We have secured our infrastructure from Heartbleed, a serious OpenSSL vulnerability that caused security on most of the internet to virtually evaporate overnight (good post by the New York Times). There is no indication that any data on Mapbox was compromised as a result of Heartbleed, but as a precaution, we strongly suggest that you reset your Mapbox password.

Here is a summary of how our engineering team addressed the vulnerability:

• We logged you out of Mapbox.com–you will be required to login again on your next visit.
• All services were reviewed and updated immediately.
• We rotated our SSL certificates and all other security credentials.
• We reviewed all third-party services and worked with their teams to ensure that proper steps were taken to patch their vulnerable services and rotate their credentials.

If you have any questions regarding Heartbleed or anything else, send us a note at support@mapbox.com.

The Mapbox SketchUp Plugin makes it easy to add custom maps or imagery to your SketchUp for more design control. Any map you made in TileMill or on mapbox.com can be added to your to SketchUp projects.

Simple to use

1. Download the plugin and open SketchUp
2. Start the plugin by clicking Plugins ->Mapbox Map Importer
3. Zoom to an area of interest
4. To select an area, click once and then again to finish creating the rectangle
5. The image will be added to your SketchUp project

That’s it. Once in SketchUp, you can use the imagery as a reference layer, or to make your model look even more photorealistic.

More information and Download

To get started, download the plugin from the Extension Warehouse or to learn more checkout mapbox.com/sketchup.

Examples

The White House. Washington, DC

The Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco, CA

Wrigley Field. Chicago, Il

Great Pyramid of Giza. Giza, Egypt

We are starting a massive refresh of Mapbox Satellite, partnering again with our friends at DigitalGlobe— the largest satellite company in the world. We are going to add 500,000 km2 of fresh imagery at very high resolution to key spots all around the world — this will let us cover thousands of fresh city updates.

All Mapbox Satellite data is fully traceable in OpenStreetMap, if you need tracing for commercial purposes outside of OpenStreetMap check out Mapbox Commercial Satellite. This means that all of this new imagery will be available for any tracing needs. So, where should we focus first? We just launched this new feedback tool so you can help us decide where new images are needed.

Follow us on twitter @Mapbox to get updates as the new imagery rolls out.

The IR-40 reactor is shaded red and the heavy water facility is shown with blue markers. The perimeter of the plant is shown in Orange. (Click on button to replay tracing)

IR-40 is a nuclear reactor near Arak, Iran. The government states that this reactor is intended for research and development as well as medical and industrial isotope production. There are concerns whether it might also be used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. Officially, though, the reactor is not yet operational with construction halted since November as Iran negotiates with the international community.

Last week, Iran agreed to alter the design to generate less plutonium. Negotiations will likely continue until July 20th, when construction is scheduled to start again. During this time satellite monitoring of the facility is key — here is a look at imagery from Skybox on Dec 29th, 2013 shows functioning steam exhausts on the deuterium oxide (heavy water) production section of the facility. High frequency access to imagery that allows for regular monitoring is one of the reasons we’re excited about integrating Skybox imagery into the Mapbox API and cloud platform.

If you are interested in feature extraction, you can learn more about Skybox-to-Mapbox integration and Mapbox Commercial Satellite, or contact us directly.

The new Mapbox Outdoors is all about bringing the background forward. Hill shades orient runners, topography lines help hikers judge ascents, roads are designed to overlay GPS tracks from your rides. All features are globally available at highest zoom levels and fully customizable. We see this map becoming a core part in outdoor apps, letting developers tailor its design exactly to brand and type of activity. Creating Mapbox Outdoors meant not only processing terabytes of new landcover and elevation data, but taking a completely fresh look at all aspects of designing a map for adventure. Here are my favorite highlights of the new design.

A world’s worth of data

Global elevation and landcover data is at the core of what makes this design possible. We processed the best elevation and landcover information we could find from around the world — 24 different datasets from 13 different organizations, including the US Geological Survey, the Norwegian Mapping Authority, and the Canadian GeoBase data portal. We built up a processing pipeline that is repeatable, modular and extendable, this allows us to ingest updates and additional data as it becomes available. The screenshot above shows our processing dashboard.

