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Google lawsuit highlights the danger of not managing your online presence
Hey small-business owner, you're pretty savvy. I know you're pretty savvy because you're reading this website on the internet, like the savvy small-business owner above. But some of your colleagues aren't quite as connected as you are. And sometimes that disconnected crowd faces serious real-world implications as a result: Take former restaurant owner Rene Bertagna for instance. His long-standing Virginia restaurant, Serbian Crown, closed last year "after nearly 40 years" due to, he believes, an error in Serbian Crown's Google Maps listing. The error was grievous, he tells Wired, and he's now suing Google in a Virginia court.
Google's Smarty Pins challenges you to a game of geography trivia
Google must have heard the cries of people desperate for something to do on lonely after-work nights, because it just launched a new trivia game called Smart Pins. Unlike QuizUp or Jeopardy, Smarty Pins (yes, the name's a pun) is a map-based game that tests your knowledge on geography across a number of categories. Think of it as sort of a reverse Google Maps search -- the game asks you a question, and you drop the famous Maps pin on the right location. For instance, we chose Entertainment when we tested it the first time, and the game asked us where you can find 42 Wallaby Way, which you might remember as P. Sherman's address in Finding Nemo.
Google and Twitter join forces for disaster alerts
Google's and Twitter's relationship has been a bit rocky since the former launched a social network of its own, but, for the greater good, that's changing. When a "more extreme" natural disaster strikes, Google Now, Search and Maps will populate with tweets related to the Public Alert event in an effort to add context, both on mobile and the desktop. On Google+, the search giant notes that these related tweets will serve to answer questions about school closings, nearby evacuations and to display what people closest to a storm are seeing. At the moment, this is only available for English-speaking countries, but Mountain View says it's working to add new kinds of social content to more places and its other products for the future. It isn't quite the Realtime Search of yore that added everyone's tweets to Search results, but it is something. If you had bets on The Blue Bird and Big G never ever getting back together, it's time to pay up.
Google Maps easter egg lets you plan journeys with Nessie and dragons
Google took its sweet time adding almost UK-wide journey planning to Maps, and perhaps it could've done so quicker if it wasn't so busy building easter eggs into the feature. It's been discovered that looking up certain travel routes will factor in the odd fictitious and entertaining option, alongside normal recommendations of completing the journey by bus, train and the like. These range from more mundane suggestions, such as punting from one college in Oxford to another, or taking the Royal Carriage from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle, right through to the fantastical. You can cut travel time down the length of Loch Ness by pinching a lift off Nessie, for example, or fly from Snowdon to the Brecon Beacons via dragon. And, we'd hazard a guess there are more out there still to be found -- the Maps team don't really do half measures.
Google Maps brings terrain view back to Android for outdoorsy types
If you're hoping to get a bit more help from Google Maps on your next trek through the wilderness, you may be in luck. Version 8.1.0 appears to be on the way, thanks to a peek at the APK from the folks over at XDA Developers, and it packs a handy terrain view option in the side menu. This selection offers 3D elevation details of the landscape with mountains and more -- a useful tool for hikers, climbers and trail bikers. All told, this appears to be the major change as the app is said to hold over the existing features, aside from the addition for the great outdoors. Unfortunately, the new version isn't available for download from the Play Store just yet, but those feeling particularly adventurous can sideload the update now.
Google Maps' bike routing now helps you avoid steep hills
Just because you enjoy cycling doesn't mean you want a challenge every time -- it's not much fun to pedal uphill when you simply need to get to work. You won't have to face those arbitrary hill climbs in the future, though, since Google Maps has quietly added elevation data to its bike routes. Plot your path using a desktop web browser and you'll see both a visual representation of elevation changes and the number of feet you have to ascend (or descend, if you're lucky). There's no word on a corresponding mobile app update, but don't be surprised if you can eventually chart an easier course when you're already on the road. [Top image credit: Cheryl DalPozzal, Flickr]
Google Maps now offers 'quick facts' about the world's biggest tourist destinations
Google Maps just got a new and pretty useful info card that takes data right out of the company's Knowledge Graph. This expandable window called "Quick facts" lists, well, bite-sized factoids about some of most famous locations around the globe, including Angkor Wat, the Golden Gate Bridge and Taj Mahal, as you can see above. The feature's only available on Google Maps for desktop (and it doesn't work for every tourist spot out there), so it'll be a while before you can use it to plan your yearly vacations.
