10: Mashups

Wikipedia defines a mashup as "...a web page or application that combines data or functionality from two or more external sources to create a new service. " This video (5 min.) will give you a greater appreciation for these marvels:




Discovery Exercise:
Explore some of the fun mashups that are shown below.  Blog about one of the mashups that catches your eye. (It's that easy.)

Flickr (Thing 9) has some fun mashups:
Optional:  Many of the Flickr mashups allow you post your creations as part of your blog post.   This would give others a better idea of the mashup you are discussing.

Here are some non-Flickr related mashups to explore:
  • HousingMaps - a good mashup for anyone in the market for a new home, HousingMaps takes information from Craigslist and combines it with Google Maps to create a great utility for finding a house for sale or one for rent.
  • SpotCrime - is a mashup that plots recent criminal activity onto Google Maps
  • Windowshop - A destination for discovering what’s new in the world of movies, music, and more. Intuitive 3D interface, slick in-window audio and video previews.
  • HealthMap -  This map utilizes feeds from the World Health Organization and others to provide the latest updates on diseases and outbreaks in the different regions of the world.


Your blog post can address any one of these mashups.  Alternatively, you might want to find one on your own and give us your review.  Provide a link if you select this option. 



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"Mashup (web application hybrid) -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 07 Feb. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_%28web_application_hybrid%29>.
   
Note: The term mashup also refers to combining media in new ways.  For instance, combining two audio tracks.  (Click here if you want to see a stunning example of this from DJ Earthworm.)  This is different than our Web 2.0 definition; although, people are making media mashups with Web 2.0 technologies.

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