Google Lat Long: November 2008

Happier travels through Street View with Pegman

November 25, 2008

Today we're happy to announce some big improvements to the Street View feature in Google Maps! Thanks to feedback from our users, we've now made Street View even better and easier to use.

For one thing, Pegman, our plucky mascot, is now close at hand wherever you go. He hangs out right on top of the zoom slider:

To enter Street View, drag Pegman to a street (or just keep zooming in all the way, and the lowest zoom level is now Street View imagery). Tip: if you hold Pegman over a location for a second, you'll see a preview of what it looks like. Which direction you're facing depends on which side of the street you drag to:

Also, we've revamped the layout of Street View to give you more room for looking at really big stuff like the Colosseum in Rome, or for zooming in to get a better look at small stuff like this space invader mosaic in Paris.

The minimap in the corner lets you see the surrounding area. To see Street View and the map at the same time, you can click on the

icon at the top left of the minimap. Looking up driving directions? This split screen view is especially handy for previewing turns along the way, and each step will be listed at the top of the Street View image.

Want to learn more and see the new features in action? Check out this video, narrated by Pegman himself:

And since Pegman now has even more of a starring role while you're exploring Street View, we thought we'd take a moment to celebrate him with a parade of Pegman Easter eggs, sketches, and prototypes:

Posted by Stephane Lafon, Software Engineer & Andy Szybalski, User Experience Designer

Some favorite Google Maps features now for iPhone

November 21, 2008

(Cross-posted from the Google Mobile Blog)

I waited in line on launch day to buy my first-generation iPhone, and ever since then it has never left my side. The best part is that it keeps getting more useful with every software upgrade Apple puts out. This time around, Apple has improved their version of Google Maps by putting even more Google features in your pocket.

The most eye-catching one is Street View: Apple's silky-smooth implementation makes it a joy to pan around the world. You might wonder why you'd want to look at panoramas of the world while you're already out in it, but I've found it handy for getting an idea of what to look for when going somewhere new. In somewhere like New York, it's also a great way to get your bearings when you pop out of a subway station in an unfamiliar part of town.

Speaking of subways, my favorite new feature is the addition of Google Transit and walking directions. In a time of congested roads and fluctuating gas prices, driving isn't always the best way to get from A to B, so why limit your options? Now when you get directions, you can switch between driving, walking, and public transportation directions (where available) with a single tap.

Google Maps has schedules for transportation systems in more than 100 cities worldwide, including New York, Tokyo, Montréal, Zürich, and Perth — and now it's easy to get that information on your iPhone. As more transportation agencies decide to share their schedule information, their routes will be available on the iPhone the instant they appear in Google Maps on the web.

Finally, in the latest version of Google Maps for iPhone, you can email information about a location to your friends, which can be a great help when coordinating a get-together.

To get these new Maps features on your iPhone, you'll need to update your phone's software through iTunes. I hope you'll find these new additions as useful as I have. And don't forget that even if you don't have an iPhone, Google Maps for mobile is available for many other kinds of phones, including BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian Series 60, and Android — visit www.google.com/gmm for more details.

Posted by Joe Hughes, Mobile Maps Software Engineer

Tip of the week: airport codes in Google Maps

November 20, 2008

Thanksgiving is only a week away, which means that the holiday travel season is upon us. Booking plane tickets can be like alphabet soup: you're just trying to get from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, but your itinerary has you changing planes at CVG and landing at BWI. Where on earth are those airports? In Google Maps, you can simply enter the 3-letter airport code to find it on the map. This makes it much easier to figure out where exactly your journey will take you, and to get directions to or from an airport without having to find its address.
Maybe I'll see you at SJC or DCA.

Posted by Elaine Filadelfo, Lat Long Blog Team

360 degree panoramas in Google Earth

November 20, 2008

This week, we've started to feature another layer in the Google Earth Gallery, showing several thousand panoramic views provided by 360cities.net. This layer contains exciting 360 degree panoramas from a variety of great photographs taken all over the world!

Do you want to explore some beautiful spots in Central Park, or be impressed by the beautifully illuminated Kremlin at night as seen from the Red Square in Moscow?

These amazing panoramas from 360cities.net will provide you another way to browse user contributed pictures and information in addition to our Panoramio and Wikipedia layers.

