MapQuest Map API Transactions Are Now Free

November 17, 2011 1 Comment

So Google did the right thing by actually charging for their API.  We all expected other APIs to jump in and show the world how they are either cheaper or better.  Well MapQuest jumped in with free with no transaction limits for their “Open Data” Map API.

MapQuest is excited to announce a change to our limits, which includes no preset limit on maps within our free Community Edition license!

Ah, but what about their licensed map versions?

 In addition, we are setting higher limits on our other service calls (the highest in the industry), with 5,000 geocodes, 5,000 routes and 5,000 search calls allowed per day.

If you click over to their blog post, you can see a chart that outlines all the features of the different options.  What is interesting is the Community Edition/Open Data tier allows free on Private and/or Paid Commercial Web Apps and Mobile Apps.  I can’t think of any apps that use MapQuest offhand now, but I suspect these new changes will at least get people to look.

MapQuest is still in a tight spot, but at least they are running faster.

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MapQuest Takes on Google Navigation – OSM Comes Along For The Ride

February 16, 2011 9 Comments

Clearly when it comes to navigation, the Android platform is king. Me being an iOS Fan Boi, I roll with MapQuest as my navigation tool on the iPhone because it seems to do the best routing. The Google Map app seems to let me down again and again. Now MapQuest seems to have pegged its future on OSM and this new Android Navi app brings it front and center.

  • OSM Maps: User-sourced maps that may provide unique local perspective and detail
  • Bug Logging for OSM: Standing in front of a new building? Report it to the community and they’ll fill in the missing pieces
  • International Maps: Take MapQuest abroad on business trips (or for you ex-pats) and experience maps improved by mapping enthusiasts[ref]is that code for mapping wackos?[/ref]

As I don’t have a working Android phone anymore, I can’t test it out. What would be killer is that if the OSM maps could be cached so that you can navigate while traveling and not have to use expensive data roaming plans.

No word if Mario uses it when in his kart…

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MapQuest Finally Goes OSM in USA

December 16, 2010 3 Comments

So apparently our work is done in the USA with the OpenStreetMap data because MapQuest opened up their USA version of their open initiative.

Open.Mapquest.com provides the same features as our 10 sites in Europe and Asia, and also debuts a new error-reporting tool (which has been added to all of MapQuest’s open sites).  For many, this tool may be their first step in becoming OSM contributors.  Now, on any open MapQuest site, errors can be reported directly and are displayed in near real-time.  These errors can range from an incorrect speed limit or directional changes on a street to a missing parking lot or a new cultural institution.

Bing Boom goes the dynamite!  I guess now we can’t complain about the quality of the map anymore because it is my own fault it sucks in Arizona.  This is a very gutsy move on MapQuest’s part as I’m not sure the map is really good enough to use in the United States, but we need something like this out there to get it moving forward.  Rather than fix errors in the Google Map, now we can fix errors in the MapQuest Map and send them on to the root OSM map.  Good work MapQuest!

As an Arizona State alumni, I’m planning a trip to see the NCAA this weekend to correct a horrible wrong done to our fair university.  Looks like I’ll be making that trip with MapQuest and OSM.

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MapQuest goes OpenStreetMap – At Least in UK

July 9, 2010 5 Comments

MapQuest, in that ever battle to stay relevant, has chosen to move toward OpenStreetMap.  Says the Wall Street Journal:

The company [MapQuest], a subsidiary of AOL, plans to announce Friday morning that it is launching a site in the U.K. based on a project called OpenStreetMap, which is dedicated to user-created mapping. The OpenStreetMap project has caught on most quickly in Europe, which is why MapQuest is starting there, but AOL also will devote $1 million to support the growth of open-source mapping in the U.S. The site has a U.K. address — http://open.mapquest.co.uk — but users can navigate to user-created maps from any country.

While we’ve all worked really hard here in the good old USA to improve the maps, clearly there is still a ton of work to get done (especially with building the networks), but $1,000,000 (doesn’t it look bigger when you use those zeros?) should help get this moving.  CloudMade tried to fund this through their Ambassador program, but pulled the plug when progress was slow in coming.  AOL is clearly committed to the program and probably happy to spend their dollars on funding OSM than shipping them off to Navteq (er Nokia) and their competition.  How long before Microsoft decides that they are done funding Nokia’s Ovi Maps effort through licensing and joins OSM or moves to Tele Atlas?

Now if AOL gave me that million dollars and asked me to figure out how to build out the USA, I’d go ahead and hire the top 10 German OSM contributes and set them loose on America.  It would be done in two weeks.  Seriously though, the USA map needs a ton of work and the quality of the map compared to Europe is probably the only thing holding back OSM.

