LI Cold Cases, GoogleMapped

[dianeduane]

I read the Long Island newspaper Newsday partly to keep an eye on the part of the world where I grew up, and partly because the father of one of my characters (apparently) works for it. This morning, though, on their website, I noticed something I hadn't noticed before.

Newsday's front page features a Google map of "cold" or unsolved murder cases on Long Island.  Hover over the "pushpin" of a given incident and a balloon comes up offering you a chance to read the newspaper's story about the case, discuss it with other readers, or email the newspaper a tip.

Fascinating...

Comments

[dansr.livejournal.com]

I love to read your journal though I don't know you. I'm amused you grew up on LI because that's where I grew up. It's one of those "neato" things to me. The map, btw doesn't open up in my browser (I tried IE and Firefox). I'm going to see if I can grab it off of Newsday's site directly.

[astraevirgo.livejournal.com]

I love your ErrantryWiki. I would love to have a universe like yours that is so grounded in the real world...

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Now Playing (in my head): The Beatles' "A Day in the Life". "I read the news today, oh boy / Long Island murders on a Google map..."

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Along the same lines, for West Philly, there's http://www.phillycrime.org.

[wetdryvac.livejournal.com]

That ability to position events within a frame is something I'm really enamored of. I keep hoping Google Earth will directly integrate not only that - which they have to some degree - but also the ability to time line events, so that I can watch, for example, the progression of building construction in Manhattan, or the pattern of a specific type of crime to look for probable next-location.

This desire for time/location binding probably certifies me up front for some form of madness.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

The coolest Google Map application I've encountered: A directory of phonecam pictures of useful furniture and junk that had been put out on the curbs in the San Francisco area, each report linked to its location on the map.

I imagine that it comes with an RSS feed so you can be alerted if a green sofa shows up within 20 miles of you...