Are you also an enthusiast taking panoramic views? It's not difficult to add your images as Photooverlays to Google Earth on your own. If you want to share them with others, just follow the links in the balloons of the 360cities.net layer that will take you to the website to join the 360cities.net community.

Posted by Philipp Hirtz, Engineering Manager, Google Earth

A local focus: two new case studies

November 19, 2008

From the practical to the political, from the serious to the silly, developers of over 150,000 sites around the world continue to inspire us with their creative uses of the Google Maps API.

To celebrate this blossoming ecosystem, we've redesigned our Case Studies video site. Timed with this relaunch, we've got two new videos showcasing innovative API uses, this time for sites that help you make the most of where you live.

Yelp was an early and eager adopter of the Google Maps API. As their local reviews site has grown in size and geography, Yelp has aggressively built upon our platform with intuitive neighborhood maps, static maps that load quickly but quickly transition to powerful dynamic maps, and more. They've also been quick to support our newest API features such as Street View and Mobile. Check out the video!

We are also excited to profile Zipcar, which uses Google Maps to help its exploding userbase find cars available for hourly or daily rental in their neighborhood:

We've got five more case study videos at the newly redesigned site, so take a quick break and (re)inspire yourself!

Posted by Jesse Friedman, Associate Product Marketing Manager

Access Google Maps wherever you are on the web

November 18, 2008

One of my favorite things to do while I'm on a business trip -- wherever I am -- is to find great coffee shops. Knowing I can relax with locals and get a strong cup of coffee helps get me through the jet lag and long days that usually accompany these trips. However, I'm usually busy doing all sorts of things on the web, like creating presentations, updating spreadsheets, or checking my flights.

To find a new destination for my coffee fix without having to leave the site I'm on, all I need to do is use the Google Maps gadget on the new Google Toolbar 5 (for Internet Explorer or Firefox). Every time I click on the "compass" icon on my Toolbar, a Google Maps window pops under it: inside the gadget I can search for "Seattle Cafe" and get listings of local coffee shops, along with reviews and driving directions. You can find more interesting gadgets to add to your Toolbar in our gallery.

Posted by Christos Apartoglou, Product Marketing Manager, Google Toolbar

Happy Geography Awareness Week

November 17, 2008

Some of my earliest memories are of spreading National Geographic maps out on the floor of my living room, picking a faraway place on the planet, and imagining myself on a different continent. Fast forward a couple of decades to 2008, and National Geographic is still inspiring young people to explore our globe.

For the third year in a row, Google is delighted to work with My Wonderful World, a National Geographic-led campaign to give kids the power of global knowledge, on Geography Awareness Week. Beginning today, students and teachers alike can explore a range of geo-activities using Google Earth. Working together on projects like this, that encourage people to roll up their sleeves and explore the world, is what Google's Geo Education initiative is all about.

Did you know that the Lake Victoria water level is dropping, impacting the daily lives of 30 million Ugandans, Kenyans, and Tanzanians? Take a geo-tour of global hotspots to see how geography can help us understand critical issues facing the world today.

Did you know that dining in certain fast food joints in Japan can be a very elegant experience? Or that grocery shopping in Russia is often more of a negotiation than a transaction? With National Geographic's Glimpse, you can hear from young people living and working around the world and see their stories in Google Earth.

Visit the Google for Educators site to learn more about these initiatives and to start exploring today!

Posted by Nate Johnson, Virtual Exploring Enthusiast

Announcing SketchUp 7

November 17, 2008

It's my pleasure to announce the launch of Google SketchUp 7. If you've been putting off getting familiar with Google Earth's 3D modeling "other half", now's the time to do something about it. After all, nothing makes a nicer holiday gift for your spouse than a 3D model of your dwelling or dream dwelling. Well, almost nothing.

So what's new in SketchUp 7? Lots of stuff, but here are some of the highlights I think you'll find most interesting (take a look at the SketchUp website for a complete rundown).

Some of the improvements we made to SketchUp 7 are especially useful for beginners. For example:

Edges now split other edges where they cross, automatically. Modeling in SketchUp is more intuitive now.
The inferencing system (SketchUp's colored points and guide lines that help you draw in 3D) is clearer and more consistent than ever.
When you need help using a tool, click the "?" icon at the bottom of your modeling window; the Instructor panel pops up to give you more information.