Google adds nearly all UK public transport routes to Maps for easier journey planning
Planning a journey across London using public transport has been possible in Google Maps from mid-2011. Since then, though, the search specialist has made only slight improvements to this feature, as well as extending its scope to cover other parts of south-east England. Google's finally making an effort to incorporate public transport info from further afield into Maps, announcing it's now got practically every route across Great Britain covered (Northern Ireland is still "in the works"). From today, Maps will look at train, bus, tram, ferry, underground and even airborne routes to help you get from one side of the country to the other, whether you be planning a trip from your computer, or within the iOS or Android apps. Support for a wider array of services and regions has been a long time coming, but at least you can now visualise where you want to go and how to get there, all without switching tabs.
Google updates and improves Maps on iOS
If you already have Google Maps on iOS you'll see a significant update today to version 3.0. If you don't have it, the new features may tempt you to give it a try. Some highlights: Turn-by-turn navigation now offers lane guidance Travel time, distance and ETA are all on the main screen at the same time Contacts are now available through the app (hooray!) Voice search using Google Voice Search is now supported Maps can be saved offline to a custom list Although Apple stumbled early with its Maps, it has continued to improve. Google certainly wants to own the maps market on iOS, so they have been highly motivated to improve the app, and this update is very competitive. I tried the app on a short commute today and found it easy to use. I still prefer the Apple 3D road view, but Google Maps was easy to follow. Unlike Apple, you get a choice of satellite or drawn map views while driving. You can use Google Voice to find your nearest destination, and you'll get qualitative ratings of restaurants and retailers along with other points of interest. The voice for directions are clear, and the next turn on your route is bold and at the top of the screen. The app continues to work in the background. Transit results now display total walking time of your trip and the next scheduled bus or train, which is a very nice feature for urban users. I think I still prefer Apple Maps, mostly because of the easy integration with Siri, and the look of the display, but Google Maps is still the gold standard and they have improved an already excellent app with this update.
Navigate the Colorado River from your sofa with Google Maps Street View
With spring quickly approaching (hopefully) and summer following shortly thereafter, outdoor adventures are just around the corner. In order to get mentally prepped for expedition season, Google Maps now affords users the opportunity to paddle down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park thanks to Street View, without fear of being swept away by the currents. The added imagery also provides an up-close look at the Grand Canyon itself and popular spots like Deer Creek Falls, North Canyon and the Nankoweap Granaries. By adding the endangered river to Street view, the folks in Mountain View are hoping to raise awareness for the issues that plague the area. This is just the latest in Google's Map-based tourism exploits that have recently included Monticello, Mount Fuji and even a submarine.
Google's new web gallery helps you find public map data
A number of organizations offer public map data through Google Maps, but finding it can be tricky -- if you even know it exists. That may not be an issue now that Google has just launched its Maps Gallery. The web portal showcases location info from both Google and a slew of its Maps Engine partners, ranging from the World Bank's internet usage stats to National Geographic's historical overlays. This is really just the start of the search firm's map discovery efforts, though. Google tells TechCrunch that it wants to surface public maps in regular search results, and it would also like to draw attention to Maps Engine Lite data created by amateur cartographers.
Google offers its help to monitor deforestation in near-real-time (video)
Google is no stranger to humanitarian work, and its latest effort is helping keep an unflinching eye on the world's trees. For its part in the Global Forest Watch, the search giant is providing tech (namely, Earth and Maps) that allows virtually anyone to monitor deforestation on a massive scale. Let's say you want to peek at how much of Brazil's rain forest has been clear-cut in since 2008. You can do that. Even better, you can look at how much has been replanted -- sadly, not a lot -- if the mood strikes. The website's interactive map also allows users to see just which industries are doing the damage, the extent of tree-top cover and a whole lot more. No, Google making data visible isn't exactly new, but this application might be the first to have a lasting impact on the environment.
New Google Maps is now rolling out to everyone's desktops
Google has been testing its major redesign of Google Maps' web interface for the better part of a year, and it's at last ready to bring the new look to everyone. The search giant has started rolling out the updated layout to all desktop users; only some will see it today, but it should reach all visitors in the weeks ahead. As a refresh, the new Maps gets rid of the old sidebar in favor of putting search results directly on the map. It also brings real-time traffic data and a Street View carousel to help virtual tourists. The mandatory transition is unlikely to please holdouts who see the redesign as a step backward, but Google has been filling in at least some of the gaps.
