Abstract: Methods for advertising information include: displaying user-selectable category and geographic vicinity information at a port; and, at a database that is not at the same location as the port; responding to user input at the port to display, at the port, advertising information that is associated with a user-selected category and geographic vicinity. Methods for updating advertising information in a database include: storing advertising information about a plurality of places in the database; updating the advertising information from a first port connected to the database through the Internet; and responding, at the database, to user inputs at a second port connected to the database through the Internet, to display updated advertising information at the second port. Advertisements can be tagged to items of interest and displayed.

Abstract: A user can access a common database from a remote communications port, at any qualified location, to generate a map or other positional information which locates selected items of interest, e.g., businesses, stores, architectural sites, and the like. The database contains information representing the items of interest, including, for each of the items of interest, positional coordinates, a geographic vicinity, and a selected category. The positional coordinates discretely locate the vicinity, while the vicinity specifies the exact locations of the items of interest in the selected category. For example, a user in New York can select the display of sporting shops in the area surrounding Chicago O'Hara International Airport selectively. A user can also access a port and display locations of items of interest within the same vicinity as the user and relative to the user's position. The database can be modified from qualified remote locations to change, or add to, the information therein.

Abstract: A user can access a common database from a remote communications port, at any qualified location, to generate a map or other positional information which locates selected items of interest, e.g., businesses, stores, architectural sites, and the like. The database contains information representing the items of interest, including, for each of the items of interest, positional coordinates, a geographic vicinity, and a selected category. The positional coordinates discretely locate the vicinity, while the vicinity specifies the exact locations of the items of interest in the selected category. For example, a user in New York can select the display of sporting shops in the area surrounding Chicago O'Hara International Airport selectively. A user can also access a port and display locations of items of interest within the same vicinity as the user and relative to the user's position. The database can be modified from qualified remote locations to change, or add to, the information therein.

Abstract: A user can access a common database from a remote communications port, at any qualified location, to generate a map or other positional information which locates selected items of interest, e.g., businesses, stores, architectural sites, and the like. The database contains information representing the items of interest, including, for each of the items of interest, positional coordinates, a geographic vicinity, and a selected category. The positional coordinates discretely locate the vicinity, while the vicinity specifies the exact locations of the items of interest in the selected category. For example, a user in New York can select the display of sporting shops in the area surrounding Chicago O'Hara International Airport selectively. A user can also access a port and display locations of items of interest within the same vicinity as the user and relative to the user's position. The database can be modified from qualified remote locations to change, or add to, the information therein.

Abstract: A user can access a common database from a remote communications port, at any qualified location, to generate a map or other positional information which locates selected items of interest, e.g., businesses, stores, architectural sites, and the like. The database contains information representing the items of interest, including, for each of the items of interest, positional coordinates, a geographic vicinity, and a selected category. The positional coordinates discretely locate the vicinity, while the vicinity specifies the exact locations of the items of interest in the selected category. For example, a user in New York can select the display of sporting shops in the area surrounding Chicago O'Hara International Airport selectively. A user can also access a port and display locations of items of interest within the same vicinity as the user and relative to the user's position. The database can be modified from qualified remote locations to change, or add to, the information therein.

Abstract: A user can access a common database from a remote communications port, at any qualified location, to generate a map or other positional information which locates selected items of interest, e.g., businesses, stores, architectural sites, and the like. The database contains information representing the items of interest, including, for each of the items of interest, positional coordinates, a geographic vicinity, and a selected category. The positional coordinates discretely locate the vicinity, while the vicinity specifies the exact locations of the items of interest in the selected category. For example, a user in New York can select the display of sporting shops in the area surrounding Chicago O'Hara International Airport selectively. A user can also access a port and display locations of items of interest within the same vicinity as the user and relative to the user's position. The database can be modified from qualified remote locations to change, or add to, the information therein.

Abstract: A user can access a common database from a remote communications port, at any qualified location, to generate a map or other positional information which locates selected items of interest, e.g., businesses, stores, architectural sites, and the like. The database contains information representing the items of interest, including, for each of the items of interest, positional coordinates, a geographic vicinity, and a selected category. The positional coordinates discretely locate the vicinity, while the vicinity specifies the exact locations of the items of interest in the selected category. For example, a user in New York can select the display of sporting shops in the area surrounding Chicago O'Hara International Airport selectively. A user can also access a port and display locations of items of interest within the same vicinity as the user and relative to the user's position. The database can be modified from qualified remote locations to change, or add to, the information therein.

Abstract: A kiosk is placed on a sidewalk and has stored in an electronic memory the locations of businesses, historical sites, or the like within a predetermined distance of the kiosk. In addition, a map of the area surrounding the kiosk is stored. The kiosk has an input panel having a plurality of input keys, each key corresponding to a characteristic of the subscribers stored in the electronic memory. A user activates the apparatus by pressing one of the input keys. This causes an electronic element to search the subscribers to determine the group of subscribers having that characteristic. Then, a map is generated, and the location of the selected group of subscribers are overlaid onto the map. The map with the group of subscribers thereon is then printed and dispensed to the user.