Since we announced the ability to see lots of real estate listings directly on Google Maps back in July, we've been working hard to make it even easier to use.  As we've added new features and updated Google Maps, with things like brand new high-resolution Street View imagery or detailed map data, Google Maps has become an even more useful tool for online real estate searching. Here are a couple of things you can look out for next time you visit.

First of all, we've made it easier to find real estate listings. Now, you can simply select "Real Estate" from the 'More' button on the top right of any Google Map to discover listings.  From there, it's a simple matter to refine your search using the left hand panel - price, bedrooms, bathrooms, and so on.  Of course, you can still pan the map to search for the perfect neighborhood and it'll automatically update with more listings.Read More

Since we announced the ability to see lots of real estate listings directly on Google Maps back in July, we've been working hard to make it even easier to use.  As we've added new features and updated Google Maps, with things like brand new high-resolution Street View imagery or detailed map data, Google Maps has become an even more useful tool for online real estate searching. Here are a couple of things you can look out for next time you visit.

First of all, we've made it easier to find real estate listings. Now, you can simply select "Real Estate" from the 'More' button on the top right of any Google Map to discover listings.  From there, it's a simple matter to refine your search using the left hand panel - price, bedrooms, bathrooms, and so on.  Of course, you can still pan the map to search for the perfect neighborhood and it'll automatically update with more listings.

We've also added the ability to search for rental listings in the US.  You can now find places for rent in New York or one bedrooms in San Francisco for rent simply by turning on the Real Estate layer via the 'More' button and selecting some refinements.

You'll also notice that Google Maps is now showing even more information about an area as you pan around and zoom in.  There are small icons on the map showing the names and location of businesses and prominent features of the neighborhood.  This means that during your property search, you'll be able to tell at a glance just exactly what shops can be found down the road from where you're looking, all without typing!

You can now find real estate in cities and towns across the US, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Of course, these aren't the only resources available for your new home search. You can use Street View on Google Maps to check out the neighborhood before driving to an open house; use driving directions to find out exactly how to get there; and transit information to work out what your new commute might be if you went ahead and moved house.

Also, if you're in the real estate industry and want to provide listings to be seen in Google Maps, it's really easy to get started.

Happy house hunting this weekend!

Posted by Andrew Foster, Product Manager

In 2005 we launched Google Maps, and later that year, we launched Google Maps for mobile, providing maps and driving directions to users on the go. Over the past few years we've continuously added new features to Google Maps for desktop computers and mobile phones, such as My Location, live traffic data, and satellite and street views. But our driving directions have always remained written in list form - not particularly useful while you're actually driving. Until now!

Today we're announcing the beta launch of Google Maps Navigation, an internet-connected GPS navigation system with voice guidance and automatic rerouting, as a feature of Google Maps on phones that run Android 2.0. Google Maps Navigation isn't like the GPS systems you might be used to - it was built from the ground up to use Google Maps services over your phone's internet connection. This means using Google search, by typing or by voice, to enter your destination (whether or not you know the address); viewing your route on 3D satellite views and in Street View; and always running on the freshest map, business, and live traffic data available from Google Maps.

Read more about Google Maps Navigation on the Official Google Mobile blog.

Posted by Iljya Kalai, Software Engineer Read More

In 2005 we launched Google Maps, and later that year, we launched Google Maps for mobile, providing maps and driving directions to users on the go. Over the past few years we've continuously added new features to Google Maps for desktop computers and mobile phones, such as My Location, live traffic data, and satellite and street views. But our driving directions have always remained written in list form - not particularly useful while you're actually driving. Until now!

Today we're announcing the beta launch of Google Maps Navigation, an internet-connected GPS navigation system with voice guidance and automatic rerouting, as a feature of Google Maps on phones that run Android 2.0. Google Maps Navigation isn't like the GPS systems you might be used to - it was built from the ground up to use Google Maps services over your phone's internet connection. This means using Google search, by typing or by voice, to enter your destination (whether or not you know the address); viewing your route on 3D satellite views and in Street View; and always running on the freshest map, business, and live traffic data available from Google Maps.

Read more about Google Maps Navigation on the Official Google Mobile blog.

Posted by Iljya Kalai, Software Engineer

[We invited March Turnbull from the MAPA Project to write a guest post and describe the work they've done to create a detailed map of Africa's protected areas -- Ed.]Read More

[We invited March Turnbull from the MAPA Project to write a guest post and describe the work they've done to create a detailed map of Africa's protected areas -- Ed.]

The greatest wildlife show on earth is about to arrive on your PC.

Africa is the last continent on earth to hold on to its ‘megafauna’ – the really big stuff like elephants, rhinos and herds of antelope tens thousands strong - and it’s hanging on to them by the skin on its teeth.

Here at the MAPA Project, we’re making sure that no one can say “We never knew!” when it comes to keeping African parks and wildlife in the public eye.

MAPA stands for ‘Mapping Africa’s Protected Areas’ and so far we’ve plotted the major parks, reserves, and protected areas for Southern and East Africa. Check them out on Google Earth and watch epic wildlife video snippets or just find out about places you didn’t even know existed. Download the MAPA layer and find out just how extraordinary our continent is. You can also find the layer in the Google Earth Outreach Showcase.

What’s the largest mammal migration on earth? You’d probably guess the wildebeest migration in East Africa with over a million wildebeest and zebra on the move every year. Well, it may be the heaviest one, but what about the two million fruit bats which gather in Kasanka National Park in Zambia every November and fly off every evening, darkening the sky for twenty minutes? Nobody knows why they all go there, but go they do – and you can too.

It’s a work-in-progress and we have thousands more parks, blog posts, research projects and icons to get up but we are really on our way now. We plan to be at it for another couple of years but if you need to know anything about conservation in Africa, start here and you will end up in the right place.

Conservationists and GIS enthusiasts all across Africa are helping us to pull this groundbreaking project together. You can too: each park and reserve on the map tells its story and each links to websites with even more info. Bloggers are welcome on the layer and over fifty are already keeping us posted with what they are doing for conservation.

Have you ever wondered what happens to all those tracks that researchers download from satellite collars on the National Geographic channel? Well we did too, so we’re looking for them and we’ve already put a couple online for you to unravel, with plenty more to come.

So, if you are considering traveling in Africa, if you need some really credible background to that news story or school project, or if you just know the value of something that is irreplaceable, load this layer and watch what Africa is doing to conserve its priceless environmental legacy. For more information on how to get involved, visit www.mapaproject.org.

