Google Data » Brian Hendricks

Google Data » Brian Hendricks https://googledata.org Everything Google: News, Products, Services, Content, Culture Wed, 18 Mar 2015 21:09:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.7.5 Go indoors with Google Maps 6.0 for Android https://googledata.org/uncategorized/go-indoors-with-google-maps-6-0-for-android/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=go-indoors-with-google-maps-6-0-for-android https://googledata.org/uncategorized/go-indoors-with-google-maps-6-0-for-android/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:35:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=29343bb88d3615a4219305640639e332 Official Google Blog. We also have two other great additions in this release: a new way to switch between features in the toolbar and a new Places home screen.

Mapping the vast indoors

When you’re inside an airport, shopping mall, retail store, or other public space, Google Maps 6.0 for Android brings the freestanding map directory to the palm of your hands -- helping you determine where you are, what floor you're on, and where to go indoors. For example, in this busy travel season, you can use Google Maps 6.0 to help you find your way around airports.

Detailed floor plans automatically appear when you’re viewing the map and zoomed-in on a building where indoor map data is available. The familiar “blue dot” icon indicates your location within several meters, and when you move up or down a level in a building with multiple floors, the map will automatically update to display which floor you’re on.

See the full announcement for more details or to demo indoor Google Maps, start here.

Mall of America in Minneapolis before and after, with a floor selector

San Francisco International Airport before and after, with 3D tilt
Switching between features gets easier

When you open Google Maps for Android, you can do many things: view your location on the map, discover where to go with Places, get GPS turn-by-turn directions with Navigation, check in to share your location, and more. We wanted to make it easier to hop from one feature to another; so, we’ve added a drop-down menu to the top toolbar for quick access.

New drop down menu to switch between features
We hope this menu helps you get to your favorite parts of Google Maps faster or shows you some features you haven’t tried yet.

Discovering what’s great nearby with the new Places home screen

The new Places home screen includes popular searches for your current location, so you can find the best spots in any area you travel.

Redesigned Places home screen with popular searches for your area
To start using Google Maps 6.0 for Android, download the update from Android Market. This update works for Android OS 2.1+ devices everywhere Google Maps is currently available.

Posted by Chikai Ohazama, Product Management Director]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/go-indoors-with-google-maps-6-0-for-android/feed/ 0 Combatting Spammy Closed Listing Labels on Google Maps https://googledata.org/google-earth/combatting-spammy-closed-listing-labels-on-google-maps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=combatting-spammy-closed-listing-labels-on-google-maps https://googledata.org/google-earth/combatting-spammy-closed-listing-labels-on-google-maps/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 07:35:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=4f41c509900132a4593cfbefa2345524 story about business listings on Google Maps that are incorrectly being labeled as closed as a result of spam. We thought it’d be helpful to share our view about this recent issue and directly assure business owners and Maps users that we’re actively working on a solution.

Every year, millions of businesses open, close, move, change their hours, get a new website, or make other types of changes. Because we can’t be on the ground in every city and town, we enable our great community of users to let us know when something needs to be updated. The vast majority of edits people have made to business listings have improved the quality and accuracy of Google Maps for the benefit of all Maps users.

For example, when there is a pending edit that indicates that a place might be closed, our system currently displays the label, "Reported to be closed. Not true?". Only when that pending edit is reviewed and approved does the label change to, "This place is permanently closed. Not true?".

About two weeks ago, news in the blogosphere made us aware that abuse -- such as "place closed" spam labels -- was occurring. And since then, we've been working on improvements to the system to prevent any malicious or incorrect labeling. These improvements will be implemented in the coming days.

We know that accurate listings on Google Maps are an important tool for many business owners. We take reports of spam and abuse very seriously and do our best to ensure the accuracy of a listing before updating it. That being said, we apologize to both business owners and users for any frustration this recent issue of spam labeling has caused, and we’re committed to making sure that users and potential customers continue to have the most up-to-date and accurate information possible.

Update 9/14/11 at 6:26pm: As promised, we've recently made a change to our process of displaying when a business has been reported to be closed on its place page. More specifically, we have removed the interim notification about a report having been made so that a listing will only be updated after it has been reviewed by Google and we believe the change to be accurate.

Posted by Ethan Russell, Senior Product Manager]]> https://googledata.org/google-earth/combatting-spammy-closed-listing-labels-on-google-maps/feed/ 0 Catch the London Underground with Google Maps https://googledata.org/uncategorized/catch-the-london-underground-with-google-maps-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=catch-the-london-underground-with-google-maps-2 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/catch-the-london-underground-with-google-maps-2/#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=74c565891049f7287ef8c5e3d22a8b17
Today, Google Maps added public transport directions for London within Google Maps, including Google Maps for mobile on iOS, Blackberry, and Android-powered devices. Now, whether you live in London or are just visiting, you can get public transport directions on your mobile device.

Public transport directions in Google Maps for Android

Google Maps for mobile uses your current location to determine the best trip to your destination. Just search for your destination location, select it on the map and choose the “Directions” option. The suggested trips will be based on your location by default, and provide you multiple alternatives whenever possible.

If you’re using an Android-powered device, you can also get public transport directions with Transit Navigation (Beta) in Google Maps. With this feature, you’ll get alerts when it’s time to get off the bus or train at your destination or to make a transfer. We hope that public transport directions in London make getting around town more convenient!

Posted by Thijs van As, Associate Product Manager, Transit Directions]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/catch-the-london-underground-with-google-maps-2/feed/ 0 Google Maps 5.8 for Android adds photo uploads, My Places, and more https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-maps-5-8-for-android-adds-photo-uploads-my-places-and-more-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-maps-5-8-for-android-adds-photo-uploads-my-places-and-more-2 https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-maps-5-8-for-android-adds-photo-uploads-my-places-and-more-2/#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:20:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=1f6816859a731ab9ac65952a08723e46
Today, Google Maps 5.8 for Android improves Places and Latitude with:

Upload photos for a Place
My Places as a simple way to manage the Places you’ve starred and recently viewed
Descriptive terms for Places in search results
Add a new Place on-the-go when checking in

Photo upload for a Place

When deciding on a place to go, people often want to know what a place looks like in addition to seeing ratings and reviews. You can now contribute photos to help others get a sense of places. You can now attach your photos to Places, and yours may even become the profile picture for that page. If you want to view or delete any photos you’ve contributed to Places, you can manage uploaded photos in the “Photos for Google Maps” album on your Picasa account.

