It has turned out to be a busy summer for the Google Maps directions team up in Seattle. Between last week's launch of walking directions, this week's redesign of the printed directions page, the redesigned Google Maps interface, and the recent Avoid Tolls feature, it's getting hard to keep up! We wanted to step back for a moment and give you an overview of the most common tasks for getting directions through Google Maps. Here's a brief tutorial from Ryan, one of the directions team engineers:Posted by Elaine Filadelfo, Lat Long Blog T...
Thursday, 31 July 2008
This week we've added an 'Avoid tolls' option to Google Maps driving directions. When you are getting directions, click the 'Show options' link in the left panel of the screen and you'll see a new option to avoid tolls: When half your wallet is already going toward gas, it's nice if you can save some money for ice cream instead of dumping it all off at the toll booth.Posted by Dave Barth, Product Mana...
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Google Maps can help get you where you want to go, but let's face it, you can't be online all the time. Sometimes you really just need a good old-fashioned hard copy, so we're making it easier to print exactly the information you want: text directions, maps for any step, and - for the first time - Street View images. Printing Directions with More Maps and Street View Let's drive to a hotel in Tribeca from JFK Airport -- start off by clicking...
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Less is more.BeforeAfterWith the new look for Google Maps, you can do all of the same things, but without the extra clutter. Find businesses (creamery near palo alto), addresses (6605 Delmar Blvd, St Louis, MO), and more (root beer in sf) from one search box. You might also notice the map is a tad bigger, and that it's easier to get full screen maps:I hope the new design makes it easier to find everything you need. And incidentally, if you're ever...
Friday, 25 July 2008
Last month a group of Googlers traveled to the Brazil at the invitation of Chief Almir Surui and the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) to lead a series of workshops for members of his tribe and others who are interested in using technology to protect the Amazon rainforest. Technically we were the trainers, but the trip was an incredible learning experience for all of us. I hope you'll read the account of our trip we just posted on the Google Earth Outreach...
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
A couple months ago, I told you about a site we created to highlight organizations and their great uses of Google Maps. Because there are so many amazing examples out there, we've added two more case studies to our gallery.Both The New York Times and Tripadvisor have created many innovative mashups -- from tracking The New York Times' Frugal Traveler on his national roadtrip, to mapping crime in New York City, to creating applications that millions of people use to rate...
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
It's summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and when it's not too hot, it feels like a waste of gorgeous weather to get behind the wheel or hop in a cab. Doubly so when you're traveling to a city you'd love to explore, and you're pretty sure that you could walk from your hotel to the aquarium, if only you could figure out the way. You could try to use driving directions from Google Maps, but city centers are always a maze of one-way streets and no-left-turns....
Monday, 21 July 2008
Last week, 18 Googlers brought their 9-12 year old kids to our Mountain View headquarters to spend their week learning with Google Earth and all the other geo tools. By the end of the week, the "Geo Camp" participants had mastered Google Earth, Maps, and Docs, and used these tools to research environmental issues, virtually tour the planet (and universe), and collaborate to build sophisticated presentations on habitats around the world.I'm not sure...
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
For those of you looking for an excuse to have some fun with SketchUp, I've got great news: we're joining forces with Dwell Magazine to launch a friendly competition to Design Your Dwelling. Get the details (including the secret site location!) over on the SketchUp blog. Posted by Tasha Danko, SketchUp T...
Posted by Barney Krucoff, GIS Manager, District of Columbia, Office of the Chief Technology OfficerThe District of Columbia government has submitted more than 84,000 3D models to Google Earth via the Cities in 3D program. But why would a city, let alone one that is known as a horizontal city because of a strictly enforced height limit, be so eager to participate? Here's a glimpse into our thinking in the District's GIS department.1. It is the right thing to do. Fundamentally, the District Government believes that data created with public funds...
