MapBlast LineDrive

It's not often you see anything innovative in mapping... but MapBlast's new LineDrive mapping system for driving directions is really a leap forward in printable maps for navigation. Rather than simply highlighting the route on a map, the system seems to actually create a vector diagram of the route, showing the turns and relative directions but (critically) removing the scale of the distance of each leg, as well as any turns in the road itself. By omitting this useless information (distance is provided in numeric terms, which is what you would convert the map leg to anyway in viewing it) the diagram is far easier to read, and even easier to memorize if you're the driver. Edward Tufte would be proud.