1. Adding Weather and Traffic to Trip Directions I am kicking around - draft mock-up above - some feature options for adding two other factors into Google Maps (Directions): Weather and Traffic. By leveraging weather and traffic data throughout the route, a Google Trip feature can refer the optimal travel time to save on time and gasoline. Avoiding adverse weather conditions can optimize safest travel times. Dots on route represent time increments; time increments change depending on distance. Like time-of-day/traffic algorithms, historical data could relate weather effects on traffic through an area. Changing departure time alters estimates; peak traffic times, construction hours, etc. Weather overlay potentially can offer users to play/ffw/rew stream of moving weather patterns. A little background - Last week we took a road trip to DC and this weekend we headed on a short trip up to Madison to visit a friend. This got me curious about how often do people take road trips (over 2 hours)? I typically don’t, but realized that there are a lot of college students and people in general that have a car/flight limit - under 3 hours and they drive, over they look to fly. We mapped out most our trip on Google Maps and I do like the new social options of sharing trip data with others in Google+. I got to thinking about the other influences that affect driving times. Love to hear how often you’ve taken road trips, over two hours and just generally if you have feedback.

    Adding Weather and Traffic to Trip Directions

    I am kicking around - draft mock-up above - some feature options for adding two other factors into Google Maps (Directions): Weather and Traffic. By leveraging weather and traffic data throughout the route, a Google Trip feature can refer the optimal travel time to save on time and gasoline.

    • Avoiding adverse weather conditions can optimize safest travel times.
    • Dots on route represent time increments; time increments change depending on distance.
    • Like time-of-day/traffic algorithms, historical data could relate weather effects on traffic through an area.
    • Changing departure time alters estimates; peak traffic times, construction hours, etc.
    • Weather overlay potentially can offer users to play/ffw/rew stream of moving weather patterns.

    A little background - Last week we took a road trip to DC and this weekend we headed on a short trip up to Madison to visit a friend. This got me curious about how often do people take road trips (over 2 hours)? I typically don’t, but realized that there are a lot of college students and people in general that have a car/flight limit - under 3 hours and they drive, over they look to fly. We mapped out most our trip on Google Maps and I do like the new social options of sharing trip data with others in Google+. I got to thinking about the other influences that affect driving times.

    Love to hear how often you’ve taken road trips, over two hours and just generally if you have feedback.

  2. Wishlist - foursquare downloadable To-Do bundles from Travel Channel TV episodes

    A great gift for travelers, and foodies, in the world, would be if  foursquare and the Travel Channel could partner to allow viewers the ability download trip bundles to their foursquare To-Do list

    We just finished watching Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations episode in France, from last season via Netflix. We plan to be back to there within the next two years and although we can jot down the names, was it in the same arrondissement near our hotel/plans? Not sure. It would be great to watch an episode and go to either the foursquare partner page, or Travel Channel and click to add that episodes visits to your to-do list.

    Voilà! Merci!

  3. Open letter to Monocle: a 25/25 Bordeaux bid Recently returning from a trip to Europe, which included Copenhagen (thanks for the fantastic Nimb reference), Marseille, Cannes/Nice, St. Tropez, Barcelona, Bordeaux and Paris, we packed our Monocle and printed out the 25/25 lists off all that fell in line. We were met with beautiful shores in Cannes/Nice, great public transport & underground parking in Marseille, and the overall in St. Tropez. Then came Barcelona -  We could not agree more with your observation that if you are not Catalonian than you are “less than”, but it went further; The Rambla is great for the early 20 into drug and late night hooks-ups but lacking anything for the slightly older after dark. To find a restaurant other than Tapas can, at points, feel like an exercise in futility. Although Barcelona may be a top contender we slightly disagree; if it makes the mark then Bordeaux should for sure have it’s place on the map (in my humble opinion)…. now although my bias runs deep (I fell in love with Bordeaux): from the fine shopping, attractive locals (nice to see an abundance of native locals rather than the megalopolis of no is from there, just passing thru) a clean and silent transportation system that even runs over tracks surrounded in grass along the river stretch, wine arguably unparalleled with the world, strong biking community, a clean and gorgeous downtown, and a night life virtually free of drama and all ages out enjoying it till all hours.

    Open letter to Monocle: a 25/25 Bordeaux bid

    Recently returning from a trip to Europe, which included Copenhagen (thanks for the fantastic Nimb reference), Marseille, Cannes/Nice, St. Tropez, Barcelona, Bordeaux and Paris, we packed our Monocle and printed out the 25/25 lists off all that fell in line. We were met with beautiful shores in Cannes/Nice, great public transport & underground parking in Marseille, and the overall in St. Tropez. Then came Barcelona -  We could not agree more with your observation that if you are not Catalonian than you are “less than”, but it went further; The Rambla is great for the early 20 into drug and late night hooks-ups but lacking anything for the slightly older after dark. To find a restaurant other than Tapas can, at points, feel like an exercise in futility. Although Barcelona may be a top contender we slightly disagree; if it makes the mark then Bordeaux should for sure have it’s place on the map (in my humble opinion)…. now although my bias runs deep (I fell in love with Bordeaux): from the fine shopping, attractive locals (nice to see an abundance of native locals rather than the megalopolis of no is from there, just passing thru) a clean and silent transportation system that even runs over tracks surrounded in grass along the river stretch, wine arguably unparalleled with the world, strong biking community, a clean and gorgeous downtown, and a night life virtually free of drama and all ages out enjoying it till all hours.

  4. From one event to the next Got home from the Gartner conference in Chicago at 1AM, no off to Seattle for our Western Regionals in Seattle Washington at 5AM today… Sleep will have to come some time next week.

    From one event to the next

    Got home from the Gartner conference in Chicago at 1AM, no off to Seattle for our Western Regionals in Seattle Washington at 5AM today… Sleep will have to come some time next week.