Google Lat Long: August 2011

More 3D trees in the western United States

August 31, 2011

or almost record3D treesnative and foreignCalifornia OakBlack Walnut treesCalifornia Sycamore

Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles

Or jump to the see more native species like the native Oak tree species in Elylsian Park adjacent to Dodgers Stadium.

Elysian Park, Los Angeles

There are two species you absolutely can’t forget when talking about trees in Colorado: Colorado Blue Spruce and Quaking Aspen, both native to Colorado. Colorado Blue Spruce has a very distinct look for the pale blue of its needles. It is also the Colorado state tree and a very common tree species seen in the Colorado Foothills. Quaking Aspen got its name from fluttering leaves in the breeze and makes up the famous golden fall foliage of Colorado. Take a walk on Cheeseman Park in Denver or a fly over Boulder and you can tell these trees by their unique colors and shapes.

Cheeseman Park, Denver

There is one other tree species in Colorado deserving a special mention - Cottonwood trees in Boulder. Every late spring, these trees cover Boulder in white cottons, making it feel like it’s still snowing in June (although that could happen in Colorado). There are several Cottonwoods right by the Google Boulder office that create white blankets of cotton in our garage and on sidewalks every June and July. Looking at these 3D trees on Google Earth makes me feel like sneezing all of a sudden...

Google Office in Boulder, CO

If you want to get a taste of these cities, put on some shades and visit in Google Earth. Just make sure “Trees” is checked under “3D Buildings” in the left layers panel.

Posted by Kay Chen, Geo 3D Program Manager

Imagery Update: Week of August 29th

August 30, 2011

Google EarthGoogle Maps

Eiffel Tower Replica, Las Vegas

Sha Tin Racecourse and Penfeld Park, Hong KongU-shapedNuuk

Valley glacier perspective view, Greenland

If you’d like to receive an email notification when the Earth and Maps Imagery team updates your favorite site(s), we’ve got just the tool: The Follow Your World application!

These are only a few examples of the types of features that can be seen and discovered in our latest batch of published imagery. Happy exploring!

High Resolution Aerial Updates:
USA: Apache Junction, AZ; Dodge City, KS; Lake Tahoe/Reno, NV; Las Vegas, NV; Los Banos, CA; Midland, TX; Pecos, TX; Stockton, CA

Australia: Adelaide

UK: Bridgend, Port Eynon

Countries/Regions receiving High Resolution Satellite Updates:
Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antarctica, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia / South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, The Bahamas, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

These updates are now available in both Google Maps and Google Earth. For a complete picture of where we updated imagery, download this KML for viewing in Google Earth.

Posted by Eric Kolb, Geo Data Strategist

+1 your favorite custom maps

August 29, 2011

useful custom mapHawaii Hikes and Surfing

New! +1 custom mapsmaps.google.com

Maps you +1 show up on your profile Google+

Send out links to your custom mapPosted by Beth Liebert, Product Manager, Google Maps

New York City Hurricane Irene Maps

August 27, 2011

Yesterday, we posted about our new Google Crisis Map, with the latest available geographic information on current disasters including Hurricane Irene. This morning, we put together a New York specific Crisis Map for Hurricane Irene, including Evacuation Zones, Shelter, and Storm Tracking. Sources include NYC Datamine, FEMA, American Red Cross and other organizations.

We hope this information helps you stay informed and be prepared.

Posted by Nigel Snoad, Google Crisis Response Product Manager

Mapping Hurricane Irene

August 26, 2011

Hurricane IreneGoogle Crisis ResponseNOAA’s National Hurricane CenterFEMAthe Google Crisis Map

Google Crisis Map always shows the latest, valuable information we've been able to uncover on the most current situation

You can zoom and pan the map using the on-screen controls, and turn layers of information on or off just by clicking

You can find out more about the map layers by visiting the linked websites of the content owners

The site is optimized for mobile, so you can look at the map on a mobile phone as well as your desktop

You can also share the map, or embed it on your website or blog by clicking share to find the URL and HTML code

Hurricane Irene map viewergoogle.org/crisismapCrisis Response websiteGoogle Earth GalleryKML filePosted by Susannah Raub, Tech Lead, Google Maps API

Search Google Maps out loud

August 25, 2011

Chrome web browser

Click the mic and ask for a place to get startedusing the plugin

Fly to places just by saying your queryGoogle.comAndroid deviceGoogle app
Posted by Jed Burgess, Software Engineer

Your World in 3D, now in more languages

August 24, 2011

[Cross-posted from the Google SketchUp Blog]Earlier this summer, we unveiled a new website called Your World in 3D to help introduce users to the concept of geo-modeling -- the term given to creating 3D buildings for Google Earth and Google Maps. Today, we're releasing the Your World in 3D website in 15 additional languages: Czech, German, English (UK), Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Brazilian Porteguese, Russian, Turkish, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.