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Posted by Matt Manolides, GIS SpecialistHere are the answers to yesterday's quiz -- I'm sure you all passed with flying colors.1) Founded in 1608, this former British possession has a decidedly French flair.--Quebec2) Once the seat of great political power, this red fortress is now a major tourist attraction.--Alhambra, Granada3) Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this city was lost to the world for 1700 years.--Pompeii4) Passing by a famous golf course and luxurious mansions, this stretch of road is a tourist attraction in its own right.--17 Mile...
Posted by Naureen Kabir, Geo Content PartnershipsIn March, we introduced the Cities in 3D Program, empowering local governments to contribute their own 3D models to Google. Since our original announcement, we have expanded the program to Europe and been working closely with several local governments in the US to get their models published to Google Earth. After four short months, the models from our first round of participants are available. Let's...
Monday, 14 July 2008
Posted by Matt Manolides, GIS SpecialistToday I'm happy to announce that we've just finished pushing out an imagery update for all you Google Earth fans out there. As usual, I'll drop a few hints at where these updates might be, and tomorrow I'll post the complete list of updates. 1) Founded in 1608, this former British possession has a decidedly French flair.2) Once the seat of great political power, this red fortress is now a major tourist...
Friday, 11 July 2008
Posted by Chikai Ohazama, Director of Product ManagementSince it was introduced about 3 years ago, we've seen a broad range of uses for Google Earth -- from potentially life-saving (Cyclone Nargis disaster response planning) to educational (Rumsey historical maps) and, of course, to entertaining (the number of downloads of the new Nine Inch Nails album around the world).We've also seen interest in and usage of Google Earth grow as...
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Posted by Michael Rubinstein, GIS Specialist, Google EarthHot on the heels of yesterday's Webcam.travel announcement, we've also launched a new Google Earth layer under the Travel and Tourism folder in the Gallery. The Japan National Tourist Organization worked with the Google Japan office to develop the Japan Tourism layer, which features rich information on landmarks and attractions all over Japan. These include everything from the many temples...
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Posted by Philipp Hirtz, Engineering Manager, Google EarthAre you interested in the current weather at your travel destination so you know if it's worth to start early in the morning for that trip to the nearby mountains? Or do you want to check the current traffic situation or visibility conditions on the Golden Gate bridge? Or do you just want to confirm that the Earth is still spinning and the other side of the globe doesn't get sunlight...
Posted by Allyson McDuffie, SketchUp for Education Program Manager We are happy to announce the winners for the Google 2008 International Model Your Campus Competition! Congratulations to the talented students who took on such a challenging project. You can see their amazing models in Google Earth by turning on the 3D Buildings layer and navigating over to each campus, or you can see their individual collections in our 3D Warehouse. The winning...
Friday, 4 July 2008
Posted by Daniel Ratner, Mechanical EngineerOne of the things I look forward to every summer is the Tour de France. I'm always fascinated when I hear about the hairpin turns and steep climbs. To bring the Tour de France to life and help you experience it stage by stage, we're very excited to provide Street View for the 2008 Tour de France route.With this launch, you can now follow the race through each of the 21 stages with just a click of a mouse and enjoy a perspective similar to what your favorite cyclists see as they wind through France's majestic...
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Posted by Donna Axelson, Summer FellowLast week's Google Teacher Academy (GTA) got me thinking about the way I got launched into the world of Google back at the GTA in November 2006. I had previously used Google as a search engine but after the GTA I used Google for, well, everything I could! During the Academy, teachers using the products gave us examples of activities and projects they had done with their students. That’s all I needed to be off and running. As the Technology Resource Teacher for my K-8 district I have had...
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Posted by Philipp Hirtz, Engineering Manager, Google EarthIf your 're dreaming of traveling to beautiful South Africa you can now enjoy the newly launched South Africa Tourism layer in Google Earth. Together with South Africa Tourism, the layer allows you to discover more about the country's highlights. You can learn about the heritage and culture of the region before touching base with the urban vibes of the different cities. If your interest is...
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