September 2021 Summaries

A quarter of mobile apps are abandoned after just one use, emphasizing the importance of a strong first impression and efficient performance to encourage user retention and repeated use. The Mapbox Maps SDK is highlighted for its industry-leading startup performance, outperforming competitors like the Google Maps SDK and iOS MapKit in speed tests. The SDK provides developers with detailed insights and control over map readiness and style component completion, offering granularity down to the per-tile level. This modular version 10 of the SDK allows for customization without significantly impacting performance, maintaining a speed advantage even when using features like custom styles and additional layers. The Google Maps SDK and Apple’s MapKit offer similar but less detailed event signals, making Mapbox a compelling option for developers aiming to enhance user experience with faster and more controlled map interactions.

Sundown towns, historically prevalent across the United States, enforced racial segregation by excluding certain racial or ethnic groups through discriminatory laws, intimidation, or violence, requiring them to leave by sundown. Sociologist Dr. James Loewen extensively researched this phenomenon, creating a comprehensive database and publishing his findings in "Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism." To enhance accessibility and understanding, a web map was developed to visually illustrate these towns, transforming the database into an interactive tool that allows users to explore the geographic spread and significance of sundown towns. This map, created with input from Dr. Loewen and his team, employs a somber visual style to reflect the gravity of the topic and offers a new method for engaging with this aspect of American history, highlighting its ongoing relevance and encouraging critical examination of racial segregation's legacy.

Maptober is a series of webinars and technical challenges designed to introduce participants to working with Mapbox vector tiles and the Mapbox Tiling Service (MTS). This initiative, running from October 21 to November 4, offers beginner-friendly training on transforming geospatial data into vector tiles and styling it with Mapbox Studio. Participants can engage in challenges, win weekly prizes, and learn about the advantages of vector tiles, how to tile data, and the use of MTS's new beta interface. The series also covers creating custom vector tilesets, using MTS's command line interface, and optimizing performance and costs with practical examples, such as a wildfire dataset, while demonstrating how to create interactive web maps with custom data. Participants can submit their challenge entries by tagging @Mapbox on social media with #maptober or via the Maptober Challenge Website, with support available via email for any queries.

New high-resolution imagery has been added for six German states—Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony—and three areas in Austria, including Vienna, Linz, and the state of Tyrol. The imagery, collected between 2018 and 2021 at a resolution of 20 cm per pixel, allows for detailed views of lane markings, individual cars, and traffic signs. These digital orthophotos were made available by respective governments as part of an ongoing effort to provide timely, high-quality, and comprehensive map imagery. Users are encouraged to contact the provider with requests for additional imagery.

The Mapbox Navigation SDK 2.0, now available for Android and iOS, offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to enhance navigation experiences for mobile applications, following its public preview in March 2021. The SDK introduces a range of improvements, including a powerful location engine, enhanced camera functions, 3D buildings, improved localization, predictive caching, and a user feedback interface. It integrates the latest map version, allowing for 3D environments and improved performance, with a faster start time and reduced battery and network consumption. Predictive Ambient Caching ensures uninterrupted maps in areas with poor connectivity, while the new Camera API adjusts zoom and tilt automatically based on driving conditions. The real-time map matching feature enhances the localization engine, and route alerts provide drivers with critical contextual information. A customer feedback UI enables user input to enhance service quality, and Mapbox Horizon remains in public beta, offering real-time road intelligence. The SDK also introduces flexible pricing with options for unlimited usage or a per trip model, catering to diverse user needs.

John, a senior data and visuals editor at CNN, played a key role in creating a dot-density map depicting race and ethnicity in the US using data from the 2020 Census. Prepared to act swiftly upon the data release, John and his team utilized tools like Mapshaper and Mapbox to efficiently process and visualize the data, overcoming challenges such as census tracts extending into water and high population density areas causing data overflow in vector tiles. They developed scripts to automate processes, allowing for quick adjustments and aggregation of state data when the Census Bureau released data state-wise rather than nationally. The map's design was fine-tuned in Mapbox Studio, although it required significant trial and error, and audience feedback was incorporated to improve the visualization. Despite initial hiccups, the map was published within hours, garnering positive feedback and engagement, and setting the stage for future projects using detailed census data.

Innovative location technology is rapidly advancing conservation efforts by providing accessible tools for monitoring, planning, and protecting the planet. During the IUCN World Conservation Congress, several partners showcased their contributions, including the Global Mangrove Watch, which offers real-time data on mangrove conditions to combat illegal logging and track restoration. Marxan Cloud facilitates collaborative spatial conservation planning by integrating vast data sets, while EarthRanger helps protected areas make informed decisions through real-time data integration. Palmoil.io offers transparency in the palm oil supply chain by monitoring deforestation risks, and Digital Democracy's MAPEO tool empowers Indigenous communities with the resources to protect their lands. Finally, the Rainforest Foundation UK challenges Western-centric conservation methods by advocating for Indigenous rights and alternative approaches through initiatives like the Congo Basin Community Atlas.

Helium, the fastest-growing crowdsourced network for IoT, has partnered with Mapbox to develop a new Explorer map that facilitates visualization of its extensive network of Hotspots across the globe. The map, which incorporates a hex grid to indicate network availability, allows users to view detailed statistics for each Hotspot, such as earnings and activity, all stored on the blockchain. Utilizing Mapbox Studio, GL JS, and Maps SDKs for Mobile, Helium has created a map that supports its community-driven approach, contributing to its rapid expansion as a wireless network. This blockchain-based model enables users to set up Hotspots without complex equipment, earning cryptocurrency HNT in return. Helium's integration of LoRaWAN technology allows for long-range, low-power transmissions, making it a cost-effective option for companies and developers connecting IoT sensors to the network, with the potential for diverse applications in sensor and tracking use cases.