Real estate web site Zillow has announced that they are making the shape files that they use to indicate neighborhoods across the US available under the Creative Commons license. That's right, a commercial data provider who is willing to make data available for free. As they'd say in New Zealand, "Good on you!" The license requires attribution only, and that you make future versions available under the same license if you change the data.

In the Google Maps blog yesterday, they carried an announcement that Google Maps will be adding support for the hCard microformat in Google Maps. What does this mean for you and I? More machine-usable data in Google Maps.

According to an article in MacWorld today, Garmin has announced that Training Center for the Macintosh is "now available" (although they also indicate that the software will be available for download in Late January, it will be distributed on CD at MacWorld in a week and a half). No word on firmware upgrading and support of non-training devices, but this is a step. Congratulations, Garmin.

If you know your geography and are from the UK or the US, then click on over to Geography Cup and help your team win! The contest lasts until December 31, 2006 and has been going on since November 12. The UK is clobbering the US in terms of score per participant, but the volume of US participants is keeping them in the lead. Show your team spirit and help out!

In mapping-related personnel news, Ed Parsons, the CTO of Ordnance Survey, will be leaving effective December 22, 2006 to pursue other interests. Having met him, he's a nice guy with a lot of good ideas and it's going to be interesting to see where he ends up. Best of luck, Ed!

Worldmapper is a site that uses Cartograms (maps that have been distorted to show non-geographical data in interesting ways. Public Health Spending, as an example, shows how much of the world's health care dollars are spent in the US. Compare that with Population, and you get an idea how distorted spending is relative to population. It's an interesting way to view information, using maps as a reference point instead of an accurate rendition, like so much of online mapping.

As an ESRI customer, I've been interested in getting my hands on 9.2 to check out the new features. Yesterday (annoyingly close to Thanksgiving here in the US) my package arrived. Expect some commentary on the advances and changes in 9.2.

The latest release of Google Earth Pro version (additional $400 per year, subscription only) now includes the GIS import module, the movie making module, and the premium printing module, each of which were paid extras before this week.

In Boulder, CO this weekend, Carol and I happened upon a store called Art Source International. They specialize in prints and maps, but really in maps. They have about 25,000 in their online listing and will frame and ship, and in some cases provided high-resolution (ok, they're medium resolution, because 1600x1200 stopped being high resolution a few years ago) images of the maps. Ask for George, he knows what he's doing!