Posted by March Turnbull, Mapping Africa's Protected Areas

We're thrilled to know that hundreds of millions of people use Google Earth to discover, explore, and learn more about the world around them. However, we're especially proud of the fact that Google Earth has been used as a tool to help people change the world. Today, to celebrate the individuals and organizations that have used Google Earth in their efforts to effect change, we're launching the Google Earth heroes project. We're highlighting the work of five organizations with this launch, with several other profiles soon to follow.

Project Kaisei
Right now, in the North Pacific Gyre, an 'island' of garbage twice the size of the state of Texas is floating across the surface of the ocean. This area was recently visited by the members of Project Kaisei who tracked their voyage using Google Earth and Maps. Project Kaisei researchers have experimented with converting plastic particles from the "Plastic Vortex" into diesel, and hope to eventually power their vessels with this fuel, creating fully sustainable expeditions. Video

Save the Elephants
For over 20 years, Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants, has worked to protect elephants in Mali from poachers using geofences and satellite collars, among other technologies. With Google Earth, Dr. Douglas-Hamilton can track these elephants on a map and has been able to save many animals' lives, rescuing trapped elephants and helping animals suffering from the effects of local drought and climate change. Video

Borneo Orangutan Survival
The number of Orangutans in the wild today is decreasing at a staggering pace largely because of the destruction of their rainforest habitats. In Sumatra, recent calculations show that the total Orangutan population has fallen from 12,000 in 1993 to approximately 6,500 today. Willie Smits and the Borneo Orangutan Survival Organization have used Google Earth as a platform to enable everyone to participate in their reforestation project by viewing and adopting forest acreage in the Samboja Lestari region. Video

Chief Almir and the Surui
Since he first observed the illegal logging of his tribe's territory with Google Earth in an internet cafe several years ago, Chief Almir Surui, along with Google Earth Outreach, have worked together to raise awareness about this issue, and Surui culture as a whole. Most recently, in addition to the launch of the “Trading Bows and Arrows for Laptops” Google Earth tour, members of the Google Earth Outreach team traveled to the Amazon to teach the Surui how mobile devices can be used to capture photos of illegal logging activity and uploaded to Google Earth. Video

Appalachian Voices
Mountaintop removal coal mining refers to a process of detonating explosives in order to mine coal seams that would otherwise be difficult to access. The practice is hugely detrimental to the surrounding environment, pollutes nearby drinking-water sources, permanently destroys the mountains themselves, and often causes cancer and other diseases. Appalachian Voices, a grassroots environmental group in North Carolina, has educated millions of people, including policy-makers and legislators, about this destructive mining process by flying users over the 470 mine sites in the Appalachian mountains with Google Earth. The organization also has a layer in Google Earth dedicated to these efforts. Video

Read More

We're thrilled to know that hundreds of millions of people use Google Earth to discover, explore, and learn more about the world around them. However, we're especially proud of the fact that Google Earth has been used as a tool to help people change the world. Today, to celebrate the individuals and organizations that have used Google Earth in their efforts to effect change, we're launching the Google Earth heroes project. We're highlighting the work of five organizations with this launch, with several other profiles soon to follow.

Project Kaisei
Right now, in the North Pacific Gyre, an 'island' of garbage twice the size of the state of Texas is floating across the surface of the ocean. This area was recently visited by the members of Project Kaisei who tracked their voyage using Google Earth and Maps. Project Kaisei researchers have experimented with converting plastic particles from the "Plastic Vortex" into diesel, and hope to eventually power their vessels with this fuel, creating fully sustainable expeditions. Video

Save the Elephants
For over 20 years, Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants, has worked to protect elephants in Mali from poachers using geofences and satellite collars, among other technologies. With Google Earth, Dr. Douglas-Hamilton can track these elephants on a map and has been able to save many animals' lives, rescuing trapped elephants and helping animals suffering from the effects of local drought and climate change. Video

Borneo Orangutan Survival
The number of Orangutans in the wild today is decreasing at a staggering pace largely because of the destruction of their rainforest habitats. In Sumatra, recent calculations show that the total Orangutan population has fallen from 12,000 in 1993 to approximately 6,500 today. Willie Smits and the Borneo Orangutan Survival Organization have used Google Earth as a platform to enable everyone to participate in their reforestation project by viewing and adopting forest acreage in the Samboja Lestari region. Video

Chief Almir and the Surui
Since he first observed the illegal logging of his tribe's territory with Google Earth in an internet cafe several years ago, Chief Almir Surui, along with Google Earth Outreach, have worked together to raise awareness about this issue, and Surui culture as a whole. Most recently, in addition to the launch of the “Trading Bows and Arrows for Laptops” Google Earth tour, members of the Google Earth Outreach team traveled to the Amazon to teach the Surui how mobile devices can be used to capture photos of illegal logging activity and uploaded to Google Earth. Video

Appalachian Voices
Mountaintop removal coal mining refers to a process of detonating explosives in order to mine coal seams that would otherwise be difficult to access. The practice is hugely detrimental to the surrounding environment, pollutes nearby drinking-water sources, permanently destroys the mountains themselves, and often causes cancer and other diseases. Appalachian Voices, a grassroots environmental group in North Carolina, has educated millions of people, including policy-makers and legislators, about this destructive mining process by flying users over the 470 mine sites in the Appalachian mountains with Google Earth. The organization also has a layer in Google Earth dedicated to these efforts. Video

We salute these individuals and groups, and share their wonderful stories with the hope that they will inspire more people to use Google Earth to make the world a better place. If you are using Google Earth to change your world, be it in small ways or large, and would like to share your story, we want to hear from you! Please submit your story here and you could be selected as the next Google Earth Hero.

For more information about these Heroes of Google Earth, visit http://earth.google.com/changetheworld

Posted by

Krating Poonpol, Product Marketing Manager, Google Earth

Tanya Keen, Program Manager, Google Earth Outreach

We are proud to announce that as of today, the Google Earth Outreach Program is available in Africa, making it possible for local NGOs and other public benefit organizations to take advantage of Google Earth Pro software grants and other opportunities.

In addition to the launch of the program itself, several amazing examples (listed below) of non-profit organizations' efforts to visualize their work in Africa with Google Earth and tell their stories to the world are now available.

Save the Elephants takes you to Mali and shows you their effort to protect the last of the Mali Desert Elephants. This Google Earth project uses KML touring, a feature in Google Earth 5.0 and above, which enables non-profit and other public benefit groups to tell their story with a narrated tour. Your narrator on this Google Earth journey is Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Founder of Save the Elephants in Samburu, Kenya. This is also the next tour in the 'Changing Climate in Google Earth' series in the lead-up to the Copenhagen climate summit in December. Download the tour here, or view it at www.google.com/cop15.

