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Google Maps turned your streets into Pac-Man today
Your streets can be an iconic arcade game right now. Google Maps has a Pac-Man option just in time for April Fool's Day. With the click of a button, your streets will be dotted with yellow pellets and the four famous ghosts. New York City, with its perpendicular streets, is perfect for Pac-Man's maze. I zipped around the block for a few minutes, until I ran into Pinky outside Webster Hall. Even though everyone's streets probably won't convert into a Pac-Man-like grid, Google might be getting better at gags after years of trying and failing.
Google makes it easier for Android users to view custom maps
A custom map you've created for a trip is only useful if you can access it when you need it. Thankfully, Google's bringing back My Maps integration with Android, so it's now easier to view your personalized files on mobile. As you might know, you can use My Maps to plan for hiking, canoeing or even for commuting or daily walks, as it lets you place markers on locations and draw lines or shapes to indicate routes. It also allows you to create layers for different kinds of content and even import geographic data, such as a place's name and coordinates. To view your creations -- or others who have shared theirs with you -- just launch Google Maps on Android. The update has begun rolling out today, so keep an eye out if you're planning for a road trip.
Visit the Sherpa community of Mt. Everest through Google Street View
Google's Street View really is a godsend for those of us who'd rather stay at home and look at nature pics than *gulp* brave the great outdoors. It now features Khumbu or the Everest region of Nepal, including images not just of Mt. Everest itself, but also of the Sherpa communities living around its base. The company teamed up with Apa Sherpa, who holds a world record for reaching the Everest summit 21 times, his foundation and Nepalese nonprofit Story Cycle to document the location during a 10-day trek. Thanks to them, you can see monasteries and schools you might never see in your life, along with hairy yaks dotted along the area's dusty roads. If you're not so fond of yaks, you could always visit camels in the UAE, chimps in Tanzania, or the various critters of the Amazon forest instead.
Google gives its iOS search app a Material Design makeover
When Google vowed that its Material Design style would reach every corner of its business, it wasn't kidding. The company has just overhauled its iOS search app, and that layered look is everywhere -- in fact, the app resembles a simplified version of Android 5.0 Lollipop. There's a new recents section that uses Lollipop-style cards to show your past queries, and the new navigation bar makes it look like you picked up an Android phone instead. It's much easier to find your way around than before, however, and there's deeper Google Maps integration that lets you browse Street View panoramas without switching apps. Image searches now produce elegant mosaics, too. If you're a loyal iOS fan but spend a lot of time in Google's ecosystem, you can grab the new search tool today.
Google Maps offers more info about destinations and alternate routes
Earlier this month, Google Maps for Android received the requisite Material Design update and tacked on in-app restaurant reservations for good measure (in the US). A new version is rolling out, and with it comes some handy features to lend a hand with those navigation needs. The app will display time, weather and a smattering of facts about your destination in addition to letting you know exactly how much time that alternate route will save. In addition, Maps can show or hide traffic with a simple voice command, should you need to sort the info without futzing with that handset. Version 9.1 should hit your devices soon, but if you can't wait, the folks over at Android Police have the APK available for manual install.
Google's setting Photo Spheres and Street View images free from Maps
It looks like soon enough we'll be seeing Street View pictures and those spiffy Photo Spheres making their way from Google Maps and onto our favorite websites. How's that, pray tell? An update to Mountain View's Maps Embed API (targeted at web developers) is setting those images free, naturally. The search giant says that this previously was an omission from the last API release, and that it was spotted by a Developers blog reader. Google also says there won't be any usage restrictions on the embeds either, so hopefully we'll get more 360 degree panoramas in various places sooner rather than later. If and when the average Joe will get this access, however, remains to be seen.
Google Maps gets a makeover with built-in restaurant reservations
At long last, Google Maps has received the Material Design revamp that many were expecting -- and it's more than just a skin-deep upgrade. New versions of Maps' Android and iOS apps focus on the super-flat graphics and lively animations that you'd expect from Google's new design language, but they also include built-in restaurant reservations through OpenTable. If you're in the US, you can now book a table right from a place page instead of visiting a website or launching another app.
