Website of the Week: 8-Bit City

Brett Camper, 8BitCity.comEver since google maps (well, we'll give Microsoft some credit for Terraserver back in the day) we've been able to get incredibly detailed satellite imagery of just about everywhere. However, more data doesn't always translate into easier to follow navigation. 

Taking that concept and a bit of whimsy, Brett Camper has created 8bitcity.com. Essentially, in this first of several maps planned, Camper applied some whiz-bang effects and off-the-shelf mapping data to create a map more similar to Zelda than Mapquest. There's something about the simplified and engaging map that makes it easier to visualize the relative locations of New York City's major neighborhoods. You won't be using it for turn-by-turn directions anytime soon, but if you're looking for a more humanized look (ironic given that it's actually more pixels than pictures) at how and where different parts of the city fit, then check out 8bitcity.com

AT&T: No iPhone in NYC... By Mail

It seems AT&T has made a New Year's resolution: Do whatever they can to make Apple less happy to be stuck with them. The Consumerist has broken a bizarre story: Essentially, inputting NYC-area zipcodes into the AT&T website returns with a message that the iPhone isn't available.

Some have received explanations from sales reps that the outage is due to NYC not being "ready" for the iPhone, while others are getting an explanation that massive fraud is to blame.

Considering the phones have to be activated to be purchased, and it should be fairly easy to choose a zipcode where the iPhone is available, the fraud explanation doesn't make much sense.

Anyone inside AT&T care to offer some details? And to think this is all happening exactly one month before the predicted dates of an Apple event.