The Mapping Africa's Protected Areas Project, or MAPA, has done just that: mapped Africa's parks and reserves in Southern and East Africa. See rich content including park boundaries, GPS tracks, images, and more, as this project makes available for the first time valuable data of land and wildlife in protected areas in Africa. Download the MAPA Google Earth file here to begin exploring!

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has done it again: with the release of their new Uganda Atlas of Our Changing Environment, they have mapped areas of drastic environmental change using historical imagery for 11 sites in Uganda. See the change for yourself in Google Earth, by opening Google Earth, turning on the "UNEP: Atlas of Our Changing Environment" layer in the the Layers panel, and zooming into Uganda to click on some of the placemarks. They have also created narrated Google Earth tours for four locations of environmental change: the City of Kampala, Mabira Forest Reserve, Mount Elgon, and the Mau Complex. [Update, 11/2: The sites in the "UNEP Atlas of Our Changing Environment" layer showing areas of dramatic environmental change in Kenya and Uganda are based on work in two recent hardcover publications: "Kenya, Atlas of Our Changing Environment from UNEP" and "The Kenya Government and Uganda, Atlas of Our Changing Environment" produced by the Government of Uganda with support from UNEP.]

Read More

We are proud to announce that as of today, the Google Earth Outreach Program is available in Africa, making it possible for local NGOs and other public benefit organizations to take advantage of Google Earth Pro software grants and other opportunities.

In addition to the launch of the program itself, several amazing examples (listed below) of non-profit organizations' efforts to visualize their work in Africa with Google Earth and tell their stories to the world are now available.

Save the Elephants takes you to Mali and shows you their effort to protect the last of the Mali Desert Elephants. This Google Earth project uses KML touring, a feature in Google Earth 5.0 and above, which enables non-profit and other public benefit groups to tell their story with a narrated tour. Your narrator on this Google Earth journey is Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Founder of Save the Elephants in Samburu, Kenya. This is also the next tour in the 'Changing Climate in Google Earth' series in the lead-up to the Copenhagen climate summit in December. Download the tour here, or view it at www.google.com/cop15.

The Mapping Africa's Protected Areas Project, or MAPA, has done just that: mapped Africa's parks and reserves in Southern and East Africa. See rich content including park boundaries, GPS tracks, images, and more, as this project makes available for the first time valuable data of land and wildlife in protected areas in Africa. Download the MAPA Google Earth file here to begin exploring!

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has done it again: with the release of their new Uganda Atlas of Our Changing Environment, they have mapped areas of drastic environmental change using historical imagery for 11 sites in Uganda. See the change for yourself in Google Earth, by opening Google Earth, turning on the "UNEP: Atlas of Our Changing Environment" layer in the the Layers panel, and zooming into Uganda to click on some of the placemarks. They have also created narrated Google Earth tours for four locations of environmental change: the City of Kampala, Mabira Forest Reserve, Mount Elgon, and the Mau Complex. [Update, 11/2: The sites in the "UNEP Atlas of Our Changing Environment" layer showing areas of dramatic environmental change in Kenya and Uganda are based on work in two recent hardcover publications: "Kenya, Atlas of Our Changing Environment from UNEP" and "The Kenya Government and Uganda, Atlas of Our Changing Environment" produced by the Government of Uganda with support from UNEP.]

Use these examples to get inspired, and to get ideas for what your organization can do! If you are an African NGO or other public benefit organization, visit http://earth.google.com/outreach/africa.html to learn more, apply for a Google Earth Pro software grant, and get training materials on various Google Geo products.

Posted by Karin Tuxen-Bettman and Tanya Keen, Google Earth Outreach

Today the Google Maps team is rolling out a number of refinements to the look and feel of our maps, the biggest such changes since we first launched about 4.7 years ago.  In that time we've been steadily adding details like walkways, address labels, bus stops, new country coverage, and improved satellite imagery, but the look of the map hasn't changed much.

Today's changes are intended to keep the same information-rich map while making it easier to pick out the information that is most useful.  The changes affect both the 'Map' and 'Hybrid' styles, and include numerous refinements to colour, density, typography, and road styling worldwide.  For example, in map view, local and arterial roads have been narrowed at medium zooms to improve legibility, and the overall colours have been optimized to be easier on the eye and conflict less with other things (such as traffic, transit lines and search results) that we overlay onto the map.  Hybrid roads have gained a crisp outline to make them easier to follow, and the overall look is now closer to an augmented satellite view instead of a simple overlay.

In some areas the changes are obvious, while in others they are quite subtle.  But overall we hope you'll agree they're a nice improvement.  Let's take a quick world tour to see some of these changes in action...

Taking a look at a far zoom of the area around my hometown London, notice the improved readability and density of the roads in the hybrid view. The motorways are easier to follow, and the A-roads are surfaced earlier:
Read More

Today the Google Maps team is rolling out a number of refinements to the look and feel of our maps, the biggest such changes since we first launched about 4.7 years ago.  In that time we've been steadily adding details like walkways, address labels, bus stops, new country coverage, and improved satellite imagery, but the look of the map hasn't changed much.

Today's changes are intended to keep the same information-rich map while making it easier to pick out the information that is most useful.  The changes affect both the 'Map' and 'Hybrid' styles, and include numerous refinements to colour, density, typography, and road styling worldwide.  For example, in map view, local and arterial roads have been narrowed at medium zooms to improve legibility, and the overall colours have been optimized to be easier on the eye and conflict less with other things (such as traffic, transit lines and search results) that we overlay onto the map.  Hybrid roads have gained a crisp outline to make them easier to follow, and the overall look is now closer to an augmented satellite view instead of a simple overlay.

In some areas the changes are obvious, while in others they are quite subtle.  But overall we hope you'll agree they're a nice improvement.  Let's take a quick world tour to see some of these changes in action...

Taking a look at a far zoom of the area around my hometown London, notice the improved readability and density of the roads in the hybrid view. The motorways are easier to follow, and the A-roads are surfaced earlier:

Further north and more zoomed in still, the small town of Portinscale in England's beautiful Lake District shows the benefits of displaying increased road density.  Local roads, important in this context, are now visible:

Jumping west across the Atlantic to San Francisco and switching to map view demonstrates the changes in colour and font treatment. All the same information is maintained on the map, but there is more contrast between background detail such as local roads, and important orientation signals like neighbourhoods and major arterial roads: 

Heading south to Brasilia illustrates the advantages of the newly optimized road widths. The thinner treatment at this zoom makes it much easier to pick out fine detail in the complex local road shapes:

Heading northwest across the Pacific, Beijing sees some dramatic changes: the subway lines are coloured to fit local convention, the text is aligned with the streets, and the overall colour scheme is tuned to be more harmonious:

And finally, completing the journey where we started, note the finer road widths, cleaner rail lines, and less visually heavy colour scheme in London:

We hope you enjoy the changes to your local area too!