Get satellite images from Google in every new Chrome tab
Taking a virtual tour through Google Earth and Street View is great and all, but sometimes you just quickly need to see a beautiful photo of the planet to make your day. That's where this new Earth View plug-in for Chrome comes in. Earth View shows you satellite images from Google Maps every time you open a new tab on Chrome, from mountain and forest landscapes to aerial views of the ocean and cities in the US. And if you want to explore more of the location on screen (say, the city of Aznalcóllar, Spain pictured above), just click the globe at the bottom right corner to see more satellite images. The downside is that it wipes out the old items living in each new tab, such as your recently visited pages and quick tabs. But if you don't mind and would rather see pictures of our planet, you can download the plug-in right now from the Chrome Web Store.
Tour one of Earth's grandest deserts in Google Street View
Visiting a large desert in person can be difficult. Roads will only take you so far, and you probably aren't used to navigating gigantic sand dunes. Thankfully, you no longer have to plan a whole adventure just to see this austere beauty at ground level. Google has used camel-mounted Trekker cameras to bring Street View to Liwa, an oasis-laden desert in the southern end of the United Arab Emirates. The move gives you 360-degree panoramas of everything from massive dunes (up to 131 feet high) to date farms. This won't compare to making the trip yourself, but it'll probably be much more comfortable.
Google Maps Navigation successfully arrives in 20 more countries
Google Maps can now tell more people whether to turn left or right at the next intersection, now that the Navigation feature has arrived in 20 more countries. The expansion makes turn-by-turn navigation available to more African, Caribbean and South American nations, along with Sri Lanka and Nepal in Asia. It also looks like they're getting the whole enchilada, including bus, taxi and walking/biking routes. Of course, those who've been usign Navigation regularly know its instructions aren't always right (say aye if it's led you to the middle of nowhere before), but it's still a free and decent option. Check out the list of countries the service now supports, as spotted by Android Police on its support page, after the break.
Google makes it easier to create and share your own maps
Google has had tools for creating custom maps for a while, but they haven't been very accessible -- especially not if you've wanted to find your friends' creations. It should be easier to track down those hand-made tourist guides and trail markers after today, though. Google has relaunched Maps Engine Lite as the much catchier My Maps, and has expanded the Google Maps Gallery to include everyone's projects, no matter what their focus. So long as you want to make your cartography public in the first place, anyone can find it sitting alongside the Gallery's usual historic and government info. Google will transition every Maps Engine Lite user to My Maps by the end of the year, but you can upgrade early if you just can't wait to share your favorite bike path with the rest of the world.
Stroll through Egypt's pyramids on Google Street View
If you're leery about taking a trip to Egypt just now, Google can at least give you part of the experience with new Pyramids of Giza Street View imagery. That includes the Great Pyramid, the only remaining ancient wonder of the ancient world that's still standing, along with the Great Sphinx and Imhotep's Pyramid of Djoser. As befitting the addition of such a famous landmark, Google also included a raft of extras: imagery from the Abu Mena Christian site, the medieval Cairo Citadel fortification and other iconic spots. From there, you can head to the Google Cultural Institute's Egyption Pyramid gallery and see archival photos and drawings. As we found, you'll be able to while away a few enjoyable hours, and (we think) a digital tour carries a minimal risk of any curses.
Sounds of Street View takes you on a virtual vacation
You can only experience so much of a place by poking around it in Google Maps, and that's why Amplifon, a hearing aid company from the UK (seriously), put together a little getaway-in-a-browser called Sounds of Street View. The name really says it all -- once you pop on your headphones (trust us, it's important), you can virtually explore Place du Palais, Hawaii's Hapuna Beach and Balboa Park in San Diego complete with some much-needed aural ambience. It's a surprisingly comprehensive experience too: As you "cruise" down the streets of Avignon, France, you'll hear the lilting tune of an accordion give way to the din of a dining crowd and a church bell ringing in the distance. Is it just like being there? Erm, not quite, but it's way cheaper than a plane ticket at the very least. Alas, those are the only three locales available at the moment, so you can't vicariously experience the ceaseless thrum of Hong Kong or New York City... until a crafty developer uses the provided tools cobbles together the soundscape for you, anyway.
