According to Bernhard Seefeld, product management director at Google Maps, "this is the most significant overhaul of Maps since it launched in 2005." We sat down with both Seefeld as well as Jonah Jones -- lead designer of Google Maps -- following a marathon keynote to kick off Google I/O. Their slice of the event centered around the desktop refresh of Google Maps, but there's actually a lot more to be excited about than what was announced today. Essentially, the preview that I/O attendees were granted access to is the first instance of Maps for desktop using vectors instead of tiles. In lay terms, that's a far sexier rendering engine, and users of the mobile Maps products will already be familiar with how it feels. Seefeld affirmed that the new desktop Maps is slightly quicker to load, but you'll want a WebGL-supporting browser to take advantage of the bells and whistles. (In our tests, the Maps experience was far superior in Chrome compared to Firefox.)

We toyed around with the new layout for a bit, and overall, it looks and feels better. Refreshing, you could say. The search box is now entirely more useful, popping up intelligent cards beneath places you search for. You'll have glanceable access to operating hours, surrounding traffic and recommended places -- that's not new, it's just surfaced in a more sensible way now. There's also dedicated shortcuts to directions and starring. Visually, it looks a lot nicer, the zooms are a little cleaner, and the search box is a tad more useful. Street View is accessed via the search box now, and there's a toggle on the right side that overlays Google Earth data and (impressively) shows it from varying degrees of tilt. The magic really begins after you sign in with your Google account. If you've starred or rated a restaurant using Google Maps or Google+, for example, it'll automatically populate recommended eateries that your friends have rated highly. If, of course, your friends are using Google+.

Gallery: Redesigned Google Maps for Desktop hands-on at Google I/O 2013

Filed under: GPS, Software, Google

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Source: Google Maps preview

Just hours before its I/O event, Google has apparently had a little accident: the sign-up page for "the new Google Maps" briefly went live, revealing a slew of extra details about what's coming in the rumored refresh before quickly being pulled. Droid-Life managed to grab some screenshots, including the one above, which gets to the heart of what Google is trying to achieve. The central idea is that Google will create maps tailored to the kind of information you're looking for, using a "smarter search box" to highlight just the "things that matter most," whether those be flights, ground transport or the new Earth View that integrates directly with Google Earth without the need for a plug-in. According to the leaked sign-up screens, the bringing together of all Google's data will result in layers of information that reach "from outer space down to the streets" -- but there's still no evidence about how (or whether) this might work on mobile. Stay tuned to our Google I/O opening keynote liveblog for more.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Google

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Source: Droid-Life

Not exactly earth-shattering news in the weeks leading up to E3, but Nintendo Japan announced some nice little additions to its Google-powered Wii Street U. The panoramic mapping service is getting support for the proprietary Miiverse social network, letting you share favorite locations and tag images with emotions like "amazing," "beautiful," "fun" and "scary." And for those times when you don't want to give too much away, you can set things to "spoiler." More update spoilers can be found in the source link below.

Filed under: Gaming, GPS, Nintendo

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Via: Neogaf

Source: Nintendo (translated)

Those red pins look almost like little hearts, revealing which countries have been showered with the affection of Google's crowdsourced map improvement tool and those -- like the UK -- that have so far been left out. We can now safely ignore the chart, however, as the UK has just received its dose of Map Maker love, taking its rightful place among nations like the US, France, India and even North Korea. Instead of just reporting problems, which has long been possible, Brits can use the browser-based service to contribute additional local knowledge about everything from bus stations to cycle routes, as well as natural features like parks and even bits of shrubbery. (Hopefully, only really amazing bits of shrubbery.) You can watch folks adding these sorts of things, almost in real-time, at the Google link below -- and it's weirdly addictive.

Filed under: Internet

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Via: BBC News

Source: Google Map Maker

Good news for us mass transit riders -- well, those of us in a couple of select US cities, at least. Google Maps is getting more live contextual info in New York, Salt Lake City and Washington DC. Riders will be able to check out live departure times for seven subway lines in the Big Apple and buses and trams in Utah's most populous city. Over in our our nation's capitol, Metrorail passengers will get access to alerts including unplanned delays and track work. Maps now has transit info for 800 cities in 25 countries, accessible through the company's Android and iOS apps.