We've added three things to SketchUp 7 that make building photo-textured models (like the ones you see in Google Earth) infinitely easier:

Make Unique Texture crops your textures to the face you're editing; this makes them smaller and your models lighter. Google Earth likes small models.
Combine Textures "stitches" together adjacent textures to reduce their numbers and further reduce your file size.
Edit Texture lets you open textures directly in the image editor of your choice to fiddle with them. When you're done, the texture you edited updates in SketchUp automatically – no more re-applying a whole building facade just because you need to clone out a parking meter.

The Google 3D Warehouse is where models live online. It's an enormous, searchable repository of stuff from modelers all over the world. Recently, we introduced Google Docs-style sharing and collaboration: now you can upload a model and specify who gets to use it – and what they can do with it. You can make it private, share it with a select group of invitees, or set it completely free. If you model a building and make it editable by anyone, there's a good chance it'll evolve over time. It's wiki editing for the 3D world.

As I mentioned above, there's tons of new stuff in SketchUp 7. Visit the website to learn all about it, and have fun.

Posted by Aidan Chopra, SketchUp Product Evangelist

Santa Barbara fire map

November 14, 2008

A strong, fast-moving wildfire began last night in Santa Barbara, California and has already destroyed 100 homes and put many more at risk. Residents of the impacted and endangered areas urgently need information about the fire path, evacuated areas, road closures, and other important safety factors. A group in Santa Barbara quickly put together a My Map containing extensive information that can help keep residents informed and safe. If you are in the impacted area or would like to stay abreast of the situation, we hope you'll find this map valuable.

View Larger Map

Posted by Elaine Filadelfo, Lat Long Blog Team

When in Rome...teach!

November 14, 2008

introducedAncient Rome 3DAncient Rome in 3D Curriculum CompetitionStreet View imageryLitTripAeneid,

From Caesar to Augustus, the Roman Forum to the Arch of Constantine, it's time to get those creative juices flowing. Register and upload your original curriculum at earth.google.com/romecontest by February 9th for the chance at fame, glory, and an awesome prize package!

Posted by Anna Bishop, Google Earth Education Team

Tip of the week: Know before you go

November 13, 2008

We've featured some of the most stunning pictures found in Street View on the blog, from the Colosseum in Rome to the Parthenon (well, a replica) in Nashville, but there are also countless practical uses of Street View. Here's one of them: use Street View to take some of the stress out of parking.

When you're going into a city or to a new part of town, you probably don't want to waste time circling blocks to find areas where you can park. Here are some ways Street View can help:

Google Maps may not be able tell you where you'll find a free space (unless you're in Santa Monica -- in which case we can!) but Street View should save you some time and hassle.

Posted by Elaine Filadelfo, Lat Long Blog Team

Roman history comes to life in Google Earth

November 12, 2008

Ancient Rome 3DInstitute for Advanced Technology in the HumanitiesRome Reborn

Google Ancient Rome 3D Curriculum Competition

UpdateUpdatePosted by Bruce Polderman, Product Manager, Google Earth

Create cool KML, win cool prizes

November 11, 2008

The KML in Research contest deadline is Dec 1st. For those of you working on KML already, make sure you check out the judging criteria and submit your file before the contest deadline. For those of you new to KML, there is still time to get a quick start using some of the tools and examples highlighted on the KML tools page.

We are looking for KML that uses Google Earth to display data, describes academic research

work, or provides educational content for students and teachers. We know there is a lot of really fantastic cutting edge work going on out there and we would love to see it shared in Google Earth for everyone to see. There is also a separate category for students, and students can enter in teams of up to three.

If you need any additional motivation, the top 5 entries in both the student and professional categories will win a prize pack that includes a Garmin GPS to help with future KML projects, an Apple iPod Touch to keep you from working too hard, and a Google Earth tote bag just for fun. The top winners will have their work showcased on the Google Earth Educators site and at the Google booth at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting in San Francisco.

Posted by Ryan Falor, Systems Engineer

Apps of maps

November 10, 2008

Seeing the diversity and creativity of what people are doing with our geo tools continues to surprise and enthrall all of us working on these very tools. Intrepid software developers worldwide are taking the initiative by building unique applications to demonstrate that Google Earth and Google Maps aren't just places to plan a route or see your house (though are still great for doing that!), but places to view all forms of information in their geographical context. Here's a small selection of some of the tools that I have enjoyed using and that represent the variety of things that have been done when people have "thought outside the map".

