Posted by Melissa Crounse, Santa TrackerFor those of you who have followed Santa's trip in Google Earth for the past few years, you'll be interested to know that this year we've paired up with the real Santa-tracking pros -- the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).Starting tomorrow, December 1st, you'll be able to count down to the big sleigh ride on the NORAD Tracks Santa website; starting at 1 am PST on December 24th, you'll be able to download a special KML file that lets you follow his trip in real time. Check out the Official...
Friday, 30 November 2007
Posted by Stephen Chau, Product Manager, Google MapsWe've heard from some of you that you're having trouble accessing Street View imagery within the local search and address bubbles, so we're going to work on it a bit more. We're sorry for any disappointment, and we'll keep you posted on our progress. Stay tuned...
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Posted by Steve Lee, Product Manager, Google Mobile TeamAnyone who's used a GPS-enabled version of Google Maps for mobile knows how useful it can be to have location information. But very few devices actually support GPS, and the technology is still evolving -- it can sometimes take a while to acquire a satellite signal, getting coverage indoors can be difficult, and using GPS can drain your phone's battery. Today Google launched a new version of Google Maps for mobile with a beta technology called My Location, which provides approximate location...
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Posted by Brian Cornell, Software Engineer, Google MapsIf you use Google Earth, you're probably familiar with the KML and KMZ file formats, which are used to store geographic information like placemarks, lines and shapes. Now you can share your KML files more easily with other people (who may not have Google Earth installed) by importing them into My Maps. Your file will be stored online and will be viewable on any computer with a web browser.To import a KML file, create a new map and click the Import link. You'll be able to upload a file from...
Posted by Jess Lee, Google Maps Product ManagerThe My Maps feature of Google Maps lets people create maps to share their hobbies and expertise with the world. For example, a surfing enthusiast could map out their favorite surf spots or a surfing club could plot all the best beaches in Southern California. Now imagine if all the surfers around the globe worked together, leveraging their combined knowledge to create a single map of the best surf spots worldwide, applying the power of wiki-style collaboration to cartography.Starting today, Google...
Posted by Jie Shao, Software EngineerI'm pleased to announce a whole new method for cruising the streets: Street View via search. In the past, a search of a specific location in Maps yielded a placemark on its location and a pop-up balloon containing its address. Starting today, the balloon will also display a thumbnail preview of the panoramic image for locations where Street View is available. Just click on the thumbnail or the "Street View" link...
Posted by Chris Pennock and Keith Ito, Software Engineers We've noticed that many people build customized maps using My Maps and KML to help others see the planet in a new light. We've seen everything from maps of hiking trails with pictures taken along the way to a guide to the world's mountain peaks. Today we're releasing Terrain maps to help highlight this natural beauty even more. These maps focus on physical features such as mountains, valleys,...
Monday, 26 November 2007
Posted by Steve Miller, Product Manager, Google Earth OutreachWe're so happy (OK, more like ecstatic) about the recent wave of people, companies and organizations "going green." Everywhere you look these days, you see hybrid cars, solar panels, recycling bins, and so on. And we were really thrilled to learn about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new project using Google Earth.The EPA has created an amazing KML file that tracks air emission sources. That means Google Earth users can now track air quality, near and far, from the comfort...
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Posted by Elaine Filadelfo, Thanksgiving Day Parade EnthusiastI'll admit it, I still love the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In fact, this is the first year in as long as I can remember that I won't be spending my Wednesday evening braving the crowds on 77th Street to see the balloons getting inflated. But I'll definitely be camped out in front of my TV tomorrow morning (with frequent trips to the kitchen to baste my turkey, of course) watching the balloons, floats, and marching bands make their way through Herald Square. Plus, there are...
Monday, 19 November 2007
Posted by Seth LaForge, Software Engineer, Google MapsThe last time I threw a party, I used the My Maps feature of Google Maps to tell my friends exactly how to find my house. But if they'd just searched Maps on their own for my address and had gone to the marker location, they would have been partying in the middle of the street!Now for your next party (or any other occasion), you can move the marker for your address to show the exact entrance of...
Friday, 16 November 2007
Posted by Anna Bishop, Google Earth Education CoordinatorRounding out our celebration of Geography Awareness Week, I’d like to point you to some Google Earth and Maps educational applications that recently caught my attention:Here in the United States, Tim Hunter of the Advanced Technology Environmental Energy Center (ATEEC) brought together over a dozen educators to develop a virtual field trip that explores political and environmental issues in...
Thursday, 15 November 2007
Posted by Sowmya Subramanian, Engineering Manager, Google MapsIn my time spent combing through all of the amazing customized maps created by our users, I've been pleased to find many maps that illustrate the usefulness of My Maps in a classroom setting. For example, I recently found two great ones that illustrate how tools in the My Maps tab can be used by teachers in two very different subjects: Physics and Literature.For one, check out this cool map created by a Physics teacher who has been teaching his 9th grade students about speed, velocity...
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Posted by Andrew Connolly, Google Visiting Faculty (University of Washington)Google products can be useful in many classes, but today I want to point out how they can be useful in my favorite high school class: astronomy!When I studied astronomy, the teachers used to bring a gigantic star map to class, point at the stars, and tell us all those great stories about them. I always wanted to see deeper into the sky and know more about it, but I had to wait for the annual trip to the observatory to actually do that, unfortunately. With Sky in Google...