Left: Uploading pictures to a place. Right: Photos in Android Gallery
My Places and descriptive terms for mobile

In June we announced descriptive terms and ‘My Places’ for the desktop. Both these features are now in Google Maps for mobile. Descriptive terms appear in search results for Places to inform you what businesses are ‘known for,’ such as their ‘eggs benedict’ or being ‘worth the wait.’

Also, My Places for mobile provides quick access to starred and recent Place pages you’ve looked at. You can access My Places by pressing your phone’s menu button while in Google Maps.

Descriptive terms and My Places in Google Maps for mobile
Add a new Place ‘on-the-go’ for check-ins

If you’re out and about and want to check in, we want to make sure you can quickly add a new Place to check into if one isn’t available. This might happen for new businesses or those that haven’t set up a Place page yet. For example, let’s say you’re at Xoogle Xtreme Sports, a new sports shop in your neighborhood. You go to check in but don’t see Xoogle in the list of places to check into and when you do a search still nothing comes up.

Upload photos for a Place
My Places as a simple way to manage the Places you’ve starred and recently viewed
Descriptive terms for Places in search results
Add a new Place on-the-go when checking in

Add a Place when checking in, if needed
To solve this, you’ll now see an “Add place” option at the bottom of suggested places. Select that option, and you’ll be prompted to confirm the name and location of the new place. Then a brand new place is added (and you’re checked in). This place will be available for you and others to check into from Latitude, but will not appear as a search result in Google Maps or Google Places.

We’ve also added ‘Bigger text’ to our experimental Labs features and ‘Download map area’ has been renamed ‘Pre-cache map area.’

To start using Google Maps 5.8 for Android, download the update here. This update requires an Android OS 2.1+ device and can be used anywhere Google Maps is currently available. Learn more in our help center.

Posted by Benjamin Grol, Product Manager]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/google-maps-5-8-for-android-adds-photo-uploads-my-places-and-more/feed/ 0 Making local online advertising easy with Google AdWords Express https://googledata.org/google-earth/making-local-online-advertising-easy-with-google-adwords-express-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=making-local-online-advertising-easy-with-google-adwords-express-3 https://googledata.org/google-earth/making-local-online-advertising-easy-with-google-adwords-express-3/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:15:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=ad22bbfdf523ec8c047138e3e15b9723
(Cross posted on the Official Google, Inside AdWords, and Small Business blogs)

Today, we're officially introducing AdWords Express, a faster and simpler way to start advertising online in under five minutes. We first launched this product as Google Boost last October for a small number of local businesses. Since then, we’ve continued to improve the product and enabled all U.S. businesses new to online advertising to reach customers with ease. AdWords Express is designed to help local businesses that aren't already AdWords advertisers create effective campaigns—watch the video below to see how you can create and run an online campaign from start to finish in just a few clicks:

AdWords Express helps potential customers find your website or Place page, and gives you a quick and straightforward way to connect with them and grow your business. You simply provide some basic business information, create your ad, and your campaign is ready to go.

After you sign up, the campaign will be automatically managed for you. AdWords Express will figure out which searches should trigger your ad to appear and displays it when these searches happen. Your ad will be shown in the Ads section of search results pages—on the top or right hand side—and in Google Maps with a distinctive blue pin. Customers can see your ad whether they’re searching on laptops or mobile phones.

As with all our ad products, you pay only when a customer clicks on your ad. To make things even easier, AdWords Express optimizes your ads to get the most out of your advertising campaign and budget.

Many businesses are already finding success through AdWords, but we know many of you are looking for an easier way to begin advertising online. Visit www.google.com/awexpress to sign up or learn more about how it works.

Posted by Kiley McEvoy, Product Manager, AdWords Express ]]> https://googledata.org/google-earth/making-local-online-advertising-easy-with-google-adwords-express-3/feed/ 0 Building outlines now appearing in London, Paris, Barcelona, and more https://googledata.org/google-maps/building-outlines-now-appearing-in-london-paris-barcelona-and-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=building-outlines-now-appearing-in-london-paris-barcelona-and-more https://googledata.org/google-maps/building-outlines-now-appearing-in-london-paris-barcelona-and-more/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:35:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=10961b4bd45b371d9680a570a3c66727
Since early 2007, Google Maps has made maps more lifelike by showing 3D building outlines when zoomed into cities. If you’re planning to walk down a street, you should know whether to expect low buildings, skyscrapers, or some cool architecture! Then the release of Google Maps 5.0 for Android ushered in the next-generation of mobile maps where you can rotate, tilt, and zoom in and out of 3D maps on a mobile device.

Now, 3D buildings are available in London, Paris, Barcelona, Stockholm, Singapore, Lisbon, Boulder, and 11 major cities in South Africa. These buildings will appear in both Google Maps and Google Maps for mobile.

View Larger Map
Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa

3D buildings in London and Barcelona
Enjoy the new buildings from Boulder to Bloemfontein!

Posted by Mark Limber, Group Product Manager]]> https://googledata.org/google-maps/building-outlines-now-appearing-in-london-paris-barcelona-and-more/feed/ 0 3D buildings in Google Maps for Android arise in London, Paris, Barcelona, and more https://googledata.org/uncategorized/3d-buildings-in-google-maps-for-android-arise-in-london-paris-barcelona-and-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3d-buildings-in-google-maps-for-android-arise-in-london-paris-barcelona-and-more https://googledata.org/uncategorized/3d-buildings-in-google-maps-for-android-arise-in-london-paris-barcelona-and-more/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:35:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=5d77d268b7bfeed962f72a5faaae43a1
Last December, the release of Google Maps 5.0 for Android ushered in the next-generation of mobile maps where you can rotate, tilt, and zoom in and out of 3D maps. Whether you’re on the go or playing with a new phone, seeing a 3D skyline spring up in New York City, Zurich, Milan, and other cities is a helpful, fun, and unique experience--an experience we want as many of you as we can to have for your city.