Designing hillshades zoom level by zoom level

We took extra care to make sure that the terrain layers are visualized in a scale-appropriate manner. Instead of running the hillshade algorithm just once or a few times and scaling the results up or down to fit multiple zoom levels, we generated new hillshades with adjusted resolution and lighting settings for every zoom level of the vector tiles. In global views we’re not showing a noisy mess of too much detail, but conveying the general form of mountain ranges as a whole. As you zoom in the details reveal themselves.

For the final styling of the data we’re bringing lighting to the hills that evokes a more natural outdoors feeling. The highlights are tinted slightly yellow as if lit by the sun, and the shadows are slightly blue-purple.

Labeled contour lines

We used the same detailed elevation data from hillshading also for contour lines. In Mapbox Outdoors, contour lines are plainly styled to not be overpowering, with index lines slightly darker and clearly labeled. Contour lines are available down to the highest zoom levels, providing topographical context even when navigating the closest surroundings.

Global landcover

For global landcover coverage at all scales we rely on several raster-based open data sets, and at the more zoomed-in levels we also show OpenStreetMap landcover information for even higher detail where it is available.

The external landcover datasets are mostly created with science, agriculture, or similar applications in mind, however we’re mostly interested in painting a general background picture. Landcover classifications can get pretty specific, and the way things are broken up can vary greatly between different datasets. To keep styling simple we merged dozens of different possible classifications into just a handful of very basic ones: trees, bushes, grass, crops, and bare ground.

OpenStreetMap for Outdoors

OpenStreetMap contains amazing trail data. For Mapbox Outdoors we’re updating our vector tiles to include more details from OpenStreetMap such as ski trails, hiking trails, and mountain biking trails. The style also includes points of interest like mountain peaks marked with Maki icons, which we’ve specifically designed for digital cartography.

OpenStreetMap landuse areas (such as schools, hospitals, airports, etc) are assigned bright colors to stand out from the background but multiplied over hillshades and landcover so that things like forests and shading show through.

All vector tiles

All data is processed first into vector tiles before we generate and style image tiles from them on the fly as they are delivered to the client. This gives us a high degree of design flexibility. For instance, we can overlay labeled contour lines on satellite imagery for a clearer picture of the terrain.

Today RunKeeper.com launched new maps with tens of thousands of new trails on top of detailed terrain with elevation data – exactly how runners want to see their activity mapped. The new details are all from Monday’s release of Mapbox Outdoors– our new terrain map designed for those who go off the beaten path, focusing on trails, topography, hillsides, mountain peaks, creeks, and other natural features.

Not only are the maps perfect for outdoor runners, they match the exact style of RunKeeper, taking advantage of the vector customization that allows designers to change colors, fonts, and labels to match style guidelines. The labels use RunKeeper’s brand font, Avenir. The colors of the water, terrain, and land were updated to match their color palette. The styling of buildings and POIs are more subtle to highlight the roads. Roads are now orange to match the RunKeeper brand and differentiate from the red route that tracks your run.

The change to the new maps involved updating one line of code in Mapbox.js. And if you’re feeling adventurous, be sure to check out how we built Mapbox Outdoors.

TileMill now supports reading vector features directly from the proprietary Esri File Geodatabase (FileGDB) format. Interoperability with the FileGDB format is a major advance for Esri users that have adopted TileMill for styling and publishing their maps but still maintain large archives of source data in FileGDB format. The new FileGDB support allows users to edit geo data in ArcMap and style it in TileMill at the same time.

You can now start styling FileGDB data in seconds just by loading the .gdb folder as a new layer into TileMill, specifying the projection, and choosing a layer. See this detailed guide for step by step instructions.

TileMill on both Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows can read FileGDB without additional plugins like the FileGDB API and without requiring an ArcGIS license. This is made possible through remarkable advances in the upcoming GDAL 1.11 release and the new OpenFileGDB driver.

To try this out, download the latest development build of TileMill for Mac or Windows:

• TileMill 0.10.2-dev for Mac OS X
• TileMill 0.10.2-dev for Windows

On Linux install Node.js and then the TileMill master branch from github like:

git clone https://github.com/mapbox/tilemill.git
cd tilemill
npm install
./index.js

Curious about TileMill 2 support? If you are an early adopter of TileMill 2 and Vector Tiles then expect to see FileGDB as a newly supported source format for vector tiles soon.

Get in touch if you have any questions about the new FileGDB support.

