Clickable Key turns Google Map  into an Online Atlas for Boston

Press Release: Boston, MA  October 30, 2005
addended 11/28/05 with MSN Virtual Earth and Yahoo Maps versions
addended 1/06

Innovative Rich Internet User-Controls for Online Maps

StrataVarious applies layering technology to turn Google Maps into a deep, interactive HyperMap Atlas; launches Boston Demo.

Boston-based StrataVarious, Inc. today launched the innovative Boston HyperMap Atlas™ using the Google Maps™ API.*  The out-of-MIT HyperMap Atlas system takes advantage of high-speed internet to make a major leap in mapping.  Everyone is familiar with basic online maps for finding a location.  Now the HyperMap Atlas enables a fuller view of the surroundings.  From the patented "clickable key" users can select multiple geographic features and collect them in their personal key list.

With the slogan "Picture Your World with HyperMaps", the StrataVarious atlas system provides a software template for presenting useful, attractive, and engaging views of countryside and cityscape.

"There is now wide-spread interest in and awareness of online maps from websites such as MapQuest, Yahoo, Google, MSN, and National Geographic," says StrataVarious President, Barbara L. Barros who holds an urban planning degree from Harvard.  "Maps can be much more than just a how-to-get-there tool," she adds.  "They can help us better understand the places where we live and work, and to learn more about places we'd like to visit, and places in the news or that we learn of from books and movies."

The patented HyperMapping technology is now available to create atlases for local and travel information web sites, land-use planning, environmental and historical research, campus directories, and other multi-faceted geographic studies and presentations.  With the ability to organize and access in a single web page numerous layers of interesting information about a place, the HyperMap Atlas epitomizes the richness of the new "Rich Internet".

* [MSN Virtual Earth and Yahoo Maps API
    versions launched 11/28/05].

The Boston HyperMap Atlas can be viewed at:
  http://www.HyperMapAtlas.com/BostonMA.html

More about the Boston HyperMap Atlas

The Boston HyperMap Atlas has several "zoom" levels from the metro area into Boston Proper.  It is possible to zoom in to see a subarea of Boston Proper up close -- either as a plan with building outlines or as an satellite-photo.  The outer zoom levels use the Google Maps API which is a publically-available GIS (Geographic Information System) for plotting lists of places on Google's digital maps.

The Boston HyperMap Atlas "clickable key" has symbols for facilities such as hotels, theatres, parking, T stops, public art, and post offices to show a choice of different features at one time.  The user can continuously show and hide features to see just the information wanted at any given moment.  Instead of the clutter of a traditional map that shows too much information at once, the highly-legible, layered HyperMap Atlas lets the user easily select several features to study their relationships without the distraction of other irrelevant information.  This patented StrataVarious data visualization technology makes the Web truly interactive for concentrated browsing to increase understanding and discovery.

The innovative HyperMap Atlas key serves as a multi-layered directory to access various topic listings.  For instance, clicking on the "College" topic presents a listing of them from which particular colleges can be selected for display on the map.  Instead of scroll bars, the patented tabbed "retrieval bars" give easy-to-use, organized segmentation of the listings.  The visitor may wish to see the location of one or a number of colleges along with nearby hotels, T stops, and museums.  At the Boston Proper level, additional key topics show such interesting urban geography as scenic view-points, "people places", "grand spaces", and Boston in 1775.

Once shown on the map, a feature's symbol is also clickable.  Clicking a map symbol will give it a label.  In addition, the landmarks have associated with them small tabbed "pop-up" annotations giving a description, photo, and visitor-info about each of Boston's historic and architectural treasures.

The HyperMap Atlas Software Template

The Boston HyperMap Atlas is a demonstration of the online atlas system now being made available by StrataVarious, Inc.  The software is a template into which can be inserted a base map, overlays, and information for any place.  Its key and user-requested pop-ups have patented retrieval bars (or tabs) to easily call forth lists and descriptions.  By clicking symbols and tabs to fill Rich Internet layers, the viewer is given smooth, all-in-one-page access to large geographic data sets.

With the prevalence of high-speed internet access and advanced Web browsers, such graphics-intensive "Rich Internet" applications have become feasible.  Google Maps is an example of Rich Internet being used to plot geo-coded lists.  The innovative HyperMap Atlas system takes advantage of these developments to enable extraordinary interactivity in a single web page.  It can turn any online map or GIS into a multi-layered atlas.

The promotional HyperMap Atlas for Boston is an educational tool made available to the World Wide Web public.  It will help tourists in planning their trip and be of use to locals and students in getting to know the city. 

For more information about the HyperMap Atlas and StrataVarious, Inc. please go to:
  http://www.StrataV.com/HyperMapAtlas.html

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