We've been adding more cities and you will now find that 3D buildings are available in London, Paris, Barcelona, Stockholm, Singapore, Lisbon, Boulder, and 11 major cities in South Africa.

3D buildings in London and Barcelona
You don’t need to update the app, just open Google Maps for mobile on your phone with Android 2.0+ and zoom in to a city with 3D buildings. Enjoy!

Posted by Brian Brewington, Software Engineer

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/3d-buildings-in-google-maps-for-android-arise-in-london-paris-barcelona-and-more/feed/ 0 Evolving the look of Google Maps, redux https://googledata.org/google-maps/evolving-the-look-of-google-maps-redux/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=evolving-the-look-of-google-maps-redux https://googledata.org/google-maps/evolving-the-look-of-google-maps-redux/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:30:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=f7f26855951ee506e5f0d5d2a0963e8f
Hot on the heels of our new style for the Google Maps user interface, today we are pushing out some further improvements to our map design to match the updated look and feel and further improve the usability of our maps.

Amongst the changes you will find a plethora of subtle changes, designed to make the map cleaner, more focused, more visually harmonious, and easier to use. Some highlights to look out for are a brighter and more cheerful color palette, a more integrated and less visually noisy labeling style, subtle improvements to footpaths and minor roads, and cleaner building and land parcel rendering.

Most of these improvements, like many that we’ve made over the last couple of years, are gentle enough that many people won’t even notice the difference. When you add them together, however, and then compare to how the map looked even as recently as two years ago, it’s remarkable to see how dramatic the change is.

Compare how our maps of New York looked in 2009, then again the same time in 2010, and now with the new tiles for 2011. The improved colour scheme and less jarring label outlines help the labels to feel part of the map, as opposed to a distracting overlay. It’s also easier to distinguish the city name, neighborhoods, and roads through subtle changes in label color:

The visually heavy highway shields are now integrated into the road labels, and the brighter and cleaner style shifts the focus onto the road names and prominent landmarks in the area. London is one place that benefits from this:

The style evolution has enabled us to place more information whilst still making the map feel simpler. In the case of Sydney, thinner and cleaner roads, better representation of tunnels, more subtle footpaths in the parks, and more subtle labeling all contribute:

We hope you enjoyed this quick retrospective and find the new improvements to the map style helpful. There are many more than have been highlighted here, so have a look around Google Maps today and see if you can spot any improvements to your local area. Happy exploring!

Posted by Jonah Jones, User Experience Designer]]> https://googledata.org/google-maps/evolving-the-look-of-google-maps-redux/feed/ 0 UNITAR/UNOSAT team up with Google Map Maker to boost impact of community mapping for disaster relief and humanitarian aid https://googledata.org/google-earth/unitarunosat-team-up-with-google-map-maker-to-boost-impact-of-community-mapping-for-disaster-relief-and-humanitarian-aid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=unitarunosat-team-up-with-google-map-maker-to-boost-impact-of-community-mapping-for-disaster-relief-and-humanitarian-aid https://googledata.org/google-earth/unitarunosat-team-up-with-google-map-maker-to-boost-impact-of-community-mapping-for-disaster-relief-and-humanitarian-aid/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:30:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a63419cede6a7399f2abdc451b8d44cd
In times of disaster and humanitarian needs, relief activities are sometimes carried out in chaotic and dynamic conditions in which multiple groups need to interact. First responders need to quickly build an on-the-ground picture of where people are, what condition they are in, what their needs are, what services are still available, and what resources have survived. This helps relief and humanitarian responders as well as local planners to plot and obtain a big picture of the impact of the disaster. They are then able to target their efforts and mobilize their resources of equipment, personnel, and supplies. Unfortunately, despite many technical and institutional advances, basic data is often not readily available on the onset of a disaster.

As Einar Bjorgo, UNITAR/UNOSAT's head of Rapid Mapping, Applications and User Relations, has noted, Google Map Maker addresses a significant part of this data gap by capturing community knowledge -- verified through community moderation -- and making it available in near real-time. UNITAR/UNOSAT is the only operational UN program fully focused on providing satellite imagery and mapping products to the humanitarian community, including its United Nations’ sister agencies and governments -- and it now does so largely with Google’s Map Maker data.

Today, after years of successful collaboration, UNITAR/UNOSAT (the operational satellite applications program of UNITAR) and Google have strengthened their joint efforts by signing an agreement that will give the crisis response and humanitarian community increased access to Google Map Maker source data for use in their disaster response and humanitarian activities, in more than 150 countries around the world.*

Under this agreement UNITAR/UNOSAT will act as a conduit within the United Nations family and its Member States to make Google Map Maker data more widely and easily available to aid organizations in the event of major disasters and for humanitarian efforts. In addition, government and United Nations agencies will be able to contact UNOSAT/UNITAR (email unosat@unitar.org) for consideration as potential licensees of the Google Map Maker data, for their disaster response, humanitarian and development projects. This agreement builds on dozens of previous joint mapping efforts between UNITAR/UNOSAT and Google, such as the ones that were coordinated for Pakistan, Sudan, and West Africa.

UNOSAT Manager Francesco Pisano shared his thoughts, noting that "Google Map Maker gives us access to baseline data over areas where detailed information is usually unavailable. Now roads, bridges, buildings, and other services, with local and official names, can be mapped and damages tracked in near real-time. This new ability to integrate Google Map Maker data more widely into our satellite analysis will have a monumental impact on UNOSAT’s ongoing efforts to make geographic information a key part of providing information for modern humanitarian relief. This agreement will also bring key benefits to the broader disaster and humanitarian community by making Google Map Maker data more widely and easily available.”