User generated models from around the worldBesides being fun, building your town in 3D is a great way to show civic pride, encourage tourism for your town, and promote your business. 3D modeling has also been used in crisis response situations as we saw in the grassroots modeling effort that happened after the earthquake in L’Aquila, Italy.

To see the site in another language, use the drop-down menu in the bottom of any pageYour World in 3D has all the tools you’ll need to start geo-modeling and features several examples of what fellow modeling. By releasing Your World in 3D in more languages, we hope that you and your friends from around the globe will join us to help build the most comprehensive 3D virtual mirror of planet Earth.Happy modeling!Posted by Nicole Drobeck, Geo Community Program Manager

Panoramio Groups: Join a photo community to match your interests

August 24, 2011

Cross-posted on the Panoramio and Official Google blogs.Panoramiomapuploaded to PanoramioGoogle EarthGoogle Maps

Panoramio is an online community of people that share and explore photos of the world.Food

Panoramio Groups allow members to share photos and start discussions on a given topic.Groups Directorywww.panoramio.com/groupsPanoramio Forum

Posted by Gerard Sanz, Panoramio Community Manager

Just a Short URL away

August 23, 2011

URL ShortnerGoogle Maps

Click on the link button to create a Short URL for a locationrecently announcedPosted by Joshua Harrison, Software Engineer, Google Maps

Explore the ancient and modern with Rome in 3D

August 22, 2011

[Cross-posted from the Google SketchUp Blog]
exploreGoogle Earth

Looking towards the Colosseum through the Roman Forum

Central Rome showing the Pantheon and Piazza Navona

St. Peter’s Basilica and Piazza in Vatican Cityancient Rome in 3DTo see Rome in Google Earth for yourself, use Google Maps with Earth view or turn on Google Earth’s “3D Buildings” layer and search for “Rome, Italy”. Alternatively, you can download this KML tour from the Google Earth Gallery to take a virtual tour of the 3D landmarks for yourself. As always, feel free to use Google Building Maker or Google SketchUp to make any improvements or additions to the city or to model your own town.

Happy touring!
Posted by Mason Thrall, Program Manager, Geo 3D

Introducing GTFS-realtime to exchange realtime transit updates

August 22, 2011

Google Code BlogLive Transit UpdatesGTFS-realtimeGTFSTrip UpdatesService AlertsVehicle PositionProtocol Bufferspublisheddiscussion groupMBTATrimetBARTMTSPosted by Vladimir Rychev, Software Engineer

Google Maps now available on 40+ new country domains

August 19, 2011

Sri LankaVenezuelaCameroon

New country domains are in dark greenPosted by Jarda Bengl, Business Product Manager

Rain or shine, see the weather in Google Maps

August 18, 2011

weather layer on Google Mapsweather.comU.S. Naval Research Lab.

Weather near London, UK

Weather near Sydney, Australia in satellite view

Weather left hand panelhereUpdate 8/18/11 at 3:30pm:We've updated the post to clarify that while the cloud data for this layer comes from U.S. Naval Research Lab, the weather data is from our partner weather.com.Posted by Jonah Jones, User Experience Designer

Street View goes to the Amazon

August 17, 2011

Google Street Viewhike around Stonehengeski down Whistler’s slopesGoogle Earth OutreachAmazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS)Street View trikeimagery of business interiors

Image of the Tumbira community in the Rio Negro Sustainable Development Reserve

In this first phase of the project, the Google and FAS teams will visit and capture imagery from a 50km section of the Rio Negro River, extending from the Tumbira community near Manaus—the capital of the state of Amazonas—to the Terra Preta community. We’ll then process the imagery of the river and the communities as usual, stitching the still photos into 360-degree panoramics.

