myGeoBook is about geolocation & social media,  with a set of tools for any website developer to use. Maps maybe sexy to some people and yes everyone is talking about mobile location services right now ([ id="232" type="category"]Foursquare[/] anyone).

Here’s a very short guide on how to add a map to WordPress using myGeoBook — but first, here’s an example. This map is based on the Frommers best restaurants in Europe.

Code Sample

<iframe src="http://mgbembeddedmap.mygeobook.com/Map.aspx?profileId=1162&amp;showSearch=true&amp;autoZoomAndCenter=false&amp;zoom=2&amp;mapStyle=aerial border="0" width="565" height="420" frameborder="0"></iframe>

You just need to remember to wrap your URL in an iFrame tag

Parameters to configure your myGeoBook maps

Parameters you can use

• profileId – the id of the profile to be loaded on the map. You can also specify a list of profiles separating the ids by comas. Examples: profileId=1069 or profileId=1069,1082

• mapStyle – represents the style of the map. Only applies when the Bing map engine is used. Valid values are: road, aerial and hybrid (aerial including labels). Default value is road.

Code Sample – mapStyle=road

<iframe src="http://mgbembeddedmap.mygeobook.com/Map.aspx?profileId=1162&amp;showSearch=true&amp;autoZoomAndCenter=true&amp;zoom=2&amp;mapStyle=road border="0" width="565" height="420" frameborder="0"></iframe>

• autoZoomAndCenter – boolean flag (allows only the true or false values) which specifies if the embedded map should auto center and zoom on the displayed profiles. Default value is true.

• zoom – the zoom level to be used by the map. The value is dependent on the map engine. For Bing maps the zoom values must be integers from 1 (max zoom out) to 19 (max zoom in). To prevent the embedded map from rezooming when loading the profiles, set the autoZoomAndCenter to false.

Code Sample – autoZoomAndCenter=true&zoom=5

<iframe src="http://mgbembeddedmap.mygeobook.com/Map.aspx?profileId=1162&amp;showSearch=true&amp;autoZoomAndCenter=true&amp;zoom=5&amp;mapStyle=road border="0" width="565" height="420" frameborder="0"></iframe>

• centerLat and centerLon – the GPS coordinates for the point where you want to center the map. You supply either both values, either none. To prevent the embedded map from applying automatic zoom and center behavior, set the autoZoomAndCenter parameter to false. Examples: centerLat=51.4¢erLon=0&autoZoomAndCenter=false&zoom=8

• centerPoiId – the id of the MGB Point of Interest on which to center the map. To prevent the embedded map from applying automatic zoom and center behavior, set the autoZoomAndCenter parameter to false. Examples:centerPoiId=481&profileId=1085&autoZoomAndCenter=false&zoom=6

• showSearch – displays the search control for performing full text search on the map POIs. The default value is false. Example: showSearch=true

• centerByIp – if set to true the embedded map will be centered on the location given by the user’s current IP address. The default value is false. If this parameter is set to true, the following parameters will be ignored: autoZoomAndCenter, centerLat, centerLon. Example: centerByIp=true

• mgbStyle – posible values: map, list. Allows the user to choose the way points of interest are displayed. In map mode, the points are displayed on a map, in list mode they are displayed inside a paginated list. Default value: map.

• showListLink – if true, a link to the list view mode of the map will be displayed. If the control is in list mode, a link to the map view mode will be displayed. Default value: false.

Damien Saunders

Android mobile owners in the UK will be pleased to know that location based social networking apps have begun to improve and increase in the number of users. In the past few weeks, top location based social networks such as Brightkite and Foursquare have really improved the quality and details of UK locations.

It is a problem of user experience that meant many of these services had few UK users and no UK points of interest. It has been a ‘crying-shame’ or an indictment of the mobile apps industry to focus ‘within’ their country of origin during launch, while leaving their websites and apps ready for for international users to signup and login. This meant potential users were really locked out (ie Twitter was pointless in the UK as there was no UK mobile operators)

After studying several of these location based services during the past 3 months – it appears that Foursquare is currently ahead of Brightkite in terms of users and engagement. Why is this?

1. Brightkite has fewer real people checking in

When a user is logged in, a key features is seeing other users that are around you. However users are more likely to find spammers and bots making autoposts. In the pic above, you can clearly see who are real users and who are bots.

2. Foursquare has more of my ‘friends’

Perhaps this was due to the amount of internet news and hype, but when I logged into Foursquare this week, I found more real ‘friends’ to add to Foursquare. So far I’ve found no friends via Brightkite.

3. Brightkite still has few London centric points of interest

With Brightkite you can check-in in the vacinity of your current location. Originally you had to be specific about your location before checking-in. This will be a critical change for Brightkite, which hopefully will make it easier for new users / would be users to try the app.

4. Foursquare makes more noise on Facebook and Twitter

The amount of cross posting to Facebook and Twitter can only help grow awareness. However this was the one feature I turned off recently, after realising my status and tweets were getting out of hand.

There are plenty of other location based social networking apps around … even specific ones such as Wefi the social community for wifi finding, which I have mentioned before. Plenty of these suffer the same problem – a lack of users due to the lack of any internationalised UK points of interest.

5. Memory Hog Brightkite causes phones to freeze

Brightkite seemingly randomly will steel your 3G network connection and take all available memory causing your phone to freeze. There seems no clear reason for this background data usage. After restarting the phone making sure the app was not running in the background, it still opened every few hours until it was deleted from the test phone.

Based on the current trend – location based social networks will need to get more local in the UK to attract more users. However it seems Foursquare is ahead so far.

So have you been using Foursquare or Brightkite? What’s your preference?

Damien Saunders

Looking for somewhere to go …. Maybe you need to waste some time or want to find something else to try on your Google Android G1 or HTC Magic.

Google obviously has embedded a lot things into the phone – but here are 2 apps that were not installed on the Android phone when you open the box.

Places Directory

Price FREE   Downloads >250,000

updated — 21 Sept -- Even before augmented reality became a buzzword … Google Places Directory was already bringing Google Maps together with GPS / Location Based Services. The Places Directory is a search aggregator – easily find out the most talked about / blogged / reviewed Cafes in London. Trying to find a ‘Gas Station’ in Brixton might be a bit spurious – Gas Stations are not commonly found in the UK, but petrol stations are.

Places Directory is a great aggregator of content from Googles own directories, Wikitude, QYPE and food review sites etc. It’s still much better than the competition (think LAYAR) as its very quick and you dont have to join any new websites before you can use it.

Android Market - point your camera here

Voice Search

A new one, that I just found … and one to show your friends. Just speak and search Google. “Computer – take me to your leader”

Both apps are in the Android Market

Damien Saunders