Posted by Angela in Internet | 0 Comments
Mapquest Back in the Game!
Being a Gmail junkie, I am a loyal user of Google Maps when I need directions. Or at least I used to be. I just recently discovered some pretty amazing features new to Mapquest reinstating my faith in the direction-providing site.
A tool for calculating gas costs is now available when you use Mapquest to attain your directions. Imagine the convenience this would provide for a long road trip! After typing in the beginning and ending addresses, the site asks how many miles per gallon your car gets. Then when you enter the appropriate MPG, the program uses the average gas prices in the area to come up with a great estimation for your cost of gas.
Another unique feature is the GeoRSS feed, that was launched at the beginning of October. The GeoRSS allows you to map pictures from a trip and put them in your personal blog or webpage. Basically, after taking tons of pictures on your vacation, you post them on Flickr. Then you can use GeoRSS to link the different pictures to their appropriate spot on a map of the place you visited. Then readers of your blog or page will be able to see exactly what you experienced on your trip, photo by photo.
Mapquest has also created a navigation application for the iPhone that is very close to replacing your Tom-Tom or other GPS system. This navigation app has 2D and 3D images to help you get where you need to go as well as spoken directions to provide some safety. It also allows you to find nearby restaurants, gas stations, etc., at any point during your journey.
I think we have all learned a valuable lesson today, don’t judge Mapquest by its former appearance. Let’s give it a second chance!