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Source: Google

Watch out, Google Maps for Android, it looks like Apple's iOS Maps may soon be entering the building -- when it comes to indoor GPS tracking anyway. The Wall Street Journal's Digits blog is reporting that Apple has confirmed it purchased WiFiSlam, a startup that specializes in WiFi-assisted indoor-GPS functionality for phone apps. Interestingly, Digits notes that the company was founded by a few ex-Googlers a couple of years back and that one of its investors has included a Google employee. Further, a quick Google search confirms that any WiFiSlam-related apps that may have been on Google Play are all but dead links now.

The word on the street is that Apple handed over $20 million to claim the company, although it wouldn't confirm any numbers -- or a specific reason for the purchase -- with the blog. While there's no actual telling whether this means we'll see indoor mapping on iOS maps at any point, it's hard not to imagine it now that Apple's made the purchase. We're seeking comment from Apple on our end, and will be sure to let you know what we hear back. For now, check out an old demo of WiFiSlam in action after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Wireless, Mobile, Apple, Google

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Source: Wall Street Journal (Digits blog)

Living vicariously just got a bit more exciting. Google Maps had added some of the most famous (and highest) mountains in the world to Street View. The list includes Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus and Everest Base Camp -- four members of the Seven Summits, letting you explore some of the of the highest points on Earth without the aide of a breathing apparatus. According to Google, the shots were captured with the help of a tripod and a fish-eye-sporting digital camera. All of the aforementioned mountains can be reached in the source link below -- or with the assistance of a good support team.

Filed under: Alt, Google

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Source: Google

If you've ever been skiing or snowboarding, you likely know all too well the annoyance of carrying around a huge map of the resort -- especially when you're trying to refold the darn thing as you quickly approach the top of the lift. Fortunately, Google -- which has been no stranger to the slopes the last two years -- has a digital answer to this minor snow-centric dilemma, adding routes from 38 of the most popular resorts (a number that will continue to grow, as it should be noted) to its Maps. This means that Android and iOS-toting winter recreation enthusiasts can save a few trees and ditch the folding whilst enjoying the grand outdoors, provided you're willing to take your glove off to move to a different part of the map. Head to the link below for a full listing of resorts that are currently supported.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Apple, Google

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Source: Google Lat Long

"It has been a wonderful success for us," says Daniel Graf about Google Maps for iOS. Originally from Switzerland, Graf worked for Leica and Philips, and went on to co-found video service Kyte before landing at Google in 2011. There, he ran the mobile apps lab before taking the role of director of Google Maps for mobile, where he oversees the Android and iOS versions of the iconic mapping app. We recently got the chance to spend a few minutes with Graf at Google's Mountain View headquarters to discuss the iOS app, which launched last December. He's clearly passionate and proud of his work: "It has been an interesting project, because we got the opportunity to start from scratch." Graf explains that the Android version "is actually seven years of history, seven years of product, [...] seven years of user experience. On iOS, we didn't have those seven years so that gave us a chance to take a step back and say. 'Hey, what would be the next-generation mobile mapping experience?'" Read on after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Apple, Google

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Before you go hurling insults like "donkey killer" at a multinational software giant, it's probably best to get the other side of the story. In spite of visual evidence to the contrary, Google insists that it did not, in fact, run over a burro while gathering shots for Street View. In fact, the company has laid the whole thing out Zapruder-style over on its Maps blog, highlighting how the donkey, which appears to be dead, gets up and walks away, after lying down in the road, "perhaps enjoying a dust bath." So, rest assured, Botswana's equidae are safe from Google's reach -- for now.

Filed under: Google

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Google Maps Blog

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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No iffy third-party apps, no feature phone mobile version, Google's web-based Map service is back on Windows Phone devices. We just went down to the Nokia bus here at CES to give it a try, and it's working as you might expect. While the smartphone screen isn't the best place for a desktop map site, pinch to zoom and scrolling worked and we were able to hunt down places of interest. The more mobile-centric Google Places also reappeared ready for use, if you prefer your maps ready for vertical displays.

[Thanks to everyone that sent this in]

Gallery: Google Maps on Windows Phone

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia, Google

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Mountain View's mapping service is back on iOS, but Google's cartography team isn't content with launching a standalone app: it wants to worm its way into other developer's apps, too. Leveraging a URL scheme, Google Maps' iOS SDK allows developers to call up its own navigation application in favor of iOS 6's offering. The SDK also demonstrates how to perform a quick check to make sure Google Maps is installed, allowing apps to default to Apple's solution if it isn't found. Developers looking for a more integrated solution can request access to API keys that will allow their apps to natively utilize Google's cartography in 2D and 3D views. It's a subtle hand to play, but the updated SDK gives developers more control over the experience they offer to users, a good thing, to be sure. Looking for access to the new API? Register your interest at Google's developer site -- it's doling out access to qualified developers as API keys become available.