UNOSAT map of the flood-affected areas in Pakistan. It uses Map Maker data as its primary source of Road and Place names data.
With this new agreement with UNITAR/UNOSAT, we are expanding our ability to share useful map data that the Map Maker community contributes with the world, for increased benefit to people all over in preventing and recovering from man-made and natural hardships. We’re thrilled to deepen our relationship with the United Nations, and their partners. We welcome you to join the Map Your World Community, and start mapping to contribute to this effort and increase the quality of maps data. If you are one of our long-term mappers, thank you for your efforts that inspire us to keep finding ways to together make a positive difference to the world. Keep mapping!

Posted by France Lamy, Program Manager, Google.org

*Countries for which UNITAR/UNOSAT will have access to Google Map Maker data: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Botswana, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Brunei,Burkina Faso, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde,Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial, Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe]]> https://googledata.org/google-earth/unitarunosat-team-up-with-google-map-maker-to-boost-impact-of-community-mapping-for-disaster-relief-and-humanitarian-aid/feed/ 0 Live traffic information for 13 European countries https://googledata.org/uncategorized/live-traffic-information-for-13-european-countries/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=live-traffic-information-for-13-european-countries https://googledata.org/uncategorized/live-traffic-information-for-13-european-countries/#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:50:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=cd5341d2597153c1bae4120f7c3138a3
Today Google Maps added live traffic coverage for 13 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland. The new traffic information will automatically be available in Google Maps for Android, iOS, and mobile browsers.

Left: Traffic layer in Munich
Right: Getting routed around traffic in Google Maps Navigation
With the addition of live traffic data, users in these countries will now also be able to be routed around traffic in Google Maps Navigation (Beta) to save precious minutes when possible.

Posted by Noam Ben-Haim, Product Manager]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/live-traffic-information-for-13-european-countries/feed/ 0 Live traffic information for 13 European countries https://googledata.org/google-maps/live-traffic-information-for-13-european-countries-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=live-traffic-information-for-13-european-countries-2 https://googledata.org/google-maps/live-traffic-information-for-13-european-countries-2/#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:50:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=104d373675f371fb65305b710e174cf8
Since introducing the live traffic feature on Google Maps in 2008, our team has been working hard to make this feature available to more users in more countries. Just in time for summer travel, we’re delighted to announce that today we’re making traffic available in 13 countries in Europe. The new road traffic information is in the traffic layer on Google Maps and Google Maps for mobile, and Google Maps Navigation (Beta).

Left: Traffic layer Right: Getting routed around traffic in
Google Maps Navigation
Today we’re announcing new coverage in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland. Coverage includes all freeways and highways, as well as large roads in major cities. Users in the UK will also benefit from a finer grain of street level coverage.

Our Maps team in Zurich is especially excited about this release because many of us will now be able to personally benefit from the expansion of this traffic feature. For example, although I take public transit to work every day, I enjoy weekend drives to the Austrian Alps or the Italian lakes region, and having live traffic available on my phone helps me avoid the traffic at the Gotthard tunnel.

Traffic in Gotthard Tunnel, Switzerland
The live traffic layer is regularly updated to show information for traffic events from the last 5-10 minutes. Finally, you can learn more about typical traffic conditions for specific times and days of the week by clicking the “change” link in the traffic legend on Google Maps, and setting the day of week and time.

Posted by Csaba Garay, Technical Account Manager]]> https://googledata.org/google-maps/live-traffic-information-for-13-european-countries-2/feed/ 0 A cause to celebrate in Pakistan with Google Map Maker https://googledata.org/google-earth/a-cause-to-celebrate-in-pakistan-with-google-map-maker/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-cause-to-celebrate-in-pakistan-with-google-map-maker https://googledata.org/google-earth/a-cause-to-celebrate-in-pakistan-with-google-map-maker/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:30:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a778c6581a329b43d02d4784771dae5c
The month of June proved fruitful for mapping enthusiasts, tech buffs, and entrepreneurs throughout Pakistan as they gathered for a series of Google MapUps organized at universities in three major cities: Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

Led by Google Pakistan Country Consultant, Badar Khushnood and a trio of Pakistan’s Map Maker Advocates—Faraz Ahmad, Jabran Rafique and Omer Sheikh—the three events welcomed a total of 150 participants to learn the ins and outs of Google Map Maker. The intent of the MapUps was to guide new users through the process of mapping their cities and neighborhoods while stressing the importance of having a complete map of Pakistan available online.

Recent mapping efforts in Pakistan have been predominantly aligned with relief efforts following Pakistan’s 2010 floods and landslides, as demonstrated by Omer, Jabran and Faraz. Dr. Sayeed Ghani spoke at the Karachi MapUp about Sindh Flood Maps, his community-based geographic information system (GIS) that implements a Google Maps API to assist in disaster management. Dr. Sohaib Khan, who co-hosted the Lahore MapUp, has also focused on flood relief.

On a basic level, the aim of MapUps is to teach new and aspiring mappers the fundamentals of Map Maker, and to bring them together to map their community. Omer explained that “The idea is to get the participants started in the hope that they will continue mapping in the future.” Badar Khushnood and our Mapping Advocates ultimately highlighted the tools and motivation behind mapping, highlighting it as influential, inspirational, and humanitarian.

Google MapUp, NU-FAST, Islamabad, Pakistan
Learn more about hosting a Google MapUp in your own community, and be sure to visit our Advocates and other passionate and helpful mappers in our Map Your World Community.

Posted by Lori Savageau, Community Manager]]> https://googledata.org/google-earth/a-cause-to-celebrate-in-pakistan-with-google-map-maker/feed/ 0 South Sudanese sing and map their way to independence https://googledata.org/google-earth/south-sudanese-sing-and-map-their-way-to-independence/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=south-sudanese-sing-and-map-their-way-to-independence https://googledata.org/google-earth/south-sudanese-sing-and-map-their-way-to-independence/#comments Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:20:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=34d80f9267100c4aa8088154c325652c
On July 9, South Sudan will officially be independent, becoming Africa’s 54th state.