Google's panoramic Photo Sphere Camera app reaches the iPhone
Google's all-encompassing Photo Spheres are no longer limited to Android users and those comfy with photo stitching software -- the internet giant has just released a Photo Sphere Camera app for the iPhone-toting crowd. As before, it lets you create 360-degree panoramas just by spinning around in place. You can both share the resulting masterworks with others (including the Google Maps community) and check out others' spheres in the Views hub. It's overkill if you're perfectly content with alternative panoramic apps or plain old landscape shots, but it's hard to object to having one more way to liven up your vacation photos. Swing by the App Store to check out Photo Sphere for yourself.
Tour college campuses from the couch with Google Maps Street View
The time for choosing a college to attend this fall may have long passed, but you can get a jump start on next year with Google Maps. Street View added 36 more campus tours in the US and Canada, including a look at Georgetown University's Healy Lawn that's pictured above. University of Miami and University of Regina are also included in the tally, allowing you to familiarize yourself with prospective surroundings ahead of that formal campus visit. Or if you just really fancy an academic summer vacation.
Explore the moon and Mars with Google Maps
It'll be a long time (if ever) before someone sets foot on the moon again, but you can now go on a few lunar excursions of your own without leaving the comfort of Google Maps. Just pop into the 'Earth' view and keep zooming out -- once you've reached escape velocity and can see our little blue dot framed by stars, a tap on the 'Explore' button will proffer glimpses at the moon and our rusty celestial neighbor, Mars. Google added the heavenly bodies to commemorate the Curiosity rover's second year cruising the Martian surface, and while it isn't quite as flexible as Google Earth, Maps' new feature doesn't require any setup or forethought. There aren't any Street Views just yet, but there's still plenty of magnificent desolation to peek at after you're done plotting your course to the chiropractor.
Google Maps' new, context-savvy local guide reaches Android
Google quietly slipped out a big upgrade to Maps' local discovery features on iOS a couple of weeks ago, and today it's Android's turn. Once your device gets the refresh, you should see a new Explore guide that offers suggestions for things to do based on both context and your tastes; it knows not to point you to a nearby park when it's raining, and can suggest breakfast spots the night before you need them. In that sense, Google Maps could become a solid alternative to familiar location-based recommendation apps like Yelp and Foursquare. Don't be surprised if it takes some time for Explore to arrive, though. It's just starting to reach Android this week, so you may have to rely on other tools for a little while longer.
Google Maps now gives you detailed ads for local stores
Google Maps already shows a wealth of info about nearby stores when you're searching for them, but ads haven't received that first-class treatment. Like it or not, that's changing; Maps on mobile and the web now shows you a whole raft of details for relevant store ads, including links to call those shops. The move is likely to prove a mixed blessing. While it will help you learn more about interesting ads and might just lead to discovering a nice restaurant, it could also downplay the importance of the actual search results -- not good if you're just trying to reach an eatery before it shuts down for the night. The odds are that the richer promotions won't hamper your day-to-day navigation in a significant way, but you'll want to keep an eye out for that yellow "ad" icon the next time you're tracking down some sushi.
Recommended Reading: Google Glass in the courtroom and 'Bill Walsh College Football'
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Today's Tech: How a California Personal Injury Attorney Uses Google Glass by Nicole Black, Above the Law Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); We've seen everyone from medical school students to airline staff using Google Glass. Heck, even lawyers are jumping on board. California attorney Mitch Jackson is using Glass in his practice to record witness interviews and depositions to be viewed later. Jackson touts the potential of Google's spectacles in the jury selection process, especially when his consultant is across the country, and how useful the Evernote add-on is for easy case-file notations.
Google Maps on iOS now plots search results, your appointments
Slowly but surely, the iOS version of Google Maps is gaining parity with its Android equivalent. With the latest update, those who use Google's mapping application on Apple's mobile platform will be able to see search results along with their descriptions visually laid out on the map, as seen in the image above. You can toggle between the map view and just a regular list view as well. Additionally, Gmail users will find that appointments and reservations will show up on the map too, which is handy if you want to know how to get to that dinner meeting on time. Last but not least, there's also an improved Explore view that you can use to figure out what's nearby, just in case you'd like to follow up the meal with after-dinner drinks. So if you're an iOS user who prefers Google's own email and maps offerings over Apple's own, then you should download this update right about now.
