Following up on the release of WordPress 2.8, we have rolled out yet another version of UMapper WP Plugin. In addition to being compatible with WP 2.8, the latest version includes two new languages (Chinese by Bo Zhao and Belorussian by Fat Cower) and an updated JQuery engine. We also fixed several annoying bugs identified here.

Download UMapper WordPress plugin now!

This week’s featured map shows an amazing journey of one man’s unsupported bike ride from London to Cape Town, stopping to deliver £100,000 of sponsorship directly to orphanages en route. In their own words:

Far from the easiest route, the Better Life Cycle follows quite a demanding path. Winding round to take in the some great sights each country offers.

The goal of the ride isn’t to get to the end but to make the most of the journey… even if it means taking a 200km detour.

• 14 months of cycling
• 14,000 miles / 24,000km
• 30 countries / 3 continents
• 1 great adventure

Take a look at the Better Life Cycle website to see how you can get involved.

Want to customize the look and feel of your map, add your own branding and change colors? Now you can. Following up on the release of Map Templates, template customization options are now available on all of our Premium accounts.

Here are some of the things you can customize:

• Header
• Footer
• Use any standard template (default, unclustered markers, locked view, geodart game)
• Map controls on/off (map type, zoom control, position, scale, full screen)
• Social links on/off (link, embed, email, tweet)
• Custom social links
• Custom branding (logo, copyright message, other)
• Branded loader

The full list of features available to each account type is available here.

To order a custom template please send us your design and technical requirements.

This week’s feature is the awesome Ballparks of the Midwest map by darens. The map illustrates a feature on KCRG-TV9 and shows the journey of one of their journalists through the Ballparks of the Midwest League. Check it out.

Our popular GeoDart game just got better. You can now save your scores and compare them to other players! The new functionality is available to all current and future games. In addition to scores, we integrated GeoDart with Twitter allowing you to tweet your score or tweet the game itself. Check it out:

See the games other uses created or create your own here.