Posted by Jonah Jones, User Experience Designer, Google Maps

[Cross-posted from the Google Mobile Blog]

We're excited to announce that version 3.2 of Google Maps for mobile is now available for BlackBerry. This release contains many of the same features we recently launched on Windows Mobile and S60, including Layers.

Layers make it easy to view various types of information on your map and are especially helpful in situations when you're traveling somewhere new. For example, you can turn on the Wikipedia layer to read entries about nearby places, then use the transit lines layer to help map out a route. Or you can use the My Maps feature of Google Maps to create a collection of places you're planning to visit on your trip and then use Google Maps for mobile to access it from the road. You can also turn on the Google Latitude layer to see your friends' locations.

My coworker Mat is a big fan of Layers and made the below video to show you how he uses the feature. Check out the video, and get the latest version of Google Maps for your phone by visiting m.google.com/maps from your phone's browser.



Posted by Michelle Chen, Software Engineer Read More

[Cross-posted from the Google Mobile Blog]

We're excited to announce that version 3.2 of Google Maps for mobile is now available for BlackBerry. This release contains many of the same features we recently launched on Windows Mobile and S60, including Layers.

Layers make it easy to view various types of information on your map and are especially helpful in situations when you're traveling somewhere new. For example, you can turn on the Wikipedia layer to read entries about nearby places, then use the transit lines layer to help map out a route. Or you can use the My Maps feature of Google Maps to create a collection of places you're planning to visit on your trip and then use Google Maps for mobile to access it from the road. You can also turn on the Google Latitude layer to see your friends' locations.

My coworker Mat is a big fan of Layers and made the below video to show you how he uses the feature. Check out the video, and get the latest version of Google Maps for your phone by visiting m.google.com/maps from your phone's browser.



Posted by Michelle Chen, Software Engineer

Hope you all had a great time exploring this new imagery around the globe and that you answered all the questions in the quiz correctly.

Here are the answers to the quiz:

1. This city was once a mill town in UK. The person who invented multi spool spinning wheel hails from this town.
-- Blackburn.


2. This particular county is from the United States and it was named after the 'SALT LICKS' that are in this area.
-- Licking county.


3. This county was a part of the ancient kingdom of the south Saxons. The English Channel lies to the south of this county.
-- East Sussex.


4. This is the coast of one of the largest states in the US and it also shares an international border. This state fought hard for its independence.
-- Texas coast.


5. This city is a state capital which has the same name as of its state from Mexico, and it is famous for a large archaeological site of pre Columbia.
-- Oaxaca.


6. This city is a state & country capital. Both the city & the state share the same name which is derived from Arabic and means “end of an elephant’s trunk”.
-- Khartoum.


7. This city is one of the largest industrial areas in the United States and many industries are headquartered here. Another clue to identify this place is, a company that makes beef jerky, cocktail pepperoni and other snack sausages is based here.
-- Kent.


8. This is a metropolitan city in Brazil which is well known for its combination of contemporary and classical buildings. The city is surrounded by several parks, and a wide variety of animal species live here.
-- Belo Horizonte.

Following is a more complete version of the updates in this data push:

Americas:
- US: Kent (WA), Texas Gulf Coast, Fort Benning (GA), Davidson County (TN), Story County (IA), Union County (NC), Rowan County, Davidson County (NC), Randolph County (NC), Chatham County (NC), Greene County (NC), Craven County (NC),
- Mexico: Oaxaca
- Venezuela: Punto Fijo
- Argentina: Santa Fe, Goya
- Bolivia: Potosi
- Peru: Puno
- Brazil: Belo Horizonte, Rondonopolis

Europe, Middle East, & Africa:
- UK: East Sussex, Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Glasgow
- Romania: Braslov, Cluj
- Ukraine: Simferopol
- Russia: Ulan-Ude
- Turkey: Konya, Karaman
- Saudi Arabia: Najran
- Iran: Birjand
- Tunisia: Sousse
- Algeria: El-Jazair
- Morocco: Bechar, Taourirt
- Nigeria: Gombe
- Sudan: Al Khurtum
- South Africa: Port Elizabeth

Asia & Oceania:
- India: Mumbai, Agra,
- China: Xining, Anshan, Linhe
- Indonesia: Cirebon, Surabaya
- Kazakhstan: Shymkent, Semey

New 2.5m base imagery for: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Iceland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Kazakhstan, China, and Laos.

For even more fun exploring the new imagery, here is a KML outlining all the areas receiving new data.

Posted by Mukesh K.B, GIS Specialist Read More

Hope you all had a great time exploring this new imagery around the globe and that you answered all the questions in the quiz correctly.

Here are the answers to the quiz:

1. This city was once a mill town in UK. The person who invented multi spool spinning wheel hails from this town.
-- Blackburn.


2. This particular county is from the United States and it was named after the 'SALT LICKS' that are in this area.
-- Licking county.


3. This county was a part of the ancient kingdom of the south Saxons. The English Channel lies to the south of this county.
-- East Sussex.


4. This is the coast of one of the largest states in the US and it also shares an international border. This state fought hard for its independence.
-- Texas coast.


5. This city is a state capital which has the same name as of its state from Mexico, and it is famous for a large archaeological site of pre Columbia.
-- Oaxaca.


6. This city is a state & country capital. Both the city & the state share the same name which is derived from Arabic and means “end of an elephant’s trunk”.
-- Khartoum.


7. This city is one of the largest industrial areas in the United States and many industries are headquartered here. Another clue to identify this place is, a company that makes beef jerky, cocktail pepperoni and other snack sausages is based here.
-- Kent.


8. This is a metropolitan city in Brazil which is well known for its combination of contemporary and classical buildings. The city is surrounded by several parks, and a wide variety of animal species live here.
-- Belo Horizonte.

Following is a more complete version of the updates in this data push:

Americas:
- US: Kent (WA), Texas Gulf Coast, Fort Benning (GA), Davidson County (TN), Story County (IA), Union County (NC), Rowan County, Davidson County (NC), Randolph County (NC), Chatham County (NC), Greene County (NC), Craven County (NC),
- Mexico: Oaxaca
- Venezuela: Punto Fijo
- Argentina: Santa Fe, Goya
- Bolivia: Potosi
- Peru: Puno
- Brazil: Belo Horizonte, Rondonopolis

Europe, Middle East, & Africa:
- UK: East Sussex, Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Glasgow
- Romania: Braslov, Cluj
- Ukraine: Simferopol
- Russia: Ulan-Ude
- Turkey: Konya, Karaman
- Saudi Arabia: Najran
- Iran: Birjand
- Tunisia: Sousse
- Algeria: El-Jazair
- Morocco: Bechar, Taourirt
- Nigeria: Gombe
- Sudan: Al Khurtum
- South Africa: Port Elizabeth

Asia & Oceania:
- India: Mumbai, Agra,
- China: Xining, Anshan, Linhe
- Indonesia: Cirebon, Surabaya
- Kazakhstan: Shymkent, Semey

New 2.5m base imagery for: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Iceland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Kazakhstan, China, and Laos.

