Not only can you drive with Google Maps directions, you can now take a walk with them. Google added walking directions to its Google Maps product today. The walking directions ignore one-way streets and Google Maps tries to give pedestrians the most direct and flat route possible.

Speaking of Google Maps, CNET raises the question of whether or not Google Maps can (and should) be used for good or evil. One argument states that Google Maps helps awful people find you, but the other argues that Google Maps helps you find awful people. Then again, consider the 51 things you aren’t allowed to see on Google Maps. It looks as though some data isn’t as open as we’d like it to be. From government restrictions to personal-privacy lawsuits, there’s just some information that we can’t see on GoogleMaps.

Andy Powell asks, “does metadata matter” in a recent presentation. He provides history on metadata and wonders if his organization is justified in its current focus and significant interest in this area. Is yours?

Having trouble keeping crowdsourcing straight? Check out the many names of crowdsourcing GIS from GIS Lounge. From neography to collaborative GIS, it’s all covered.

WunderMap released a hurricane tracking service this week, which is perfect timing for hurricane season. WunderMap displays the current position, strength and movement of every tropical storm across the world that threatens to become a hurricane, typhoon or cyclone. For more in depth hurricane information, check out these Google Earth files from Hurricane Hunters. The files allow you to watch live hurricane recon missions, or see the results from recent missions.

Will mobile phone companies purchase GIS companies to offer conventional GIS services? It’s not clear now (and obviously won’t be the iPhone), but it will be interesting to see who’s on first. Has GIS really gone mainstream though?

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