Come out and map on Saturday April 26th for the 2014 OpenStreetMap spring #editathon here at the Mapbox DC office. Editathons are a great way to connect with local mappers over improving OpenStreetMap or learn what OpenStreetMap is all about. We’ll be working on the DC map or your favorite spot in the world and there will be people to give you an introduction to editing OpenStreetMap and working with OpenStreetMap data.

Bring your computer, there will be wireless, coffee and snacks. Let us know on the MappingDC meetup group that you’re joining or just show up at our office any time between noon and 5PM on Saturday 26th. Join us for drinks after at the Garden District.

Last year’s spring #editathon at Mapbox.

Lookout, the leader in mobile security, has switched to Mapbox. Trusted for security by over 50 million users worldwide and leveraging the world’s most comprehensive mobile data set, Lookout protects individuals and organizations from advanced mobile threats, often before they put data, devices and networks at risk.

We worked with the Lookout team to not only provide a secure infrastructure that they could trust, but also designed a custom map that fit their brand and interface.

At the core, it’s a utilitarian and legible map that follows cartographic standards for coloring and label hierarchy. Subtle tones and an emphasis on place labels make it perfect for adding context. The map’s color palette, clean aesthetic, and typographic hierarchy rooted in Avenir Next make it a recognizable part of the Lookout brand.

Download the app to secure your phone today.

Moves, acquired by Facebook this morning, automatically records any walking, cycling, and running you do every day. With a new export feature, your data can be downloaded in a range of formats. Naturally, the data is ripe for mapping.

This is what a year’s worth of my own activities look like:

PURPLE is biking, PINK is running, BLUE is walking --- View full screen

Organizing your data

Moves provides your data in several formats, but our focus will be on the GPX files as it takes advantage of the app’s smart activity filtering, separating walking, running, cycling, flying, and driving.

I was only interested in my physical activities, so I took the full data sets for cycling.gpx, running.gpx, and walking.gpx and converted each to GeoJSON. I used our command line tool togeojson to do this:

Import and Design in TileMill

After converting those data sets that I’m interested in to GeoJSON, it’s straightforward to import into TileMill for styling following the same method of importing a shape file and subsequently styling the lines.

After importing the three GeoJSON tracks, my style.mss looked like this:

Note that there is no map background color — this is important as it will allow me to later composite the lines on top of another map.

Export

Following the instructions for exporting your map. As I sadly never left the country last year, I limited my map to the bounds of only the continental United States and zoom levels 1-12.

Upload and composite

The export will give you a nicely packaged MBTiles file. With this, go to your Data page and upload it to your account.

I created a new project with the data by clicking the big blue button, then added in to a darkened version of Mapbox’s satellite layer.

The end result

Washington, D.C., where I currently live

The final map was fun to see — namely, the patterns I inadvertently follow as I run, walk, and bike around cities that progressively become more familiar.

San Francisco, CA, where I explore often

Portland, OR

See the full map and start tracking your own data today with Moves, OpenPaths, PlaceMe, or any other fitness tracking app.

We want to build the best platform maps on Android, and we’re looking for developers to help. A small team at Mapbox has been working on our new Android SDK and has big plans: it’s a completely open source, open-ended SDK for maps. We want to create something that’s much more than just another map client — this has the opportunity to be a common interface for all maps on the platform, like Leaflet is for the web.

If you’re interested, contact us at jobs@mapbox.com. You should have passion for creating quality open source software on the Android platform. Experience with maps isn’t required, only a willingness to learn.

Nick Ingalls is joining Mapbox. We have been collaborating with Nick in the OpenStreetMap community on projects like the New York City building import and Open Addresses. Nick has been amazing to work with and I’m excited to announce that he is joining the Mapbox team fully. Nick will work from our DC office and he will help us push on geocoding and OpenStreetMap data improvements.

Join us at Mapbox SF on Wednesday, May 7th for Maptime and an evening of learning Leaflet and Mapbox.js. We will kick things off at 6:30pm with a short introduction to mapping with JavaScript and then break out for practice and questions. Both beginners and experts are welcome. Sign up to confirm your place and don’t forget to bring your laptop!