For even more fun exploring the new imagery, here is a KML outlining all the areas receiving new data.

Posted by Mukesh K.B, GIS Specialist

[Cross-posted from the Official Google SketchUp Blog]

Earlier this year, we teamed up with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum to launch the Design It: Shelter Competition. People all over the world were invited to use Google SketchUp to design small buildings and submit them for consideration. We received over 600 entries from 68 countries – the level of participation was astounding. You can check out all the entries on the ...Read More

[Cross-posted from the Official Google SketchUp Blog]

Earlier this year, we teamed up with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum to launch the Design It: Shelter Competition. People all over the world were invited to use Google SketchUp to design small buildings and submit them for consideration. We received over 600 entries from 68 countries – the level of participation was astounding. You can check out all the entries on the Guggenheim website.

Two prizes were offered: the People's Prize and the Juried Prize. To determine the winner of the People's Prize, students from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture winnowed down the entries to a list of ten finalists. Visitors to the Guggenheim website could vote for their favorite; the shelter with the most votes won. A jury of seven experts selected the winner of the Juried Prize.

Here's a video that announces the winners and talks a little bit about them:

The People's Prize

The winner of the People's Prize is the CBS – Cork Block Shelter
by David Mares of Setúbal, Portugal

The Juried Prize

The winner of the Juried Prize is the SeaShelter
by David Eltang of Aarhus, Denmark.

Each of the winners will receive transportation to New York City for two people, accommodation for two nights, "backstage" tours of both the Guggenheim Museum and our New York Google office, and free admission to a number of other NYC museums. The Juried Prize winner will also receive a check for one thousand dollars.


Congratulations to the finalists and to the winners. Thank you to everyone who submitted a design, and thanks to everyone who voted.

Posted by Aidan Chopra, SketchUp Evangelist

[We've invited Chief Almir Surui to write a guest post about the ways the Surui tribe of Brazil has been using Google Earth -- Ed.]

Among the Surui tribe of the state of Rondonia in Brazil, a gift is given when a gift is received. This is how our ...Read More

[We've invited Chief Almir Surui to write a guest post about the ways the Surui tribe of Brazil has been using Google Earth -- Ed.]

Among the Surui tribe of the state of Rondonia in Brazil, a gift is given when a gift is received. This is how our Bioneers experience ended – with an exchange of gifts between Māori tribal representative, Wikuki Kingi of New Zealand, and myself. Presented with a fertility amulet carved out of whale bone, I, Chief Almir Surui, responded by offering a necklace of traditional beads from around my neck.

This past weekend, at the 20th anniversary of the Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, California indigenous representatives, socially-conscious entrepreneurs and foundations, as well as other green-minded participants, gathered for an exchange of ideas to discuss innovative solutions to the social issues that matter in the “new” green revolution. Honored to be a part of this forum, I and my colleagues, Rebecca Moore, Manager of Google Earth Outreach, and Vasco van Roosmalen, Brazil Director of the Amazon Conservation Team, unveiled the “Trading Bows and Arrows for Laptops” Google Earth tour. Our goal with this tour is to tell the world about my people, the Surui, our struggles and our successes, and how our lessons-learned can contribute toward a more sustainable world for everyone. This tour uses Google Earth to share the history and realities of the Surui people and our contributions to preserving the world’s largest rainforest – the Amazon.

In September 1969 – only 40 years ago - the first white men entered our forests. With great hope, we welcomed these visitors in order to build peaceful relations with the outside world. However, our hope for the future was met with great tragedy. Just two years after first contact, the Surui population had dropped from 5,000 people to only 290. Not only did we lose our people to new diseases, our culture was threatened with extinction as a result of the deaths of our elders. At 17, I assumed a leadership role and am now looking to the outside world with renewed hope.

The illegal logging of the rainforest in our territory began by outsiders two decades ago, and still continues today. With help from the Amazon Conservation Team, Kaninde, Google Earth Outreach and other partners, we are bringing the Surui story to the world so that we can strengthen our ability to protect and sustainably manage the 600,000 acres of threatened rainforest which is our home.

Explore the tour in Google Earth

Posted by Chief Almir Surui

[Cross-posted with the Google Public Policy Blog]

When disaster strikes in the form of a hurricane, earthquake, famine or flood, information technology can play a crucial role in coordinating a local or global response. Earlier this month, Google hosted over 20 international humanitarian organizations in our Washington, D.C. office for a day of workshops to raise awareness and share experiences about how Google's geographic and data visualization technologies, such as ...Read More

[Cross-posted with the Google Public Policy Blog]

When disaster strikes in the form of a hurricane, earthquake, famine or flood, information technology can play a crucial role in coordinating a local or global response. Earlier this month, Google hosted over 20 international humanitarian organizations in our Washington, D.C. office for a day of workshops to raise awareness and share experiences about how Google's geographic and data visualization technologies, such as Google Map Maker and the Google Data Visualization API, can aid relief efforts and various humanitarian efforts.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate kicked off the day's discussions with a talk about how agencies can leverage citizen-generated data and imagery to better coordinate response efforts, such as video from people using handheld cameras in the midst of a hurricane. He also cited Google Flu Trends as an example of how to glean public health insights from the wisdom of crowds.

After Craig spoke, the American Red Cross, World Bank and Plan International gave presentations on their own experiences using geographic and data visualization technologies in the field. American Red Cross, for example, is using Google Maps to display open shelters (left) and building damage assessments (right) on the map:

Several Google team members then led discussions and presentations on the myriad Google tools at the disposal of relief agencies: Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Map Maker and the Map Maker Data Download program for Africa, Google Labs Fusion Tables, the Google Data Visualization API and more. See, for example, how UNOSAT used Google Map Maker to aid flood relief efforts in West Africa by clearly mapping transport networks (for more examples of Map Maker in action, see here).

Below are a few photos from the event. Our next workshop, hosted in partnership with the United Nations in New York, will be held in November. If you're interested in more details, give @googlepubpolicy a shout on Twitter.




Posted by Jen Mazzon, Maps Community Organizer

Hey imagery lovers, welcome back!

With the update of big chunk of new imagery in Google Earth, we are once again back with our quiz. So, take a break and start exploring. You never know, there might be a new image of your hometown in Google Earth!