Filed under: Software, Google

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Via: Techcrunch

Source: Google (1), (2)

Not many would argue that Google's indeed quick to bring its latest and greatest software creations to many folks around the globe. More specifically, the Mountain View-based company announced today that its handy indoor Maps are now available in Germany, giving people there the ability to easily find their way around airports, shopping centers and even museums -- much like those in the UK and US have been able to do for some time now. According to Google, the indoor Maps availability in Germany solidifies its plan to "focus on our users in Europe," where the overall coverage "will be expanded and fast."

Filed under: Internet

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Source: Google (Germany)

Was it submerged after the satellite made its sweep? Did those volcanic-black pixels crumble and drown under their own weight? Have military censors deliberately obscured the truth? Australian explorers who sailed the South Pacific for 25 days in search of the landmass known as Sandy Island, after spotting it on Google Earth, have returned none-the-wiser. And it's not just Google that is apparently inaccurate -- a Coral Sea island in the same position also appears on Yahoo, Bing and even iOS maps, as well as on the Times Atlas of the World under the eerily appropriate name of Sable Island, which could be interpreted as "Very Dark Black Island."

The depth of the ocean is around 1,400 meters at these coordinates (-19.225583, 159.938759), which is precisely why the the University of Sydney's maritime researchers went looking -- it would be an extremely unusual outcrop if it actually existed. One down-to-earth explanation is that the entity is the cartographic equivalent of a watermark, allowing the mapmaker to tell if his work has been pirated, but no doubt there are other possibilities. Dr Maria Seton, fresh from a fruitless month on the waves, insists she plans to "follow up and find out."

Filed under: Misc, Alt

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Source: PhysOrg / AFP

Google has expanded its high-res Maps and Earth offerings to cover a whopping 164 cities and 108 countries / regions, while its brand new 45-degree imagery is now available for 60 cities (40 in the US and 20 abroad) -- the list is long, so check out the source to discover all the locations. The photos are pretty stunning; highlights include a live look at the Space Needle's orange paint job for its 50th anniversary, an overhead look at Austrian bridges and an angled view of the Thun Castle in Switzerland. Now, excuse us as we stare longingly at these gorgeous vistas -- it is Friday, right?

Filed under: GPS, Software

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Source: Google Lat Long Blog

In partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Google announced on Wednesday that it has added AMBER Alerts to its Search and Maps services for desktop and mobile devices. AMBER Alert notifications will be displayed for your local area or locations based off of web search content. Alerts will be updated as information becomes available, but may include case details such as a description of the abducted child and the make and model of their alleged abductor's vehicle. While this service is only available in the US, Google is working with Missing Children Europe and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection in hopes of bringing similar services to more countries.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Google

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Source: Google

Just because Google abandoned its October Android event doesn't mean it's left its users out to dry -- Hurricane Sandy now has its very own Google Crisis Map. It isn't the first time Mountain View has lent its mapping tech to folks in harm's way -- survivors of Hurricane Issac used a similar Crisis Map to track the storm, follow public alerts and find shelters. Sandy's map is no different, providing locals with information on the storm's path, forecast information, evacuation routes, areas of high wind probability and even links to webcams surrounding affected areas. Google isn't the only firm lending a hand, either -- both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are lifting site paywalls during the storm, ensuring the public has access to developing news as long as their internet connection doesn't give out.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Via: Verge, TechCrunch

Source: Google

Everyone knows that Google prides itself on mapping accuracy. If you hadn't checked beyond the base maps in the past few years, though, you'd have thought the terrain was charted in the "here be dragons" era -- it's been as flat as a board. Take a second look today. Google has overhauled Google Maps worldwide to show hills, deserts and lush zones by default, as well as label the geographical features that hadn't previously been identifiable in a sea of white. The map overhaul isn't so nuanced enough as to remind us how steep the hills can be in San Francisco, but it will remind us that Gobi refers to more than just a chipset.