In anticipation of this significant development, the World Bank, UNOSAT, RCMRD, Satellite Sentinel Project and Google organized a South Sudan Community Mapping event in Nairobi on June 30. This was the second in a series of mapping events intended to encourage local people to create accurate and detailed maps of South Sudan, to help them navigate their path to independence. There were over 100 attendees in the room, mostly Sudanese -- university students, humanitarian workers, journalists, developers, donors, citizens -- coming from Nairobi and its surroundings, but also as far as Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

The lives of the South Sudanese are anchored to their history and land. The event started with the sharing of prayers, stories and songs, allowing each of us to visualize the rivers, sheep, roads, and people. Drawn from these songs, the mapping of South Sudan with Google Map Maker began. I was excited to see schools, roads, rivers, historical monuments, and cemeteries being mapped over cities such as Aweil, Boma, Bor, Malakal, Rumbek, Tonga, Torit, and more.

Community Mapping Event in Nairobi on June 30, 2011
Many were interested in health resource mapping which can dramatically impact the lives of their new countrymen. Every year in South Sudan about one in every seven children dies before the age of five; the maternity mortality rate is one of the highest in the world, and only 30% of the population has access to health care. For Charles Mona, Director GIS, Remote Sensing & Cartography of the South Sudan Government, quality health resource maps would be great tools for improved health care planning, resource allocation, advocacy, and also increased access to health services for the local population. This is only one example of how accurate maps can help various organizations provide better services to the the South Sudanese.

Happy independence day to the South Sudanese! Together, let’s continue mapping, and stay connected via our Sudan-specific email discussions. The next Community Mapping event will be in Juba, so stay tuned for more details.

Posted by France Lamy, Program Manager for Google.org]]> https://googledata.org/google-earth/south-sudanese-sing-and-map-their-way-to-independence/feed/ 0 “Download map area” added to Labs in Google Maps for Android https://googledata.org/uncategorized/%e2%80%9cdownload-map-area%e2%80%9d-added-to-labs-in-google-maps-for-android/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=%25e2%2580%259cdownload-map-area%25e2%2580%259d-added-to-labs-in-google-maps-for-android https://googledata.org/uncategorized/%e2%80%9cdownload-map-area%e2%80%9d-added-to-labs-in-google-maps-for-android/#comments Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=4192226e19a90b13cfc54064ea6ba1be (Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)

One way we bring you new product features is through Google Labs—a collection of fun, experimental features you can turn on if you’re interested in the functionality. In fact, Google Maps itself started as a lab. In addition to our desktop Maps Labs, Google Maps for Android has a few tricks you can try out right from your phone. We’d like to introduce you to one new experimental feature, “Download map area," but also remind you of two other ones we already have: “Scale bar” and “Measure.”

Download map area
When you’re visiting an unfamiliar location, Google Maps for mobile is great for getting an idea of how close you are to your destination, where streets and landmarks are in relation to each other, or just for getting “un-lost.” But what if you don’t have a data signal, or you’re abroad and don’t have a data plan? We say that if you use Google Maps for mobile, you’ll never need to carry a paper map again. The “Download map area” lab in Google Maps 5.7 for Android is a step in making that statement true even when you’re offline.

Let’s say later you’re visiting Bordeaux during a trip to France. If you were to open Google Maps for mobile and zoom into Bordeaux without data coverage or wifi, you’d see the image on the left:

Left: Bordeaux with no data or wifi. Right: Bordeaux with downloaded map area
That’s not particularly useful when you’re trying to find out how close you are to the Cathedrale St. Andre. But a little advance planning and “Download map area” can help. Before you take your trip, while you still have access to WiFi or data coverage, you can open up any Places page in the world, click “More” to get the Place page menu, and download Google’s maps for a 10-mile radius.

Left: Tap a landmark to enter its Place page Right: Place page “more options” menu
The download can take as little as a minute or two. This download stores only the base map tiles and the landmarks on the map, so you still need a data connection to see satellite view and 3D buildings, search for Places and get directions. But we hope the level of detail available will help you find your way!

Left: Status screen for download. Right: Coverage of downloaded map area
All your downloaded map areas can be managed in your Google Maps cache settings so you can delete maps you no longer need or if you want to free up storage. After 30 days, all downloaded map areas will be removed from your cache; they can be re-downloaded any time.

Scale bar
Google Maps has approximately 20 different zoom levels that range from a 2,000 mile scale to a 20 foot scale. With finger gestures making it really quick and easy to zoom in and out, sometimes it’s not always clear what zoom level you’re at. What might be just a few streets away can be quite a long walk depending on the scale. To help with this, you can turn on a scale bar, which updates based on your zoom level.

Scale bar in the lower left
Measure
If you ever need to know the distance between San Francisco and New York (about 2602 miles) or between any other two points on the map, the “Measure” lab can help you out. Once it’s enabled, you’ll notice a tape measure icon just above the zoom buttons. After clicking that icon, you’ll be prompted to tap two points on the map and Google Maps will calculate the straight distance between those points (this direct distance is “as the crow flies”).

Example of the “Measure” Labs feature
To access Labs on your phone, press your phone’s menu button once in Google Maps, choose “More” and select Labs. On a tablet, click the menu button in the upper-right corner of Maps. The “Download map area” lab requires Android 2.1+ and the latest version of Google Maps. We look forward to bringing you more experimental features soon and hope you enjoy trying out Labs in Google Maps for Android.

Posted by Chikai Ohazama, Director of Product Management, Google Maps for mobile]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/%e2%80%9cdownload-map-area%e2%80%9d-added-to-labs-in-google-maps-for-android/feed/ 0 “Download map area” added to Labs in Google Maps for Android https://googledata.org/google-maps/%e2%80%9cdownload-map-area%e2%80%9d-added-to-labs-in-google-maps-for-android-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=%25e2%2580%259cdownload-map-area%25e2%2580%259d-added-to-labs-in-google-maps-for-android-2 https://googledata.org/google-maps/%e2%80%9cdownload-map-area%e2%80%9d-added-to-labs-in-google-maps-for-android-2/#comments Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=b81c3710e69d7d383334e8997841589a (Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)

One way we bring you new product features is through Google Labs—a collection of fun, experimental features you can turn on if you’re interested in the functionality. In fact, Google Maps itself started as a lab. In addition to our desktop Maps Labs, Google Maps for Android has a few tricks you can try out right from your phone. We’d like to introduce you to one new experimental feature, “Download map area,” but also remind you of two other ones we already have: “Scale bar” and “Measure.”