We know that you are anxious to see high quality images and so, we are working hard to offer regular imagery updates and replace low resolution images with high resolution ones.

So, all set for the quiz? Here we go!

1. This city was once a mill town in UK. The person who invented multi spool spinning wheel hails from this town.

2. This particular county is from the United States and it was named after the 'SALT LICKS' that are in this area.

3. This county was a part of the ancient kingdom of the south Saxons. The English Channel lies to the south of this county.


4. This is the coast of one of the largest states in the US and it also shares an international border. This state fought hard for its independence.

5. This city is a state capital which has the same name as of its state from Mexico, and it is famous for a large archaeological site of pre-Columbia.


6. This city is a state and country capital. Both the city and the state share the same name which is derived from Arabic and means “end of an elephant’s trunk.”


7. This city is one of the largest industrial areas in the United States and many industries are headquartered here. Another clue to identify this place is: a company that makes beef jerky, cocktail pepperoni, and other snack sausages is based here.


8. This is a metropolitan city in Brazil which is well known for its combination of contemporary and classical buildings. The city is surrounded by several parks and a wide variety of animal species live here.

Posted by Mukesh K.B, GIS SpecialistRead More

Hey imagery lovers, welcome back!

With the update of big chunk of new imagery in Google Earth, we are once again back with our quiz. So, take a break and start exploring. You never know, there might be a new image of your hometown in Google Earth!

We know that you are anxious to see high quality images and so, we are working hard to offer regular imagery updates and replace low resolution images with high resolution ones.

So, all set for the quiz? Here we go!

1. This city was once a mill town in UK. The person who invented multi spool spinning wheel hails from this town.

2. This particular county is from the United States and it was named after the 'SALT LICKS' that are in this area.

3. This county was a part of the ancient kingdom of the south Saxons. The English Channel lies to the south of this county.


4. This is the coast of one of the largest states in the US and it also shares an international border. This state fought hard for its independence.

5. This city is a state capital which has the same name as of its state from Mexico, and it is famous for a large archaeological site of pre-Columbia.


6. This city is a state and country capital. Both the city and the state share the same name which is derived from Arabic and means “end of an elephant’s trunk.”


7. This city is one of the largest industrial areas in the United States and many industries are headquartered here. Another clue to identify this place is: a company that makes beef jerky, cocktail pepperoni, and other snack sausages is based here.


8. This is a metropolitan city in Brazil which is well known for its combination of contemporary and classical buildings. The city is surrounded by several parks and a wide variety of animal species live here.

Posted by Mukesh K.B, GIS Specialist

Favorite Places was a project we launched a few months ago to celebrate local businesses and places around the world. This month we worked with a few travel editors and authors from Lonely Planet to share their favorite places in New York, London, Melbourne, and Vancouver.

We were also lucky to get Tony Wheeler, one of the co-founders of Lonely Planet, to take a break from his travels and share his favorite places around the world with a map and a Google Earth tour:

Here are some of the highlights from some of the Lonely Planet writers:

Robert Reid, US travel editor in New York- reveals one of the city's "secret" bars, the USA's largest mausoleum, and the newest park built on old rail lines in his favorite places.


Tom Hall, Travel Editor in London shares where you can find London's best hangover cure, a smuggler's pub, and a tunnel under the mighty Thames.


Vivek Wagle, Travel Editor in Melbourne recommends the Chocolate Buddha, exploring a four-story monument to movies, and where to go to find the best crepes.


John Lee, Travel Writer in Vancouver shows what to do in this Olympic host city whether its boozing at a cave-like back alley wine bar, eating at a sustainable seafood shack, or a jogging a nature hugging park trail with beautiful views of the skyline.

I'm used to keeping a Lonely Planet guide in my backpack when traveling, relying on its local knowledge of a big mix of things to see and do, but now I can access its great content through my mobile device or a nearby computer. In fact, when you browse the Lonely Planet website, you'll find that they're using the Google Maps API. This is one example of how our mapping technology is used to help our users plan their trips by allowing them to explore new places and see what other users are saying. After a trip of your own, you can share your adventures and experiences with My Maps, highlighting your favorite places to sightsee, sleep, eat, and explore.

Whether you're a global traveler like Tony or a local expert like Tom Hall, it's always nice to have a friendly travel guide to point you in the right direction. If you want to see more favorite places from local and global experts, visit www.google.com/favoriteplaces.

Posted by David Kim, Associate Product Marketing Manager Read More

Favorite Places was a project we launched a few months ago to celebrate local businesses and places around the world. This month we worked with a few travel editors and authors from Lonely Planet to share their favorite places in New York, London, Melbourne, and Vancouver.

We were also lucky to get Tony Wheeler, one of the co-founders of Lonely Planet, to take a break from his travels and share his favorite places around the world with a map and a Google Earth tour:

Here are some of the highlights from some of the Lonely Planet writers:

Robert Reid, US travel editor in New York- reveals one of the city's "secret" bars, the USA's largest mausoleum, and the newest park built on old rail lines in his favorite places.


Tom Hall, Travel Editor in London shares where you can find London's best hangover cure, a smuggler's pub, and a tunnel under the mighty Thames.


Vivek Wagle, Travel Editor in Melbourne recommends the Chocolate Buddha, exploring a four-story monument to movies, and where to go to find the best crepes.


John Lee, Travel Writer in Vancouver shows what to do in this Olympic host city whether its boozing at a cave-like back alley wine bar, eating at a sustainable seafood shack, or a jogging a nature hugging park trail with beautiful views of the skyline.

I'm used to keeping a Lonely Planet guide in my backpack when traveling, relying on its local knowledge of a big mix of things to see and do, but now I can access its great content through my mobile device or a nearby computer. In fact, when you browse the Lonely Planet website, you'll find that they're using the Google Maps API. This is one example of how our mapping technology is used to help our users plan their trips by allowing them to explore new places and see what other users are saying. After a trip of your own, you can share your adventures and experiences with My Maps, highlighting your favorite places to sightsee, sleep, eat, and explore.

Whether you're a global traveler like Tony or a local expert like Tom Hall, it's always nice to have a friendly travel guide to point you in the right direction. If you want to see more favorite places from local and global experts, visit www.google.com/favoriteplaces.

Posted by David Kim, Associate Product Marketing Manager

Last week, the Google Earth Outreach team went to the Patagonia's Tools for Grassroots Activists Conference up in Lake Tahoe, California, and the Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, California.

