PERSONALIZING MAPS Advances in technology have changed how people use maps Individual users can create maps that show the specific information they need at any time In the past maps were physical items They were drawn or printed usually on paper and published for people to buy Many people bought and used a copy of the same map even if they all used it for a different purpose Information that was useful to a car driver might not be useful to someone walking in the wilderness for example The driver 4
Since they appeared in 2014 smartwatches have allowed users to view maps that match their exact location might want the map only to examine the roads A hiker would use the map to look at hiking trails or geographical features Most new maps are digital They are created and stored on computers That makes them far easier to change or update than maps on printed paper It is also possible for people to customize maps to show exactly the information they want in whatever location they happen to be in Satellite Technology One of the key steps in making digital maps possible was the use of satellites In 1959 the United States launched Transit This system of satellites orbited Earth It used triangulation to pinpoint the location of United States Navy ships around the world By 1993 the United States had 24 satellites orbiting at around 12,600 miles 20,277 km above the Earth The satellites could accurately map any point on Earth’s surface This view of the world at night was created by NASA’s Suomi satellite The main lights show areas that are more densely populated 5
In the Real World A Question of Privacy As digital maps become more accurate people are worried about their effects Google Street View shows people 360-degree photographs of points within Google Maps The images are taken by Google Street View cars and bikes They show people what places look like But Street View cameras also capture people around their neighborhoods often without their knowledge The images are then posted online and become a permanent record Some people see Google Street View as an invasion of privacy In 1995 the first Global Positioning System GPS devices went on sale to the public Now anyone could use satellites to find their location Mapping software in cars used satellite data to figure out the best routes people could drive By 2010 GPS devices were small enough to fit inside cell phones That made it possible for anyone with a cell phone to find the way to any location On the other hand the cell phone also tracked the movements of the user Cell phones show drivers the best route to a destination They can also highlight real time delays along the way Anyone can be photographed by Google Street View and displayed in the online map 6
PERSONALIZING MAPS Maps and Me Customized Maps In the past mapmakers could only put limited information on maps They had to choose the information they thought would be useful Thanks to Geographic Information Systems GIS a range of data can now be collected virtually anywhere on Earth Users can use the data to create detailed maps printing only the information they need Think about the data you would put on a map for a specific task For example if you were looking for lost ruins in the jungle you might want to examine any unusually shaped lumps in the ground Using GPS GPS lies at the heart of many new mapping technologies It helps hikers keep on the right path and tells sailors and pilots if they are on the correct route It allows runners or cyclists to map their routes record their times and share them with friends Navigation systems in cars speak to drivers to tell them which roads to take These systems are far safer than reading a paper map while driving GPS even helps drivers avoid traffic jams up ahead GPS is also the basis of a new kind of pastime It guides people on real-world treasure hunts in a hobby called geocaching When people reach their goal they discover a geocache The geocache might be a puzzle to solve or a logbook to sign Meanwhile GPS provides important data for scientists to study climate change and pollution The technology is helping scientists to better understand the planet New mapping technology is the basis of modern forms of treasure hunting where people use satellite data to find hidden locations 7