Posted by Ryan Sturgell, Software EngineerA few months ago we added a simple and fun way to interactively modify the directions created by Google Maps. You can drag the endpoints of your route to change where the route starts or stops. You can also drag the route itself to modify how you get to your destination. Perfect, right? Well, almost. Our users have told us that, while they love dragging their routes to use the roads they want, they don't...
Posted by Giorgio Scherl, Product Manager Google Maps, Switzerland Falling in love with Switzerland just got even easier. Those romantic lakeside hotels, world-famous chocolate shops, and winding roads through the Alps can now be discovered using Google Maps for Switzerland. The all-new Maps service, developed right here in Zurich, will help people in Switzerland find and enjoy the businesses and services around them. It also includes easy-to-use driving directions and trip-planning public transport information. We worked with Swiss content providers,...
Posted by Christoph Oehler, Product ManagerWe are very happy to announce the launch of Google Transit trip planner in Europe. For quite some time, Google Maps has featured transit stop icons with helpful information like lines serving a station and next departures for many cities. But now you can plan your entire journey using public transportation! So far we have information for the following places and transport companies:- Traveline South East, UK- SBB, Switzerland (train, ferries and long distance bus coverage)- VBZ, Zurich, Switzerland- Turin,...
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Posted by Tom Wyman, Market Development ManagerIt's always incredible to witness even the youngest children mastering sophisticated web applications at lightning speed. Not long ago, I was wowed to learn that many children with autism have proven to be particularly adept at creating 3D models using Google SketchUp. Last week on the Official Google SketchUp Blog, we announced the creation of Project Spectrum, a program dedicated to connecting the autistic community with free software and learning materials.Project Spectrum was dreamed up by the...
Monday, 12 November 2007
Posted by Cathy Tang, Project LeadWhich country is home to the world's oldest lake? Where is harissa (a porridge-like soup made from stewed chicken or lamb and coarsely ground soaked wheat) a national dish?As you may have guessed, each of these questions is related to Asia. We've teamed up with My Wonderful World, a National Geographic-led campaign for geographic literacy, to give students, parents and geography enthusiasts a look at "Asia: Continent...
Posted by James DeBoer, Software Engineer, Google MapsGoogle Maps' map-making tools are often used by news agencies to report stories as they happen. This past week's oil spill in the San Francisco Bay is a good example. The San Francisco Chronicle's map provides numerous pictures of the slick and cleanup. The KCBS map also shows areas affected and roughly how far the oil has travell...
Friday, 9 November 2007
Posted by Joe Hughes, Software EngineerI'm happy to announce we've added directions for Vancouver's TransLink buses, trains, and ferries to Google Maps. Now, any time you search for directions in the Lower Mainland using Google Maps, you'll see a "Take Public Transit" link above the driving directions. If you click on it, you'll see a few ways that you can get to your destination using a combination of buses, SkyTrain, SeaBus, and ...
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Posted by Wei Luo, Senior GIS SpecialistPeople will find some pleasant surprises in the most recent Google Earth data update. You've already heard about the new "Weather" and "MDG Monitor" layers, but that's not all ...We have re-organized the data layers in the left-side Layers panel in this new release. The long layer list has been shrunk into a smaller set. Basic information such as roads, 3D buildings, and Weather are at the top. If you are...
Posted by Megan Goddard, Senior GIS SpecialistWe're happy to let you know that the MDG Monitor, which launched last week at the United Nations, is now live in Google Earth. You can find it in the 'Global Awareness' folder on the left-side panel.The Millennium Development Goals aim to: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortalityImprove maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Ensure environmental...
Posted by Cris Castello, GIS Data EngineerA wise man once said, "I ain't often right, but I've never been wrong." When it comes to weather forecasts, this certainly rings true. You always remember that day when you planned a picnic because it was supposed to be sunny and it ended up raining. In the latest release of Google Earth layers, we're letting you play weatherman by publishing a slew of great, dynamic weather data.If you're running the latest...
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Posted by Karen Roter Davis, Principal, Business DevelopmentIn my formative years, I spent countless hours in the backseat of my parents' car listening to them argue about whether or not they should pull over to ask for directions. I love my parents dearly, but I still can't comprehend how we wound up going north on I-95 driving from New York to Florida!So I was especially excited to work with Gilbarco Veeder-Root to make driving directions and local...
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
Posted by Chikai Ohazama, Product Manager, Google EarthIt's always inspiring to see the diverse, innovative ways people are using our products. Today on election day, it was especially exciting to come across a group called the Sunlight Foundation that's using Google Earth to 'shed some light' on the activities of Congress. The organization has created a unique KML file that pinpoints nearly 1,500 areas where congressional provisions (or earmarks) are directing funds. Read the USA Today story.Check out this thought-provoking layer and find out...
Thursday, 1 November 2007
Posted by Bruce Polderman, Business Product ManagerWe've all heard that big things come in small packages. Well, in the small town of McMinnville, Tennessee, a group of visionary folks are planning something pretty big: a community-wide effort to develop a 3D model of their town in Google Earth -- the first of its kind in the state. The project, dubbed 3D Downtown, is being led by a non-profit organization called Main Street McMinnville and includes...
Posted by Ad Melkert, Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator, United Nations Development ProgrammeAs this space doesn't have guest bloggers very frequently, you are probably wondering why they have given it to someone at the UN, an organization not normally associated with cutting-edge tech savvy. The reason is that we have partnered with Google and Cisco on an innovative resource called MDG Monitor. MDG stands for Millennium Development...
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