Download map area
When you’re visiting an unfamiliar location, Google Maps for mobile is great for getting an idea of how close you are to your destination, where streets and landmarks are in relation to each other, or just for getting “un-lost.” But what if you don’t have a data signal, or you’re abroad and don’t have a data plan? We say that if you use Google Maps for mobile, you’ll never need to carry a paper map again. The “Download map area” lab in Google Maps 5.7 for Android is a step in making that statement true even when you’re offline.

Let’s say later you’re visiting Bordeaux during a trip to France. If you were to open Google Maps for mobile and zoom into Bordeaux without data coverage or wifi, you’d see the image on the left:

Example of the “Measure” Labs feature
To access Labs on your phone, press your phone’s menu button once in Google Maps, choose “More” and select Labs. On a tablet, click the menu button in the upper-right corner of Maps. The “Download map area” lab requires Android 2.1+ and the latest version of Google Maps. We look forward to bringing you more experimental features soon and hope you enjoy trying out Labs in Google Maps for Android.

Posted by Chikai Ohazama, Director of Product Management, Google Maps for mobile]]> https://googledata.org/google-maps/%e2%80%9cdownload-map-area%e2%80%9d-added-to-labs-in-google-maps-for-android-2/feed/ 0 Google Maps 5.7 for Android introduces Transit Navigation (Beta) and more https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-maps-5-7-for-android-introduces-transit-navigation-beta-and-more-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-maps-5-7-for-android-introduces-transit-navigation-beta-and-more-2 https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-maps-5-7-for-android-introduces-transit-navigation-beta-and-more-2/#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:30:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=be7991c85e848176dac768cb408291de
(Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)

Today we’re releasing Google Maps 5.7 for Android. From Bangkok to Baltimore, we’ve added Transit Navigation (Beta), updated access to directions, better suggested search results, and a photo viewer to Place pages—all of which can help you whether you’re traveling to an unfamiliar part of town or visiting a city across the world.

Transit Navigation (Beta)
Google Maps Navigation (Beta) currently provides over 12 billion miles of GPS-guided driving and walking directions per year. Now, GPS turn-by-turn (or in this case, stop-by-stop) navigation is available for public transit directions in 400+ cities around the globe with Transit Navigation.

Transit Navigation uses GPS to determine your current location along your route and alerts you when it’s time to get off or make a transfer. This is particularly helpful if you’re in a city where you don’t speak the language and can’t read the route maps or understand the announcements. After starting your trip with Transit Navigation, you can open another application or put your phone away entirely and Google Maps will still display an alert in your notification bar and vibrate your phone when your stop is coming up.

Left: Transit directions without Navigation. Right: with Navigation

Navigation alerts appear even if you switch to another app
Now you can spend more time enjoying the sights out the window and less time worrying about how many stops are left, where you are along the route or whether you missed your stop. Since Transit Navigation relies on GPS signals, we recommend using this feature for above-ground transit.

Updated Directions
Now that we’ve improved our directions services, we wanted them to be incredibly easy to pull up on your screen. If you select the driving or walking icon and your route is supported by Google Maps Navigation, the Navigation icon will automatically appear so you can get access to step-by-step directions in one click. Note: this change is currently only in place for driving and walking and does not appear for public transit.

One-click access to Navigation from directions
We’ve also streamlined how you access directions from within a Place page. Before, clicking directions in a Place page would bring up options for “Driving Navigation,” “Walking Navigation” and “Directions.” Now, you’ll be taken straight to the map and see the new directions box shown above.

Improved Search Suggest
We’ve made two changes to search suggestions that improve their quality and speed. First, we’ve added category icons, so instead of all search suggestions displaying the same icon, the icon next to the listing will reflect the type of result. You’ll see a pin for a Google Places listing, a star for a starred Place or location, a clock for a previously used search term, a person for contacts and a magnifying glass for “anything else.”

Two examples of search suggest with new icons
Also, any place you got directions to or called directly from its Places page will be included as a suggestion for a relevant search. For example, if you recently received directions to the U.S. Post Office on Wilshire Boulevard, afterward, when you begin a search with [p] or [bou], that U.S. Post Office would appear as a search suggestion.

Photo viewer for Place pages
Since we released business photos for Place pages last October, millions of photos have been added to Place pages around the world. To enable you to view these photos on the run, a slick new photo viewer has been added so you can browse photos while deciding where to go.

Left: Transit directions without Navigation. Right: with Navigation

Left: Business photos in Place pages. Right: New photo viewer
To start using Google Maps 5.7 for Android, download the update here. This update requires an Android OS 2.1+ device and works anywhere Google Maps is currently available. Learn more at our help center and have fun exploring, whether it be by car, transit, bike or foot.

Posted by Chris Van Der Westhuizen, Software Engineer]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/google-maps-5-7-for-android-introduces-transit-navigation-beta-and-more/feed/ 0 Google Earth API and StrataLogica: Changing Education https://googledata.org/google-earth/google-earth-api-and-stratalogica-changing-education-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-earth-api-and-stratalogica-changing-education-2 https://googledata.org/google-earth/google-earth-api-and-stratalogica-changing-education-2/#comments Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=ca7b5b5ca66aaae34c9781a636ef7914 Cross-posted on the Google Enterprise Blog

Editors note:
The Google team encounters fun and new ways of using the Google Earth and Maps API. Here’s an example of how a century old educational map and globe publishing company realized more students wanted to learn online and transformed their teaching methods to include a program built on the Google Earth API. Don Rescigno, from Herff Jones | Nystrom, explains how students and teachers benefit from technology in the classroom with StrataLogica.

With today's technology enabling information to travel at a much more rapid rate than in the past, students feel more advanced than what many of us can remember from our own days in school. Elementary school students use a school computer, manage multiple usernames and passwords, work with spreadsheets, develop their own blogs and websites, and more. They’re tech savvy and they’re connected.