At the Patagonia's Tools Conference, all types of activists came together -- individuals such as Tim DeChristopher, who stood up against America's dependency on oil and non-renewable energy by disrupting a BLM oil and gas auction, to organizations like Surfrider and Trout Unlimited. Inspired by speakers such as Brian O'Donnell from the National Conservation System Foundation and Owen Bailey of the Sierra Club, these groups learned about campaign strategy, fundraising techniques, and internet tools for getting their message out. Patagonia founder and lifelong environmental activist and inventor Yvon Chouinard and Oberlin University's Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies, David Orr, were the special guests who wowed the audience with inspiring stories of grassroots environmental activism.

The Bioneers Conference welcomed, as a plenary speaker, one of our close partners, Chief Almir of the Amazon Surui Tribe. We visited the Surui in the Amazon last year to train them, and several other indigenous tribes, on using Google tools like Picasa and Blogger to share their culture and their way of living in the rainforest with the rest of the world. They were also using Google Earth to show where illegal logging is taking place. Chief Almir was in the Bay Area with his non-profit partner, Amazon Conservation Team, to celebrate the opening of Denise Zmekhol's film, Trading Bows & Arrows for Laptops, at the Mill Valley Film Festival. At Bioneers, the Google Earth Outreach team also taught two Google Earth and Maps workshops, including one focusing on indigenous mapping.


Read More

Last week, the Google Earth Outreach team went to the Patagonia's Tools for Grassroots Activists Conference up in Lake Tahoe, California, and the Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, California.

At the Patagonia's Tools Conference, all types of activists came together -- individuals such as Tim DeChristopher, who stood up against America's dependency on oil and non-renewable energy by disrupting a BLM oil and gas auction, to organizations like Surfrider and Trout Unlimited. Inspired by speakers such as Brian O'Donnell from the National Conservation System Foundation and Owen Bailey of the Sierra Club, these groups learned about campaign strategy, fundraising techniques, and internet tools for getting their message out. Patagonia founder and lifelong environmental activist and inventor Yvon Chouinard and Oberlin University's Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies, David Orr, were the special guests who wowed the audience with inspiring stories of grassroots environmental activism.

The Bioneers Conference welcomed, as a plenary speaker, one of our close partners, Chief Almir of the Amazon Surui Tribe. We visited the Surui in the Amazon last year to train them, and several other indigenous tribes, on using Google tools like Picasa and Blogger to share their culture and their way of living in the rainforest with the rest of the world. They were also using Google Earth to show where illegal logging is taking place. Chief Almir was in the Bay Area with his non-profit partner, Amazon Conservation Team, to celebrate the opening of Denise Zmekhol's film, Trading Bows & Arrows for Laptops, at the Mill Valley Film Festival. At Bioneers, the Google Earth Outreach team also taught two Google Earth and Maps workshops, including one focusing on indigenous mapping.


Non-profit organizations who didn't attend one of these events can view complete tutorials online at http://earth.google.com/outreach. We had a great time working hands-on with non-profits at both these conferences, and are looking forward to next year!

Posted by Tanya Keen and Karin Tuxen-Bettman, Google Earth Outreach

[Cross-posted with the Official Google Blog] Read More

[Cross-posted with the Official Google Blog]

With Street View on Google Maps, you can take a virtual drive over the Golden Gate Bridge or see the bustle of Times Square from the comfort of your own home. But some of the country's most interesting and fun places aren't accessible with our Street View car. What if you want to tour the campuses of prospective universities, scout a new running trial, or plan the most efficient route to your favorite roller coasters in a theme park?

I first started thinking about this question around two years ago. My day job is working as a mechanical engineer on the Street View team, but I do a lot of mountain biking in my spare time. One day, while exploring some roads less traveled, I realized that I could combine these two pursuits and build a bicycle-based camera system for Street View. The result? The Street View trike:

I've already had a chance to take the Street View trike out to photograph some hard to reach places for Google Maps, like the Arastradero Open Preserve and LEGOLAND California. When I'm out riding — and once people understand what exactly I'm up to — I'm often asked if we can come to their alma mater, local bike trail or favorite beach boardwalk. Now, we're giving everyone a chance to tell us exactly where in the U.S. they'd like the trike to go next.

At www.google.com/trike, you can suggest interesting and unique spots in six categories:

• Parks & Trails
• University Campuses
• Pedestrian Malls (e.g., outdoor shopping areas, boardwalks)
  
• Theme Parks & Zoos
• Landmarks
• Sports Venues (e.g., golf courses, racing tracks, stadium grounds)

Nominations will be open until October 28. We'll then comb through all of the suggestions and let all of you cast your final votes on a winner from each category for the Street View trike to visit. For any privately-owned or operated location, like a campus or theme park, we'll work directly with the relevant organization prior to collecting the imagery.

When we unveiled the Street View trike in the U.K., we received more than 10,000 nominations and 35,000 votes; Stonehenge and Warwick Castle were two of the top vote-getters. We can't wait to see what you'll come up with in the U.S. — head to www.google.com/trike to submit your most inspired ideas.

Posted by Dan Ratner, Senior Mechanical Engineer

It's "Go Mobile" week at Google, and across all of Google's blogs, we're giving insight into our philosophy about mobile versions of our products.  If there's one product amongst all of Google's that was destined to "go mobile", it is without a doubt Google Maps.

I still remember when I moved to San Francisco several years ago -- before the advent of smartphones -- and I didn't know may way around town.  Driving up and down the city's crazy hills was sometimes a fun adventure, but other times an exercise in frustration.  When I knew where I wanted to go before I left home, I'd usually print out driving directions beforehand.  But any time I left home without directions, or if I decided to go somewhere spur of the moment, all I had was a clumsy paper map.  It's not easy pulling over to the side of the road on a 40 degree hill to try to make out the tiny streets on a paper map.  And if you've spilled coffee on your map, or it's become tattered... forget it, it's much less useful. So I rarely looked at the map, and I got lost.  A lot.

When I think about these experiences, I realize why I remain so passionate about Google Maps for mobile.  You get all the power of Google Maps that you use at home, but you can carry it around like you can a paper map. Actually, easier than a paper map since there's no folding, and it connects you to more than just information about where the streets are. Now that I know the city a little better, I can be spontaneous not just when I take a wrong turn. Google Maps on my phone lets me decide to go somewhere spur of the moment, with no preparation and pre-printing directions. The addition of a business directory (remember those giant books?) is liberating as well. If I get a craving for something like "burgers" or "pizza", I just type my craving into Google Maps, which returns all relevant results nearby, and presto, hunger abated.  With features like transit and walking directions, I can now figure out how to get there without a car.  Street View even helps me recognize the place when I get there.

So if you still haven't got a smartphone, now is a great time to go out and get one.  We've got a lot of engineers building Google Maps for all the major mobile operating systems: Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm, S60, and Windows.

