We've been noticing since the first of the year the results of some very
creative and sometime brilliant aggregation sites. (Do we need a new phrase for
this format?) These sites are richer than Google mash-ups in that they allow
far more control by the user. Some, like Mint.com or TripIt.com, also require
various degrees of data entry by the user, sometimes with with a surprising
degree of detail, both personal and specific. Mapumental, below, pushes the
limits of this evolution.

mySociety blog » Say hello to Mapumental
By Tom Steinberg on Monday, June 1st, 2009
http://www.mysociety.org/2009/06/01/say-hello-to-mapumental/

We've been hinting for a while about a secret project that we're working on, and
today I'm pleased to be able to take the wraps off Mapumental. It's currently in
Private Beta but invites are starting to flow out.

Built with support from Channel 4's 4IP programme, Mapumental is the culmination
of an ambition mySociety has had for some time - to take the nation's bus,
train, tram, tube and boat timetables and turn them into a service that does
vastly more than imagined by traditional journey planners.

In its first iteration it's specially tuned to help you work out where else you
might live if you want an easy commute to work.

Francis Irving, the genius who made it all work, will post on the immense
technical challenge overcome, soon. My thanks go massively to him; to Stamen,
for their lovely UI, and to Matthew, for being brilliant as always.

Words don't really do Mapumental justice, so please just watch the video :)
Update: Now available here in HD too

Also new: We've just set up a TheyWorkForYou Patrons pledge to help support the
growth and improvement of that site. I can neither confirm nor deny that
pledgees might get invites more quickly than otherwise ;)

This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 9:20am and is filed under
Launches, News, Travel Time Maps. Follow responses to this entry (RSS2 feed).