The challenge for educators is to use tools and resources that take advantage of students' advanced technological skills. Combining educational content with technology like the Google Earth API gave us the opportunity to foster a new and immersive experience that changes the way students see our world.

StrataLogica—combined with the Google Earth API —provides students with powerful tools to visualize and comprehend the ways in which geography has impacted events, politics and populations throughout human history. Students have the ability to see current events, taking place around the world, from their classroom.

Using a computer or interactive whiteboard, students uncover layers of educational content and can then drill down to Google Earth’s satellite imagery, see what’s actually there, and even use historical imagery to compare then and now. Recently, I had to play the role of a teacher when one of my children overheard a CNN report on Japan and asked, “Dad, what made the earthquake and tsunami?” The ability to access and interact with so many resources—aerial imagery of the earthquake, videos, and photos posted by Japanese citizens, local news stories—allowed me to teach him about the Earth’s processes and their impact. It helped to create a better understanding beyond the news story. It fostered critical thinking and a global perspective.

Like so many with children, I want to see students learning in a new way that
inspires them. It’s important for our future generation to understand how we are all connected — to think globally and comprehend world impact. We want them to truly become global
citizens. StrataLogica and the Google Earth API are helping change the way students see the world; they can “fly” to any location in a matter of seconds, zoom in to imagery and see street views of historical sites that they may never have an opportunity to visit, embed videos and photos, and experience their own virtual field trips.

If you’re an educator interested in teaching geography, history, earth science and
more, visit stratalogica.com to learn more.

Posted by Natasha Wyatt, Google Earth and Maps Enterprise Team]]> https://googledata.org/google-earth/google-earth-api-and-stratalogica-changing-education-2/feed/ 0 Street View: Our biggest update yet https://googledata.org/google-maps/street-view-our-biggest-update-yet/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=street-view-our-biggest-update-yet https://googledata.org/google-maps/street-view-our-biggest-update-yet/#comments Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:25:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=94db2aa67b3a6093df5b05662bc0dbc8 launched Street View on Google Maps in the U.S. in 2007 we’ve added 26 more countries and enabled you to explore images across all seven continents. Today we’re excited to share with you the latest expansion of Street View because it’s our biggest update yet.

New imagery is now available for 13 of our established Street View countries: Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Romania, South Africa, Taiwan, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

I like wine so I’m particularly interested in seeing the new imagery around Italy’s famous Chianti region and other beautiful areas of Tuscany. Across the mediterranean in Spain, the home of another renowned wine is available with the addition of the Rioja province.

Pechina, Rioja Region, Spain
And as a food lover I’m keen on discovering Denmark’s beautiful chain of Smålands Islands - famous for its fruits that have inspired many Danish chefs and the new Nordic cuisine movement. In neighbouring Sweden there has been a significant increase in coverage across the country with Lake Siljan now included, along with the popular tourist towns of Rättvik, Leksand and Mora.

Leksand, Sweden
The southernmost tip of Africa is also now available with the addition of South Africa’s Cape Agulhas. The cape is where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet and is notoriously hazardous for sailors.

And across the other side of the world, you can view the Pacific Ocean from Japan’s Hahajima, one of the remote Ogasawara islands.

Haha-Jima, Japan
In addition, this latest batch of street-level imagery includes higher resolution panoramic views of places throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego. This is great for both locals and potential visitors of these popular California destinations, who can now see even more realistic views of landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, Staples Center, and USS Midway.

Golden Gate Bridge, California
Of course, these are just a few of the many fascinating places in today’s release of new Street View imagery, so we encourage you to look around and virtually experience them for yourself right in Google Maps. Be it for armchair travel from the comfort of your computer, or to figure out where you might want to visit on your next vacation, we’re thrilled to continue our expansion of Street View.

Posted by Kei Kawai, Product Manager, Street View on Google Maps]]> https://googledata.org/google-maps/street-view-our-biggest-update-yet/feed/ 0 Mapping in the Midwest https://googledata.org/google-earth/mapping-in-the-midwest/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mapping-in-the-midwest https://googledata.org/google-earth/mapping-in-the-midwest/#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=fbfe1184d6c2de055f7160a1a0c03417
During one of the Map Maker Community team’s recent college campus events in Chicago, we had the pleasure of meeting Phil Swanson, an international studies and business student, who travelled nearly 200 miles to join our mapping event at the University of Chicago.

As soon as we started talking with Phil, his passion for mapping and computers came shining through, so we were excited to learn more about what drives him to add to, edit, and create using Google Map Maker.

According to Phil, it all started with retrofitting an interactive campus map when he was a web developer at the University of Wisconsin, Platteville. There was an existing version that utilized the Google Maps API, which he further developed, resulting in this useful campus map. Phil says about the project, “I love to make simple things for people to use, and I've always been interested in maps, so that project definitely created an interest in maps and mapping in general.”

Once Phil realized the positive impact his mapping could have on the university, he continued using Google Map Maker to ensure all of the campus details were correct. He began seeing his edits appear not only in Google Maps, but also on Google Maps for mobile on his phone when he searched maps near the university. “Seeing edits transition from Map Maker to Google Maps on mobile and filling in the details make maps that much more useful for me and the world,” Phil said about mapping his town and the campus.

What aspect of the maps does Phil enjoy most? "I love mapping buildings. Seeing the buildings from my University show up on my phone is the best.” Phil has developed a handy system of finding what needs to be fixed on the map, going out with his phone to take pictures, then adding those photos to a web album which he can then include with his edits in Map Maker. “This is especially useful for buildings . . . . It might sound obvious, but I find that my edits are much more likely to get approved if I describe what I'm doing and link to a photo for a more complex edit.” What a helpful technique to use during the review process!

We want to thank Phil for taking the time to hang out with us in Chicago, and also for sharing with us what excites him about mapping. We look forward to seeing more great mapping from Phil, and hope other students are inspired to make the maps of their own colleges and universities more comprehensive and detailed!

For more useful tips like Phil’s, visit the Map Your World Community forum to see what others are doing.