Image of the Tumbira Community

For many outdoor enthusiasts, travelers and environmentalists, this creates an opportunity to experience the wonders of the Amazon, which will be accessible in a way they’d previously only dreamed about. We’re honored to work with FAS on this project to bring the Amazon online for those who can’t visit in person, and help our partners share with the world the unique stories of its inhabitants and the beauty of this place they call home.

View Larger Map

Click the below album for more photos of our team's work in the Amazon, and the communities with which they're working.

Update 8/18/11: We've added a photo album to this post.

Posted by Karin Tuxen-Bettman, Google Earth Outreach, and Karina Andrade, Google Street View

The journey to bring Iraq’s National Museum to Street View

August 16, 2011

StonehengePalace and Park of VersaillesHalf Moon IslandStreet View Gallerywebsite
View Larger MapStreet View of Iraq National Museum
The project began in October 2009, when the Street View team had the opportunity to visit Baghdad to collaborate with the museum. By this time, the Iraqi National Museum had recovered a slew of articles that were infamously looted during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. The collection hosts a staggering wealth of artifacts dating back to some of the earliest human settlements, which developed around present day Iraq. The history of this area is often underrepresented, or otherwise inaccessible, in large part due to the political strife that has plagued Iraq. For this reason, we considered it an important opportunity to showcase Iraq’s National Museum in our Street View Gallery.

Dan Ratner, Matt Williams and myself in front of the museum.

This was our first attempt to capture an indoor collection at a museum, and we met a host of logistical and technical challenges. While we already had Street View cars visiting cultural landmarks, taking panoramic photos indoors was an untested idea. We had recently completed a prototype of our indoor trolley - which was later used and refined for the Google Art Project, but we were unsure that it would perform how we had envisioned on-site.

For security reasons, we could only spend 4 consecutive hours at the museum per visit. This meant our time there was frantic. We spent most of our first trip assembling and testing the Street View Trolley, installing car batteries that had been hastily acquired in Baghdad, testing GPS antennas, and making numerous satellite phone calls to our Mountain View headquarters to debug issues. While some of us worked on setting up the Trolley, others were photographing everything possible in the museum, trying not to get distracted by artifacts dating back over 6000 years.

Using the Street View indoor trolley to collect imagery

With the Street View Trolley working, we spent our second visit collecting images of the main exhibit halls. We also used high-resolution imaging equipment that enabled a close-up 360-degree view of individual artifacts, a selection of which are viewable on the Antiquities page of the Museum website. We imaged a Mother Goddess figurine that predates recorded history, cuneiform tablets that exemplify one of the earliest forms of writing, and several exquisite examples of early Middle Eastern pottery.

Goddess Figurine

This piece, a clay figurine of a female from the Samarra period, was found at Tell Songor A. The 10.2 cm statue dates back to 5000 BC.

Although we only spent a week in Baghdad, we returned with tens of thousands of still photos. We spent months processing the images - which includes stitching them into the immersive panoramic images you’re accustomed to when using Street View in Google Maps - and working closely with the National Museum to incorporate the imagery into their new website. At long last, we’re thrilled to jointly release the imagery, enabling users anywhere in the world to virtually visit the museum’s exhibit halls and learn more about Iraqi culture through this collection.

For those whose interest is piqued by the collection and are considering visiting the museum in person, we hope these online images tides you over until the official museum reopening planned for later this year. You can experience the the Iraqi National Museum for yourself through our Street View feature in Google Maps, via our Street View Gallery, or take a virtual tour on the museum website.

Posted by Alex Starns, Technical Program Manager

Imagery Update: Week of August 15th

August 16, 2011

Google EarthGoogle MapsUNESCO list of World Heritage Sites

Aztec Ruins National Monument, New MexicoBroch of Gurness

Broch of Gurness, ScotlandNational Toy Hall of FameStrong National Museum of Play

National Toy Hall of Fame, Rochester, New YorkFollow Your World applicationHigh Resolution Aerial Updates:Countries/Regions receiving High Resolution Satellite Updates:this KMLGoogle EarthPosted by Eric Kolb, Geo Data Strategist

Map Makerpedia: A Worldwide Community of Mapping Knowledge

August 15, 2011

Google Map Maker community187 countries and regions

Map Makerpedia homepageMap MakerpediaGoogle Map MakerMap Your World communityuniversity mapping

