you’ll likely find some success.
Holiday Planner does exactly that, it’s an application that enables fans (of course you need to become a fan to use it) to plan holidays with their friends. It’s pretty simple, allowing groups to co-ordinate dates and availability and invite others via Facebook and email. What’s really interesting is that the tech includes eCommerce, meaning you’ll be able to book the flights directly from the Facebook app, so you won’t even have to visit the Easyjet website.
As destination sites continue to lose their long standing importance, functionality will begin to migrate onto other (in this case social media) platforms and that will, of course, include eCommerce transactions.
Very smart.
Social media strategy ramble here.
ViaBuzzBox
ObliqO | Personal Urban Vehicle
ObliqO is an innovative recreational device that combines the swinging motion of a snakeboard with a pair of hubless wheels.
Goby | Adventure Search Engine
Goby is a simple search engine focused on enabling you to explore new stuff to do with your time. Just select the type of stuff you are into, enter a city, and a time – and Goby provides you with options/links from multiple event databases. Goby can also find you a suitable place to stay.
MySkyStatus
‘While you’re in the air, MySkyStatus sends altitude, location, departure and arrival updates automatically to your Facebook and Twitter pages.’ Sweet use of Twitter & Facebook from Lufthansa.
Paris 3D Map | iPhone
Paris 3D is the first full texture mapped 3D city on the iPhone.
Here for more info (upcoming cities).
Mannahatta Project
“The goal of the Mannahatta Project has never been to return Manhattan to its primeval state. The goal of the project is discover something new about a place we all know so well, whether we live in New York or see it on television, and, through that discovery, to alter our way of life. New York does not lack for dystopian visions of the future…. But what is the vision of the future that works? Might it lie in Mannahatta, the green heart of New York, and with a new start to history, a few hours before Hudson arrived that sunny afternoon four hundred years ago?”
From Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City
Here.
Altrapalo | Radiohead Vs Vacations
In Rainbows style holiday model in which you pay for your trip when you get back based on how much you think it’s worth.
Nice.
ViaAdvaBlog
LightLane
A device that attaches to the back of your bike frame creating an illuminated bike lane around you. LightLane aims to give bikers the space they need on roads without bike lanes. rubbishcorp® aims to get a LightLane and adapt it so I can tell aggressive cabbies to f**k off.
Nice.
ViaBagOfSand
Aerial Virtual | New York City
Awesome.
I miss New York City.
ViaAdverblog
I Am The Passenger
Over the next few days I’ll be mostly on planes and in strange cities, starting tonight in Sidney. Posting may cease – depending on circumstance.
I ride and I ride.
Bransons Den*
Virgin Atlantic has unveiled an in-flight service that gives passengers the opportunity to window-shop a entrepreneurial business ideas. The dedicated channel, called PitchTV, is aimed at the airline’s business passengers and enables interested parties (like Mr Branson) to contact the entrepreneurs directly.
If you have an idea you can upload videos to Virgin’s website and those with the highest rating will be featured on the airline’s service.
Pretty smart.
*Puns are a bit off at the moment.
Earth In HD
In celebration of Earth Day, NASA presents images of Earth captured by cameras aboard the International Space Station. Traveling at an approximate speed of 17,500 miles per hour, the space station orbits Earth every 90 minutes from an altitude of approximately 220 miles, and can be seen from Earth with the naked eye. Its crew experiences 16 sunrises and sunsets each day.