MapQuest has more details on their blog.

Here comes AOL!

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MapQuest Does Street Level Imagery

December 14, 2009 16 Comments

So yea, not a surprise.

As the name implies, 360° view provides fantastic panoramic views (360° horizontally and 160° vertically) of any given image within the 360 View coverage area (initially 30 cities and 15 suburbs across the United States with more to come). We have studied our industry, gleaning tidbits here and there, and polled our customer base in creating a simple, easy-to-use interface that fits seamlessly into the MapQuest mapping experience you have come to know and understand. Best of all, MapQuest 360 View “just works” without requiring any 3rd party player downloads.

Take that Bing Maps and your 3rd party player download.  MapQuest works without any Silverlight player to get in your way… except of course it uses a 3rd party player called Flash.  I suppose this plays into Adobe’s assertion that their 3rd party player download is included by default in many browsers by default.  Still it looks good and appears to have been taken sometime last year (the light rail line isn’t running yet in Phoenix and most stations haven’t been built yet.

 

A view of University of Phoenix Stadium where youll be seeing the true national championship; TCU vs BSU.

A view of University of Phoenix Stadium where you'll be seeing the true national championship; TCU vs BSU.

Now before you start going off an claiming this doesn’t matter, remember the real traffic numbers for the four main mapping sites:

Yep, Bing and Yahoo don’t add up to MapQuest’s reach.  I think it is critical to get this functionality into their API before more companies abandon it for Google While traffic numbers trend down over the last 6 months, I’m not sure it is losing to Bing or Yahoo.

Carry on MapQuest!

Kansas, a band so great a state was named after them.

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Wait! What? MapQuest?

October 29, 2009 6 Comments

Programmable web has a timely post on what MapQuest has been doing.

MapQuest continues to add services to its developer network. Have they caught up with the geo-tools available from Google and Yahoo?

Most recently the mapping pioneer released a geocoding web service and static maps. In fact, many recent posts on its developer blog have included multiple announcements, testament to how much the company has been releasing.

Some cool new stuff for sure.  My only issue is that I can’t find Legend City using its geocoder.

No Legend City in these parts....

No Legend City in these parts....

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MapQuest Continues to Improve Their APIs

August 20, 2009 4 Comments

What can I say?  MapQuest seems to have a new focus on their APIs that I don’t think I’ve ever seen.

So we have a bonanza of beta and preview updates to share with you. We’ve been busy making a number of updates to the MapQuest Platform and we’ve been creating new Web Services and revising our client-side SDKs.

Very interesting, the vector based POI stars are of course critical to most people’s workflows so that is going to go over big.  Me, I’m more interested in the Mouse Wheel Zoom Control.  Humor aside it is good to see MapQuest investing in their platform.  We all used MapQuest back in the day and while in this crowd it has a huge uphill climb before anyone will start using it with their business processes, I can’t but get nostalgic about putting a MapQuest map on a website.

Back in the 40s, my Mom used to listen to MapQuest on the radio every night.

Back in the 40's, my Mom used to listen to MapQuest on the radio every night.

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MapQuest continues to update their API

August 7, 2009 12 Comments

Well how about this?  Draggable routes in MapQuest.

One notable feature in this initial release is that Draggable Route functionality is included. This will allow developers to build applications that let their users dynamically edit their directions right from the map.

You can test it out here.  Could MapQuest under the “new AOL” become a competitor again?

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MapQuest OpenAPI Alert!

January 14, 2009 5 Comments

Better get those MapQuest web mapping applications converted over soon!

The MapQuest OpenAPI product servers will go offline on Saturday, January 31st, 2009. Applications not migrated off of the MapQuest OpenAPI product will stop working after this date.

Please don’t be that guy (or gal) who procrastinates and then winds up with the broken app in production. 

Yea, we don’t want to be “that guy” with some busted old MapQuest API, do we now?

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MapQuest for iPhone: Interesting if there is an API

October 21, 2008 3 Comments

I see that MapQuest now has an optimized iPhone site (HT APB) for all those people who still use MapQuest (though I’d guess most iPhone users would just assume use the built in Google Maps app). Since MapQuest is not using the iPhone App SDK I wonder if there is an API available for developers to create iPhone mapping applications using the MapQuest API for the iPhone? MapQuest’s API has been hit hard by Google and Microsoft and I would think a smartphone API (Android and iPhone both use WebKit) would help them get out of their niche.

Damn! Were in a tight spot!

Damn! We're in a tight spot!

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