Google Maps on iOS now notifies you when a faster route is available
In an effort to bring Maps for iOS up to par with its Android equivalent, Google has released an update that makes the app on Apple's platform smarter in real-time. Now, when you're using Navigation mode within the iOS application, Google Maps can send a notification to let you know a faster route has become available. If that's the case, you'll simply have to choose from either a "Reroute" or "No thanks" option -- but, you know what they say, time is money. It's worth noting this particular feature made its way to Android last month, and now those with iDevices will be able to take advantage of it as well. Unless, of course, you're just a big fan of Cupertino's own map service.
Ricoh Theta enables 360-degree photo uploads to Google+ and Maps
Folks who shelled out $400 for Ricoh's quirky Theta camera can now show off their 360-degree masterpieces to a larger audience. Circle-loving shutterbugs just got the option to upload their images to Google+ and Google Maps via the camera's companion apps for Android, iOS, Windows 7/8 and Mac. While users have been able to upload to Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook for quite some time, it's only now that the firm has made the apps compatible with Photo Sphere. As a nice plus, dedicated sphere photographers can string multiple 360-degree pictures together to create Street Views, though they'd probably look too trippy to help out a lost tourist.
Firefighter developing Google Glass apps to help with response and rescue
For all the potential of Google's face-based hardware, we haven't seen many uses beyond the cool and novel that are any more than noble ideas. Not for firefighter Patrick Jackson, though, who's combined his talents for programming and winning wearables to create apps that help him and others out on the job. At this point, his software can push emergency calls to Glass and direct responders to locations and nearby hydrants with Google Maps. Currently, he's working on being able to pull up floor plans and other relevant information about buildings before entry, as well as vehicle diagrams and instructions for aiding in-car rescues. Jackson's #ifihadglass application also outlines the many benefits of streaming live video from an incident, so all he appears to have overlooked thus far is a warning system for Kurt Russell's worst enemy.
Google rolls out 3D maps for Tokyo and other Japanese urban hubs
As ubiquitous as 3D city maps might be these days, they typically don't cover Tokyo -- quite possibly due to the massive size of Japan's megalopolis. Google, however, has just taken on that daunting task. Fire up Google Maps or Google Earth and you'll now see 3D imagery for the greater Tokyo area, including landmarks like the Tokyo Sky Tree (that giant tower you see above). The expansion also brings 3D to the major population centers of Chiba, Kanagawa and Sendai. We'd advise against exploring the entirety of Google's enhanced Tokyo map unless you have a couple of hours to kill, but you can at least take a quick tour at the source link.
Google Maps Navigation for Android makes its way to 25 more countries
Eager to go on a driving trip to an exotic locale? You'll be glad to hear that Google Maps Navigation is now available in 25 more countries. Most of the additions are in Africa, including Libya, Somalia and Tunisia. The rest of the coverage is scattered across the globe: Caribbean travelers can find their way through Guadeloupe and Haiti, while European visitors can navigate Andorra, Croatia and Serbia. There's even support for relatively remote places like Bhutan and Vanuatu. Maps Navigation still isn't a truly global service when it reaches 99 countries, but it now reaches far enough that it will be a surprise if you can't get your bearings while traveling abroad.
Google brings flight, hotel and restaurant reservations to Maps for iOS (update: Android too)
If you fancy yourself a jetsetter, fine-diner, or, er, traveling salesman and happen to use an iDevice, Google has some good news for you. The latest update to Maps on iOS brings some of Google Now's functionality into the company's navigation app. Search for your restaurant, departing airport or hotel, and the application will auto-populate with your plans -- so long as the confirmations were sent to your linked Gmail account. Sure, it's similar to what the outfit added to Maps' desktop version earlier this year (pictured above), but since when was feature parity a bad thing? Update: Google has pushed the feature for Google Maps on Android as well, and notes that it's currently available only in the US.
Make your own Google Street View scene, giant camera not required
Google's Street View has let us virtually explore the heights of the Eiffel Tower, the depths of the Large Hadron Collider and the world's train stations, but there are places on the globe that remain hidden from Mountain View's all-seeing camera. That's where you can come in, if you so choose, thanks to a new feature that lets you create your very own Street View experience, no Trekker needed. You'll need to capture several Photo Spheres of your trail using either an Android phone or DSLR and then upload them to Views, a special Google Maps section designed for images of such scale. From there, simply connect them on a map, as seen in the graphic above. Now visitors to Google Maps can select your virtual tour and see the place through your eyes. Aside from just capturing places that Google's Street View camera can't go, this also lets folks document varying weather conditions or cultural events at a specific location, which is something that Google currently can't do. So if you feel like contributing a little piece of your point-of-view to Google Maps, go ahead and click on the source to get started.