Getting to Mapbox

Our office in San Francisco is at 149 9th Street. We’re on 9th between Howard & Mission in a big brick building with an old-school sign that says “The Storex Building”. Once you reach the entrance use the intercom to call Suite 404 and we’ll buzz you in.

We’re excited to introduce Mapbox Foundations, a new collection of educational guides for every corner of the Mapbox platform. Foundations is for anyone who wants to learn more about making maps with Mapbox, TileMill, and the rest of our platform. Each guide covers general concepts and tricks of the trade, so that you can get started building fast.

We’re starting out with seven new guides including a glossary of terms:

Mapbox Editor Basics

Explore the fundamentals of the Mapbox Editor, the tool for creating features, customizing your map, and adding custom data.

• Anatomy of the Mapbox editor
• Customizing the map
• Adding features and data
• Share your map

JavaScript & Web Maps

JavaScript is one of the most widely used languages for interactivity on the web. The Mapbox JavaScript API was built with this interactivity in mind, giving users the tools to create and extend the utility for maps on the web. Here, we introduce some of the basics of JavaScript and how to make your maps a unique experience.

• Extending with mapbox.js
• How do web maps work?

Mapbox glossary

Enough jargon! What is MBTiles? What is GeoJSON? We’ve scoured our site for terms to provide clear definitions.

• All the words you need to know

Help us help you

All of our guides have feedback forms at the end of the articles. Are we missing something? Need more detail? Send us your comments, ideas, and suggestions through the feedback forms or tweet us @mapbox with your ideas.

Factual is tracing millions of new features using Mapbox Commercial Satellite imagery to add even more detailed geographic features to their massive store of location data. Factual consumes Mapbox Satellite imagery via our API and uses it to trace everything from retail locations to parking lots. From there, the vector data is loaded into Geopulse Proximity, Factual’s geofencing solution, and Geopulse Audience, a tool that uses geofences and other location data to generate user profiles.

These Geopulse tools help publishers and developers use location data to serve custom content. Sports and ticketing apps, for example, can use Factual to tailor mobile experiences based on a user’s exact location, whether inside the stadium, outside the stadium, or in the stadium parking lot.

Tracing Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

“We’re constantly expanding and updating our coverage of the world’s businesses and POIs. We chose to work with Mapbox Commercial Satellite imagery because of the great imagery quality and the API.”

— Tyler Bell, VP of Product

Hit up Tyler Bell on Twitter to learn more about Factual and pop over to our Commercial Satellite page or ping us on Twitter @mapbox to talk about tracing imagery.

Creative Mobile Technologies creates payment, media, and mapping tools for taxi fleets. As their customers are constantly on the move, CMT is now leveraging completely offline Mapbox tiles, stored locally in each vehicle.

We’re excited to provide offline support as we expand our transportation initiatives with Smart Directions. To find out more about offline maps and how they might work for your business, reach out to us at sales@mapbox.com.

We have been working with Blackbridge imagery a lot, most recently integrating RapidEye into our Satellite Live pipeline to assist in the search to for flight MH370. Today in Berlin, Eric presented at the Blackbridge Annual conference about our larger play: Mapbox will work as an API for Blackbridge partners publishing their data. Mapbox will integrate with existing imagery, as well as the awesome future fleet of 5 new satellites announced this morning.

The new fleet will have 14 spectral bands, including narrower—cleaner— RGB spectral bands, 1 meter panband and several others to remove haze and support more agricultural products. Launch is is scheduled for 2019, after which Blackbridge will have a revisit rate like micro-satellite startups, resolution similar to traditional providers, and a high volume of data with very wide swaths.

Peak ground velocity for the 7.5-magnitude earthquake in Guerrero, Mexico in April.

We now support compositing vector tiles - allowing me to style different data sources at once as if the base map and earthquake data were all coming from one souce. This vector tile compositing enables Photoshop-like color compositing of ground velocity data against terrain and landuse layers but keeps earthquake layers drawn behind labels to maintain legibility.

The USGS publishes a ShakeMap of every earthquake within minutes of the event. You can take shapefiles from the USGS and drop them right into TileMill 2 - our open source map design studio - to make your own vector tiles and start styling composited maps.

I will be blogging more about compositing vector tile sources in TileMill 2 over the next few weeks. Ping me on Twitter @ian_villeda if you have any questions or want to share some designs you are working with. To start playing, check out the latest TileMill build on Github.