Mashups is a word that has been around a long time, at least in the music and video industry, but is a word I am hearing more and more in regards to the web. They are defined in Wikipedia as:
A digital media file containing any or all of text, graphics, audio, video and animation drawn from pre-existing sources, to create a new derivative work.
In music and video, mashups refer to a song or video that is build from multiple sources. For instance, someone might splice together parts of songs from Eminem, Run DMC and Jay-Z and create a new song. The new song would be a mashup. I won’t get into the intellectual property rights here. You can read about that in another time and place.
In the world of the web, a mashup would be an application or site compiling data from several different sources into one place. Google’s universal search would be a nice example of a mashup. Google’s universal search combines Google’s natural, sponsored, video, news and local results all into one set of search results.
You will find mashups all over the web. Here is an example of a few for you to look at.
- PolicyMap – PolicyMap is a revolutionary, easy, new way to explore geographic data through maps, tables and reports.
- 1001 Secret Fishing Holes – Over a thousand fishing spots in national parks, wildlife refuges, lakes, campgrounds, historic trails etc.
- Facebook Friend Plotter – This mashup uses Facebook + Google AJAX Search + Google Maps to allow you to see where your friends are located in the UK. You can then click on the markers to see their details in the information window.
- 360 Degree Tuscany – This mashup allows you to view places in the Tuscany region of Italy including Florence, Siena, Pisa, Lucca, Elba and San Gimignano on a map. You can then click down to the city to see 360 degree panoramic views along with getting tourist information.
- SpringLight Store – This mashup pulls product information, prices and shipping information from several different sources into one shopping experience.
As you can see, mashups are found all across the web and you’ve probably been on a mashup site before without even realizing it. If you’re reading this post, you’re on a mashup site right now.
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Tags: Google universal search • mashups • Wikipedia
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