radio

Judging by the number of map-related posts at 10,000 Words, it has become increasingly clear that they are essential tool in the multimedia journalist’s arsenal. Plus “cartographer” looks good on anyone’s résumé.

One cannot talk about online maps that explore the Earth without first discussing Flash Earth, an online, virtual satellite that lets the user zoom in and out to any location in the world. Site visitors can also toggle between a number of different maps from sources like Google Maps, Yahoo! and Ask.com in a wonderfully fluid interface.

GeoGarage has mashed up NOAA nautical charts and a Google map to create a visual directory of the waters of most of North America. Most importantly, the map allows for toggling between the two layers for greater reference.

WeatherMole plans to put weathermen out of business with its map that plots any given location on a map and then gives the area’s five-day weather forecast in a few seconds. An even more detailed two-day forecast is available in a click.

If you’re waiting for some daylight surfing in Biarritz or plan on capturing the sunset in Cameroon, DaylightMap will help by illustrating where the sun is shining around the world. Google Maps Nighttime! is perhaps the site’s opposite and shows the world as it appears at night. The map is actually kind of magical, with the lights shining brightest in the U.S., Europe and Southeast Asia.

Most maps were created to illustrate where we, and the others around us, live and online maps are no different. Potential home buyers and renters have made great use out of HousingMaps which plots craigslist listings on a more user-friendly interface. USA Today recently mapped home foreclosures in Denver, illustrating a national problem. Real estate site Trulia has incorporated Google Street View to give home buyers a better sense of the neighborhood surrounding their potential home. It bears mentioning that more than 40 cities are now covered in Street View. Click over to Listropolis for a complete list of links to each city.

World maps are more than just for oohs and aahs. My noxon has mapped a large number of the world’s radio stations into clickable points from which users can actually listen to each station’s broadcast. Gas Buddy’s National Gas Temperature Map illustrates the continuing crisis of rising gas prices here in the U.S. If you’re living on the East or West coast where gas prices are highest, you might want to consider a move to Wyoming. At least with the aforementioned sites, you’ll be able to find it on a map.

Also on 10,000 Words:

• How the internet is changing how natural disasters are covered
• Tracking down criminals with crime maps
• 5 Interactive maps that connect communities
• 4 Sites for viewing panoramas (and 3 ways to create them)
• How to quickly track natural disasters online

Currently, the only way to have your own radio show is to a) be a part of an existing radio station b) podcast c) set up an antenna and some tin foil. Blog Talk Radio is changing the radio game and is revolutionizing how bloggers interact with their readers.

Blog Talk Radio lets anyone with a telephone and an internet connection to set up their own streaming online talk radio show. The best part is listeners can call a dedicated number to talk with the on-air personality live. A lot of newspapers have set up online chats between sources and readers, but this allows readers to actually hear the person as they talk. Media outlets who podcast can now make them interactive using the service.

Registration takes only a few minutes and hosts are given a number to call to start their own show. Listeners can either call a US telephone number to tune in or listen from the embedded audio player on the site. During the show, up to five others can participate as guests or call-in responders. Once the show is finished, it is archived online and automatically made available as a podcast and RSS feed.

Media companies, bloggers and other businesses can join the ranks of The Huffington Post and The Star-Ledger and set up branded channels with shows hosted by in-house personalities. Check out an example of a Blog Talk Radio show in the embedded player below.

The advent of interactive radio sites such as Pandora and radio-meets-social-networking sites like last.fm have created online communities that are several steps above traditional radio. Yes is pushing online radio one step further by mapping what songs are playing on radio stations across the country. Yes users can also select a specific radio station, for example KFGY in Santa Rosa, and see what song is currently playing as well as watch a YouTube video of the song. To top it all off, the site’s visitors can also rank each song, view other stations that are playing that artist (ex: Beyonce) and purchase the song from either iTunes and Amazon.

That is a lot of features packed into one incredible website but any radio station can incorporate these features, if you are not doing so already. Start by letting listeners be the music/program director. After all, they know better than you do what songs they want to hear. Try partnering with online music vendors to generate advertising to support your online presence. Or if you want to go for broke, incorporate all of Yes’ features to make your site more dynamic and attract a loyal following. After all, uniting a community is what radio is all about.