The Linux Foundation, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Meta, Microsoft, and Dutch mapping company TomTom have combined forces on a new mapping nonprofit called the Overture Maps Foundation.

Its goal is to help people build new map products by offering interoperable open map data — basically, mapping data that members can use across computer systems.

Data will come from:

• Government agencies, like city planning departments
• Existing open map data projects like OpenStreetMap (which Meta already uses)
• Members, who contribute their own

Membership ranges from $0 to $3m per year, depending on if it’s an individual, nonprofit, government agency, or business.

Why?

As Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin told Venture Beat, this isn’t a Google Maps that you can ask for directions. Rather, it’s mapping’s answer to open-source software.

Currently, developers who want to find high-quality and up-to-date mapping data often cobble it together from various sources, all of which have their own languages and quirks.

Overture’s data will live in a single place, serving as a base map that companies and developers can build on.

The first data set, launching in 2023, will include building, road, and administrative info. Over time, Overture will release other layers, like 3D building data.

Mapping data…

… is useful for a variety of purposes, including navigation, routing, search, and augmented and mixed reality — something Meta likely cares about given its metaverse aspirations.

Notably absent: Google and Apple. They have their own maps, which, as TechCrunch points out, took a huge bite out of TomTom’s business as smartphones replaced GPS devices.

In October, Elon Musk told investors that Tesla was gearing up for “an epic end of year.”

Yet, on Tuesday, the company’s market cap fell below $500B for the first time since 2020. Along with rising interest rates and recessionary fears, factors that could be playing into the downward trend include:

• Demand challenges in China, where Tesla has cut prices, lowered production forecasts, and even bought ads on a local TV channel — something Musk has historically objected to doing, per Bloomberg.
• Musk’s involvement with Twitter, which has investors spooked from reputational and logistical perspectives. (Musk has said he’ll make sure Tesla shareholders benefit from Twitter in the long term.)

Despite these challenges, Tesla remains the dominant EV maker globally, with head starts in consumer EVs, semis, battery production, and charging. The company produced 930k EVs in the first nine months of 2022. For comparison, Ford sold 41.2k.

Savvy web devs know, it’s all about the “cheat codes.”

The swifting sequences you learn once and leverage forever. We put 25 of them in this ebook so that beginners and intermediates can upgrade their skills.

Use these tips, tags, and templates for more robust website-building.

For HTML + CSS power users:

• How to accommodate diverse displays
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• Optimize site speed (and minimize bugs)
• HTML tags for interactive elements and content display
• Lesser-known CSS properties for fine-grained stylizing

To help you code like the pros.

Now’s a good time to whip up that Grinch Punch. In case you missed ’em, here’s our week’s best…

• Tweet: The science nerds now that everyone cares about nuclear fusion.
• Story: Mark’s wide-ranging look at the sneaky economics of Ticketmaster, including an interview with its former CEO and a survey of Hustle readers.
• Chart: A look at the growth — and potential slowdown — of esports investments in the US.
• Video: The My First Million guys spoke with Kayak’s Paul English about his ideas, missed opportunities, and goal to create a Twitter competitor.
• Blog: Raising capital can be the hardest part of getting your startup off the ground. The blog squad broke down how to get private investors on board.

🎥 On this day: In 2009, James Cameron’s Avatar opened in US theaters, becoming one of the most lucrative films of all time. Its long-awaited sequel debuts in theaters today.

🧩 That’s interesting: How a PhD student at the University of Cambridge solved an ancient puzzle.

✏️ From our blog: What’s the fastest way to know if your idea could become a successful company? A minimum viable product. Here’s how to get started.

🎧 Chill out: With this lo-fi soundscape of a snowy night at Starkiller Base.

🎁 Aww: And now, Christmas for dogs.

1. Shorter people can hide boogers better.  SOURCE
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2. Being able to tolerate the sound of your own voice in a video is probably the highest form of self-acceptance.  SOURCE
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3. If elevators hadn't been invented, all the CEOs and important people would have their offices on the first floor as a sign of status.  SOURCE
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4. We're living in the bronze age of an AI future.  SOURCE
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5. One day a self-driving car will arrive at its destination with a dead person.  SOURCE
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