Once you take the plunge into smartphones, then getting Google Maps for your phone is easy.  Just visit m.google.com/maps in your mobile browser, or go here to send a link to your phone. And if you have any questions for us on our mobile products, submit them here by 11:59pm Pacific time on Tuesday 10/13, and we'll answer some of the top questions on Wednesday on the Google Mobile blog.

Posted by Steve Lee, Product Manager for Google Maps for mobile
Read More

It's "Go Mobile" week at Google, and across all of Google's blogs, we're giving insight into our philosophy about mobile versions of our products.  If there's one product amongst all of Google's that was destined to "go mobile", it is without a doubt Google Maps.

I still remember when I moved to San Francisco several years ago -- before the advent of smartphones -- and I didn't know may way around town.  Driving up and down the city's crazy hills was sometimes a fun adventure, but other times an exercise in frustration.  When I knew where I wanted to go before I left home, I'd usually print out driving directions beforehand.  But any time I left home without directions, or if I decided to go somewhere spur of the moment, all I had was a clumsy paper map.  It's not easy pulling over to the side of the road on a 40 degree hill to try to make out the tiny streets on a paper map.  And if you've spilled coffee on your map, or it's become tattered... forget it, it's much less useful. So I rarely looked at the map, and I got lost.  A lot.

When I think about these experiences, I realize why I remain so passionate about Google Maps for mobile.  You get all the power of Google Maps that you use at home, but you can carry it around like you can a paper map. Actually, easier than a paper map since there's no folding, and it connects you to more than just information about where the streets are. Now that I know the city a little better, I can be spontaneous not just when I take a wrong turn. Google Maps on my phone lets me decide to go somewhere spur of the moment, with no preparation and pre-printing directions. The addition of a business directory (remember those giant books?) is liberating as well. If I get a craving for something like "burgers" or "pizza", I just type my craving into Google Maps, which returns all relevant results nearby, and presto, hunger abated.  With features like transit and walking directions, I can now figure out how to get there without a car.  Street View even helps me recognize the place when I get there.

So if you still haven't got a smartphone, now is a great time to go out and get one.  We've got a lot of engineers building Google Maps for all the major mobile operating systems: Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm, S60, and Windows.

Once you take the plunge into smartphones, then getting Google Maps for your phone is easy.  Just visit m.google.com/maps in your mobile browser, or go here to send a link to your phone. And if you have any questions for us on our mobile products, submit them here by 11:59pm Pacific time on Tuesday 10/13, and we'll answer some of the top questions on Wednesday on the Google Mobile blog.

Posted by Steve Lee, Product Manager for Google Maps for mobile

[Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog]

Some of us here at Google spend almost all of our time thinking about one thing: How do we create a three-dimensional model of every built structure on Earth? How do we make sure it's accurate, that it stays current and that it's useful to everyone who might want to use it?Read More

[Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog]

Some of us here at Google spend almost all of our time thinking about one thing: How do we create a three-dimensional model of every built structure on Earth? How do we make sure it's accurate, that it stays current and that it's useful to everyone who might want to use it?

One of the best ways to get a big project done — and done well — is to open it up to the world. As such, today we're announcing the launch of Google Building Maker, a fun and simple (and crazy addictive, it turns out) tool for creating buildings for Google Earth.

We like to think of Building Maker as a cross between Google Maps and a gigantic bin of building blocks. Basically, you pick a building and construct a model of it using aerial photos and simple 3D shapes – both of which we provide. When you're done, we take a look at your model. If it looks right, and if a better model doesn't already exist, we add it to the 3D Buildings layer in Google Earth. You can make a whole building in a few minutes.

Our early beta testers insist that Building Maker is more like a game than a tool. Check out this video to see Building Maker in action:



For now, you can choose to make buildings in any of about 50 cities. We'll keep adding more cities, but don't feel left out if we don't have your hometown yet — modeling in a place you've never been is a fantastic way to discover more about it. Teachers might find that Building Maker is a great way to get students interested in geography. Armchair tourists can not only visit an unfamiliar city; they can engage with it. It's amazing what you learn when you look at something really closely.

Here are some more things you should know about Building Maker:

• Building Maker is an online tool, and it runs entirely in your web browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc.)
  
• Before you can add a building to Google Earth, you need to sign in to your Google Account (so you get credit for what you contribute).
• Models you create with Building Maker "live" in the Google 3D Warehouse (a giant, online repository of 3D models).
• You can use Google SketchUp (our free, general-purpose 3D modeling tool) to edit or otherwise modify anything you make with Building Maker.
• Make sure you have the latest version of Google Earth installed on your computer.
• If you're on a Mac, you need to download the Google Earth plug-in directly.
  

Building Maker is free and available in 14 languages. Go to www.google.com/buildingmaker to join the worldwide mapping community. Have fun!

Posted by Mark Limber, Product Manager and Matt Simpson, User Experience Designer

Posted by Jeff Martin, Google Crisis Response Team Read More

We've posted several blogs about the various ways Google geo tools have contributed to disaster relief efforts. Last year, Direct Relief created a KML of health centers in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. More recently, UNOSAT used Map Maker data during the western Africa floods.

Mapping technologies may be central to understanding and responding to disasters, but many other technologies--such data-feed mechanisms, people finders, and reporting & communication tools--are necessary as well. With this in mind, we're partnering with The World Bank to host the first-ever Random Hacks of Kindness codejam.

The ultimate goal of Random Hacks of Kindness is to save lives. Random Hacks of Kindness will bring technologists and relief workers together to develop technologies that enable disaster victims to help themselves and give first responders and aid workers the tools they need to better help victims--to reduce loss of life and to speed recovery.

Over the course of two and a half days, speakers like FEMA Chief Craig Fugate will expound on the mission, subject matter experts will brief self-organized teams on specific problems, a great deal of coffee will be consumed, and code will be written. Teams will have the opportunity to port their solutions down to Camp Roberts near Paso Robles, CA, where it will be tested in field simulations to provide real-time feedback for multiple iteration cycles.

We hope RHoK generates software solutions that help users predict, prevent, and respond to disasters—but, realistically, we know that coding over a single weekend is only a start. That’s why the codejam in November is the first RHoK, but not the last. In and effort to encourage the developer community to adopt disaster response as a mission, we’ll hold a RHoK event every six to twelve months—sharing learnings from actual events, building on ongoing efforts, and collaborating on promising new technologies.

Join us! The codejam will take place from November 12-14 at the Hacker Dojo, located in Mountain View, CA. Invitations to developers will go out shortly, so if you're interested in coding, serving as a subject matter expert, or sponsoring the event, please visit www.randomhacksofkindness.org.

Posted by Jeff Martin, Google Crisis Response Team