First up is a really clever and fun Google Maps app called geoGreeting. Software engineer Jesse Vig happened to notice that certain buildings took on the appearance of a letter of the alphabet when viewed from above. By entering your message on the send a geoGreeting page, characters matching your message will be generated and played as an animation that you can send to your friends and family. Ah, the number of times this site has bailed me out when I have forgotten to send a real card!

The next one is PlanePlotter. Aviation enthusiasts who enjoy spotting aircraft, whether up close or virtually, turn to tools that facilitate their understanding of the skies around them. One of the ways that PlanePlotter displays information is via Google Earth; when location, direction

and altitude information are plotted, you can get a pilot's eye view of the terrain around them.

Last, but by no means least is iLoveMountains. Under the umbrella of the non-profit group Appalachian Voices. Appalachian voices are a Google Earth Outreach grantee that engages in campaigning against mountaintop removal used in the production of coal. The iLoveMountains.org project lets people see their connection on Google Maps or Google Earth to mountaintop removal based on their U.S zip code. From there, people can learn about what involvement their local supplier may have in buying coal supplied using mountaintop removal techniques - and what action they can take. These kinds of "story-telling" KMLs & mashups stimulate the senses by giving a real feeling of connection to the place, illustrating the issues.

Hopefully you'll have some fun with these various apps, and perhaps you'll get inspired to create your own. If so head over to the Google Code - Geo page, where you can learn how to create all kinds of wonderful tools. These could range from a simple maps mashup through highly complex dynamic KML files.

I'll leave you with this parting message...

Posted by Phil Verney, Google Earth Community Development

Street View elects DC, Baltimore, and Seattle

November 4, 2008

Whew! It's been a busy last couple weeks for the Street view team. After our recent launches in France, Spain and Italy, Street view is now available in 6 countries. But to help celebrate Election Day, we thought we'd head back to the US and launch imagery of the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.

While you're waiting to hear who the 44th president will be, you can take a look at the Washington Monument, built to commemorate the first president:

View Larger Map

You can also check out the Capitol -- in a few months, many new Congresspeople will occupy it:

View Larger Map

If you haven't been to Washington since your high school class trip, you can see the new National Museum of the American Indian:

View Larger Map

Along with DC, we're also launching Seattle and Baltimore -- these have been our 3 most highly requested cities, but I hope you'll agree it was worth the wait.

In Baltimore, take a look at the National Aquarium:

View Larger Map

And in Seattle, you can view head to the Seattle Center to view Frank Gehry's Experience Museum Project with the iconic Space Needle rising behind it:

View Larger Map

To give you even more of a reason to explore Street View, we've hidden another special surprise somewhere in our US imagery so keep your eyes peeled. Need a hint to get you started? It's in the home state of someone whose name you'll see on the ballot today.

Posted by Stephen Chau, Product Manager

Geo tools for election day

November 4, 2008

Posted by Brittany Bohnet, Google Elections Team

Today, citizens across the country will vote -- and be antsy to find out how everyone else voted. Today you'll be able to access voting results as they occur with our 2008 Election Results Map. You can follow along in our Google Maps Elections Gallery or embed the results onto your own site. Real time results will begin in just a few hours, so stay tuned!

While you wait for results to come it, we want you to find as much information as you'd like concerning this historic 2008 election. Here are a few of our latest geo tools for getting the full scoop:

Catch a glimpse of the best political map mashups in the Google Maps Elections Gallery
See historical voting results dating back to 1980 on Google Maps and Google Earth (KML)
Find out where to vote on our U.S. Voter Info site (on your mobile phone, head to m.google.com/elections).
Bring a video camera with you to the polls to capture your voting experience on YouTube's Video Your Vote channel. We're using Google Maps to track these videos across the country -- and to see where polling problems might be occurring during the day.

Posted by Brittany Bohnet, Google Elections Team

Happier travels through Street View with Pegman

Some favorite Google Maps features now for iPhone

Tip of the week: airport codes in Google Maps

360 degree panoramas in Google Earth

A local focus: two new case studies

Access Google Maps wherever you are on the web

Happy Geography Awareness Week

Announcing SketchUp 7

Santa Barbara fire map

When in Rome...teach!

Tip of the week: Know before you go

Roman history comes to life in Google Earth

Create cool KML, win cool prizes

Apps of maps

Street View elects DC, Baltimore, and Seattle

Geo tools for election day

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