If I make these posts a regular occurrence, I’ll have to come up with a catchier title. Anyway, onward, with a few things about online maps and a couple of conferences to tell you about:

Ads appearing on Google Maps? We kind-of, sort-of knew it was coming. Blue pins representing paid ads have been spotted on Google Local; they apparently represent “a limited test” (via and more from All Points Blog, Ed Parsons and Glenn’s GISuser Weblog).

For Mac users of Google Earth, a Google Earth Mac OS X support forum (via Google Earth Blog).

Microsoft Research India unveiled a prototype digital map of India with all the sensitive bits — the ones that got Google fulminated against — removed: “Special care has been taken to keep defence installations and other strategic locations out of the scope of these maps.” Pussies.

Blaine Bell’s thesis looks at the problem of legends and popups blocking important information in online maps.

Where 2.0 2006 will be held June 13-14 in San Jose, California (via Ed Parsons). See previous entries on the 2005 conference: Summing Up Where 2.0; Where 2.0.

A little closer to home: the 2006 GeoTec Event, a geospatial technology conference, held June 18-21 in Ottawa. This year it’s held alongside meetings of the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives, the Canadian Cartographic Association, and the International Cartographic Association, so my attendance may not be optional. (Expensive, though — media credentials?) Thanks to Richard for the link.