Mapping in groups at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria
flood mappinghealth mappingslum mappingMap Maker AdvocatesITCPosted by Daniel Schier, Google.org

Mapping towards crisis relief in the Horn of Africa

August 12, 2011

famineUN agenciesThis will not be a short crisis

Ethiopia/Somali refugees. Water point in Kobe camp. Dollo Ado Region. UNHCR, G. Puertas, July 2011.GeoEyehigh resolution imagerylocationscommunity mappingshared periodically with the UN agencies

Bokolmanyo Refugee Camp, Ethiopia. IKONOS imagery, July 29th 2011, © 2011 GeoEye Africa mailing listHorn of Africa community mapping sitePosted by France Lamy, Program Manager Emerging Markets, Google.org

A big push for big ideas in Pakistan

August 10, 2011

three consecutive Google Map MakerP@SHA

Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Dr. Mohammed Yaseen inaugurating “Social Innovation Fund” by P@SHA at PTA headquarters. Dr. Khawar Siddique Khokhar, Ms. Jehan Ara, President of P@SHA, Mr. Badar Khushnood, Country Consultant for Google, MD PSEB Mr. Zia Imran are also picturedP@SHA Social Innovation fund Contributed by Outreach Guru, Rabia Garib of CIO PakistanJehan Ara

P@SHA launch in Karachi, Pakistan: Mr. Ashraf Kapadia, Chairman of P@SHA, Mr. Badar Khushnood, Google Pakistan Country Consultant, Ms. Jehan Ara, President of P@SHA, Mr. Amin Hashwani and Mr. Danish Lakhani, members of the P@SHA Fund Advisory Board

Google Map Maker has already witnessed several such innovations in Pakistan, such as Sindh Flood Maps, FloodMAPS of Dr. Sohaib Khan, and http://www.local.com.pk/, which implement the Google Maps API to assist in disaster relief management. Proposals are being accepted through August, and are not limited by age, gender, caste or creed. P@SHA requires only that applicants be Pakistanis who are based in Pakistan and ready to share their innovations with the world.

Amongst others, we anxiously await any future mapping projects that may be in store following P@SHA’s announcement of winners in the early fall, and encourage all our avid Pakistani mappers and brilliant innovators to submit their big idea!

Posted by Lori Savageau, Community Manager, Google Map Maker

Visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial with Google Maps

August 5, 2011

This past March, we announced Street View imagery of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. Known as the “Atomic Bomb Dome,” the Memorial bears witness to the devastation of nuclear war. The once proud pre-war structure nearly destroyed by the bomb still stands unrestored -- a monument to those lost and a powerful symbol of peace.

Yesterday in Japan, we went one step further, making new imagery of the interior of the Memorial available via its Place page. While millions have visited the Memorial, you can only safely view it from the outside, standing behind a fence, because of the extent of the damage.

View Larger Map
However iconic the Dome may be, it’s difficult to comprehend the magnitude and scope of the devastation from the outside of the building. But with the support of the Hiroshima city government, we gathered hi-resolution imagery that actually enables you to “walk” through the building room by room, using the same technology we’ve used to photograph other historic monuments around the world. The difference here is that while you can wander the gardens of Versailles or streets of Rome in person, the only way you can access the interior of the structure is digitally.

We launched this imagery in Japan on August 5th, one day before the 66th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. You can access this collection via the Memorial’s Place page, or start exploring via this link. As with all of our special collections, we hope this imagery helps people around the world virtually travel to places they’d never otherwise have a chance to see.

Posted by Wakaba Okura, Program Manager

The View from the Summit: Celebrating Geo Users Across North America

August 2, 2011

Google Map MakerGoogle SketchUpBuilding MakerPanoramioUnited States launch in AprilUnited States Geo User Summit

Brian McClendon addresses a rapt audience of Geo usersunconference sessionsRC Car Scavenger Hunt

Geo users mark their place on the mapher planhis extensive use of mapping

Googlers and Geo users join forces on Google’s Mountain View Crittenden Campusevent websitefeatured speakersExtensive session notesMap Maker Events Calendar3D Events CalendarPanoramio Events CalendarPosted by Lori Savageau, Community Manager, Google Map Maker