Google maps- In the air

Having just got through 10 hours of flying in a week, I had a lot of time to mull over things.

The first thing that struck me was the bland map display on most airlines. I've noticed this while traveling on Singapore Airlines, and to my disappointment, things haven't changed much. Kingfisher Airlines, one of the few airlines in India with in-flight entertainment, has the same old bland map.

The above picture is just an example(source: www.restromania.com)

Which got me thinking. Why not have Google Maps in-flight also. With their superior features, and great geo-location facility, looking at that bland map could actually become exciting.

Here's how:

• While traveling on a train , a airline passenger can see cities/towns he's crossing. He could do the same while flying
• This could also be an educational supplement for children, who might learn something. Google could add some information to each city, which kids could glance at
• Google can aid tourists by providing the drive-in facility. That way, no taxi driver could cheat you when you get off at your destination
• Airlines can benefit by adding information about other cities they connect to, while you fly over them

Juts my thoughts.

Google maps- In the air

What if Search engines didn't exist

I'm an avid surfer, and browse through numerous sites a day. I spend a lot of time looking up things, and am overtly dependent on search engines. It just struck me as to how it would affect me, or a billion other people if search engines didn't exist. So here's a case study on a search done without a search engine.

Search Term: Trekking in India

Problem

Find out the web address for trekking agency(s) in India

Approach

I started doing what I would normally do if looking for an address in the real world: look in the phone directory, or in this case look into internet directories. By the way, please remember that you don't go looking for directories you have never heard of. I applied the same approach; I only knew of Google Directory and Dmoz, and thus I only searched on these sites

Results

•  Google: The screen shots will tell you that I ended up with nothing

Home Page- Google Directory

 Category Page (I clicked on Hiking)

  Hiking Page

• 
  
  
   Dmoz: Failed again (Screenshot below)
  
  
  
  

 Hiking Page (Similar page resulst as Google)

Inference

1.  If search crashes on the internet, we are lost (people might argue that this will never happen but I'm just exploring the hypothetical case that it does)
2. Internet directories aren't the best. In fact they are unfriendly to a great extent and did not inspire a lot of confidence in me
3. These directories are a repository of information as submitted by people, website omners etc. There is no validity or logic to all the data.
4. Long live Google, Bing and all the other search engines. Simply cause if they crash, or cease to exist, the web would collapse.
5. Search engines have made us dependent; dependent on them for even looking for the simplest things for which we earlier had another search engine called Friends' reference
6. It does make sense distributing pamphlets with your web address on it
7. It makes even better to give your web address out along with tissues :) (Visit Japan to experience this)

What if Search engines didn't exist

Twitter Lists

The latest fad to take over Twitterverse is the inclusion of lists. You can now add people to a list, or  a bunch of lists. The blogosphere, as well Marketing sites are abuzz on how Twitter Lists can help us.

Here's other people's take:

Measure influence: This is the one major point which people have highlighted. Influence has always been the major 'Pull' point of Twitter. Lists are being seen as the next big thing in influence measurement. So, if you figure on 1 million lists you are really influential? Or is it just going back to that old adage on Twitter: "Quality and not Quantity".


My take: The same old people will remain as influential as before. People will continue creating lists and adding people for other people to follow them. Makes no difference.

Where I think lists might make a difference are the following:

Tweep-Tweet selection: It has helped me cut the clutter, and I am now able to see Tweets from Tweeps who matter. It's not that I don't look at the other tweets, but my list almost adds as Google Reader; it allows me to read what I want

Syndicate: You can syndicate the feed from a list to your reader. This allows you to keep updated on relevant information and find good Re-Tweetable content

Suggestion: Your list can act as a good point of suggestion for new followers to add.Tweeps who you follow suggest other Tweeps all the while. Their suggestions will make more sense, than just randomly following people.

Build Personas: How about trying to build personas by looking at lists? For example: If you look at my list, research the people I like, you might be able to infer what I am interested in. Although Yahoo Mojo might confirm that I am a Concierge, Twitter Lists can help you drill down the information further.

Groups or Tribes: Godin talks about them. You can finally make them now. Technologists, family, people who spam, Awesome Ideators... anything. In the end, the choice is yours! It allows your information to flow in streams created by you. This again allows for control over that unmanageable Twitter Tweet stream.

These are some advantages I can think of. Any comments on what else?

Twitter Lists