Filed under: GPS, Internet, Google

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Source: Google Lat Long

You might remember Google's unveiling this spring of the Street View Trekker, a seeming cross between a backpack and Van de Graaff generator that lets the mapping team produce 360-degree imagery where even trikes dare not tread. The portable camera ball is just going on its first trip, and Google has chosen the most natural destination for a novice tourist -- the Grand Canyon, of course. Staffers with Trekkers are currently walking trails along the South Rim of the canyon to provide both eye-level points of reference for wayward hikers as well as some breathtaking, controllable panoramas for those who can't (or won't) make it to Arizona. Once the photos make it to Street View sometime in the undefined near future, it'll be that much easier to turn down Aunt Matilda's 3-hour vacation slideshow.

Filed under: GPS, Internet, Google

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Source: Google Lat-Long Blog

The fine, well labeled lines of Google Maps may show a clean layout of your neighborhood, but without buildings, it looks too much like a two-dimensional spread of undeveloped tract housing. Google's finally filling in the gaps, outlining 25 million building footprints in cities all across the United States. Residents of Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston, Detroit and other cities can now see the familiar outlines of their local stomping ground on the services' mobile and desktop maps. Most of these buildings were algorithmically generated from aerial photographs,locals can pen in their own content by using Google Map Maker to add new buildings or tag their favorite local eatery. The tweak sounds minor, but it certainly makes the standard map's criss-cross of roads look more familiar. Check out the official Google Lat Long blog below for more details.

Filed under: Software, Google

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Source: Google Lat Long

In its never-ending quest to dominate the global mapping scene, Google has just rolled out a new pair of APIs designed to help organizations build their own location-enabled applications. The first is Google Maps Tracks API, which gives developers the ability to concoct apps that can store, display and analyze GPS data on a map. In other words, those in need of a geofencing program -- fleet managers and the like -- need look no further. Secondly, there's the Google Maps Geolocation API, which "enables an application or device to determine its own location without the use of GPS by looking up the locations of nearby WiFi access points and cell towers." It's pretty clear that enterprises are the target here, but it seems like only a matter of time before consumer-facing location apps tap into 'em. After all, the world needs more indoor mall apps. Fact.

Filed under: GPS, Google

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Source: Official Google Enterprise Blog

Ever wonder how Google can make such grandiose claims for the sheer amount of Street View imagery it collects? Here's how. Google's Masrur Odinaev has posted a snapshot of a central mapping car parking lot that shows dozens of the camera-equipped Subaru Imprezas amassed ahead of future runs. While it already represents more Street View cars in one place than anyone outside of Google would normally ever see, what's most impressive is remembering that this addresses just a portion of the entire vehicle mix -- aside from the local cars you don't see in the photo, there are extra units worldwide providing street-level coverage alongside tricycles and underwater expeditions. Odinaev's look reminds us just how much effort is needed to make Street View a common feature -- and that there are are legions of Google staffers whose low-profile work goes a long way towards making our navigation easier.

Filed under: GPS, Transportation, Internet, Google

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Source: Masrur Odinaev (Google+)

Motorola isn't going to escape as cleanly as it would like from Microsoft's patent lawsuit campaign. Microsoft has sued Motorola once more in Germany, only this time it's waging a more direct fight against Motorola's owner Google. The lawsuit claims that Motorola devices violate a patent for taking map information from one set and overlaying it with data from another -- a technique that describes Google Maps, not to mention virtually every internet-connected mapping system we know. Details aren't yet available for the devices allegedly at risk, but the accusation would make it harder for Google, Motorola or both to simply code around the problem if they lose. No doubt Microsoft is counting on just that obstacle to have the RAZR maker fall in line with everyone else and take a license just for using Android.

Update: As patent case analyst Florian Mueller notes from his first-hand account, Microsoft quietly filed the lawsuit in April and received its first court hearing today. That's not the biggest news, however: Microsoft amended the lawsuit to include Google itself. While that's virtually necessary under German law to get the testimony Microsoft wants, it also means a rare (if not unique) instance of Microsoft attacking Google directly in court, rather than fighting proxy battles through Android hardware partners.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Mobile, Microsoft, Google

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Source: Computerworld

Google's eponymous mapping system has received plenty of good press recently, but the company knows it can't take some time out to enjoy its position. As such, Mountain View's pushing out what it calls the biggest update to Street View it has ever undertaken, refreshing 250,000 miles of road imagery and doubling the amount of special collections. Some of the new attractions you can visit from the comfort of your home include Catherine Palace in Russia, Stanley Park in Vancouver and Singapore's Fort Canning Park. We're thinking we might have to use the system the next time we fancy a cultural visit -- after all, we'd save a pile on airfares.

Filed under: GPS, Google

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Source: Google