Posted by Catherine Moats, Geo Project Manager]]> https://googledata.org/google-earth/mapping-in-the-midwest/feed/ 0 Know when your bus is late with live transit updates in Google Maps https://googledata.org/google-mobile/know-when-your-bus-is-late-with-live-transit-updates-in-google-maps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=know-when-your-bus-is-late-with-live-transit-updates-in-google-maps https://googledata.org/google-mobile/know-when-your-bus-is-late-with-live-transit-updates-in-google-maps/#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=158b623736495dd9247a6c44ddada1fb
(Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)

Often when I’m taking public transit, I arrive at my stop on time only to anxiously check my watch and look down the street for my bus, which is running late once again. Those extra minutes I’m forced to wait seem like an eternity, and the only information I can access on my phone is when the bus was supposed to arrive.

Starting now, Google Maps for mobile and desktop can tell you when your ride is actually going to arrive with new live transit updates. We partnered with transit agencies to integrate live transit data in four U.S. cities and two European cities: Boston, Portland, Ore., San Diego, San Francisco, Madrid and Turin.

When you click on a transit station or plan a transit route with Google Maps and there are delays or alerts related to your trip, you’ll now see “live departure times” (indicated with a special icon) and service alerts.

Live transit departure times after tapping on a station

Live service alerts when receiving transit directions

Live departures and alerts on desktop

We’re working with our public transit partners to help them provide live data to more people in more cities. You can get live transit updates in the latest version of Google Maps for mobile (requires Android 1.6+), as well as Google Maps on all supported desktop and mobile browsers.

Posted by Sasha Gontmakher, Software Engineer]]> https://googledata.org/google-mobile/know-when-your-bus-is-late-with-live-transit-updates-in-google-maps/feed/ 0 Check-ins and rating places get easier with Google Maps 5.5 for Android https://googledata.org/google-mobile/check-ins-and-rating-places-get-easier-with-google-maps-5-5-for-android/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=check-ins-and-rating-places-get-easier-with-google-maps-5-5-for-android https://googledata.org/google-mobile/check-ins-and-rating-places-get-easier-with-google-maps-5-5-for-android/#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 20:40:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=fe220ea029ed59fab887db5e3aaa0f19 Google LatLong Blog)

We’ve made it easier to check in and out of places, rate various locations, and get transit information with Google Maps 5.5 for Android. This release adds ‘check in’ and ‘rate and review’ buttons to Place pages, the option to edit your home/work address for Latitude, and redesigned transit station pages.

Read below for more details about the new features, which we hope will improve your user experience, a topic we take very seriously as there are now more than 200 million users of Google Maps for mobile across platforms and devices worldwide.

New check-in and rating buttons added to Place pages

Now when you open a Place page from your mobile device, you can check in to places with Google Latitude or submit a rating or review by clicking on two new buttons at the top of the listing.

This past week I had the chance to explore the Computer History Museum during my visit to San Francisco from across the pond in London. Once nearby, I could quickly open the museum’s Place page and check in.

When I was ready to leave and head to lunch, in a few seconds I could go back to the Place page and rate the museum – which certainly earned the 5 star rating it received from me.

Update home and work address for your Latitude Location History

Last month we released the Location History dashboard for Latitude which estimates how much time you spend at home, work, and everywhere else. If your home or work address changes, or you’d rather set a different address to represent ‘home’ and ‘work,’ you can now edit these addresses within Latitude.

Change home/work location from Location History dashboard

View the redesigned transit station pages

It’s been about two years since we added transit directions in Google Maps for Android. Since then, we’ve increased the coverage from 250 cities to more than 440 and counting - the most recent being Washington, D.C. To make it easier to plan your transit route, we updated the transit station pages in this release to better organize the information you need.

Each page now includes a list of upcoming scheduled departures for different lines, all the transit lines serving the station, and links to nearby transit stations.

Download Google Maps 5.5 for Android here to try out the new check-in and rating buttons, update your Latitude Location History home/work address, check out a transit station in a nearby city, or just make sure you have the latest version of Google Maps for Android. This update requires an Android OS 1.6+ device anywhere Google Maps is currently available. Learn more in our help center.

Posted by Luis Sigal, Software Engineer]]> https://googledata.org/google-mobile/check-ins-and-rating-places-get-easier-with-google-maps-5-5-for-android/feed/ 0 Google Maps on your mobile browser https://googledata.org/google-mobile/google-maps-on-your-mobile-browser/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-maps-on-your-mobile-browser https://googledata.org/google-mobile/google-maps-on-your-mobile-browser/#comments Fri, 20 May 2011 16:25:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d37c3ee15a1eaf852a58cd38904de9b4 Google Lat Long Blog)

With 40% of Google Maps usage on mobile devices, we want you to have a consistent Google Maps experience wherever you use it. So, today we’re announcing our updated Google Maps experience for mobile browsers on Android and iOS.

Now, when you visit maps.google.com on your phone or tablet’s browser and opt-in to share your location, you can use many of the same Google Maps features you’re used to from the desktop. This will allow you to:

See your current location
Search for what’s nearby with suggest and auto complete
Have clickable icons of popular businesses and transit stations
Get driving, transit, biking, and walking directions
Turn on satellite, transit, traffic, biking, and other layers
View Place pages with photos, ratings, hours, and more
When signed into your Google account, access your starred locations and My Maps

This past weekend, I was at a team off-site at a ropes course and needed to find a good deli spot to grab lunch. I opened Google Maps on my mobile browser and searched to locate a popular deli nearby. A few finger taps later, I had viewed photos and reviews on the deli’s Place page and found the quickest way to get there using driving directions- all from my mobile browser.

Google Maps for mobile browsers is platform independent - you will always get a consistent experience and the latest features without needing to install any updates, no matter what phone you use.

To get started exploring Google Maps in your mobile browser, go to http://maps.google.com or any domain where Google Maps is available. Learn more in our help center.

Posted by Alireza Ali, Software Engineer

]]> https://googledata.org/google-mobile/google-maps-on-your-mobile-browser/feed/ 0