Google Maps Roundup for September: Making Google Maps even better for you
October 1st, 2012 | Published in Google Earth, Google Maps
As always, we’re focused on making Google Maps the best it can be for people around the world. In September, we added many new features to Google Maps, introduced new Street View imagery, and made existing imagery even more accurate so people have access to the most comprehensive maps possible. A few highlights from September are below:
Expansion of Google Maps features in more places
- To help motorists save time and reduce stress on the road, we expanded Google Maps Navigation (Beta) with voice guided, turn-by-turn directions to thousands of towns across India and nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa. To help drivers even more, we’ve added live traffic conditions for major roads in India as well as in the cities of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait City, Kuwait; and Guayaquil, Ecuador.
- In New Zealand, local cyclists can now access biking directions directly on Google Maps and use Map Maker to add bike lanes and trails if their favorite route is missing or they discover a new one. Beyond biking trails, Map Maker can also be used to make the New Zealand map more accurate with details such as new road names, building footprints and more.
- We’re now working with more than 50 venues in France, including shopping malls, retailers, airports and museums, to have their indoor floor plans appear on Google Maps for Android.
Access to new, amazing places with Street View
- We released the very first underwater panoramic images to Google Maps, highlighting six locations in Australia, Hawaii, and the Philippines, such as Heron Island in the Great Barrier Reef and Molokini Crater in Hawaii. This amazing imagery, which captured by our partner, The Catlin Seaview Survey, enables anyone around the world to “swim” around and explore these amazing reefs without ever getting wet.
- In our effort to make Google Maps more comprehensive, we launched imagery of two of Japan’s top scientific institutions: the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan).
- And in the spirit of back to school, we released new Street View imagery for more than 150 university campuses globally.
More high-quality imagery
- We continue to release updated and new imagery on a regular basis. Most recently, we updated aerial imagery in Google Earth and Maps for more than more than 170 countries/regions. In addition, Google Maps now includes 45° imagery for 80 additional locations around the world. This high-quality imagery is one of the many ways we’re continuing to bring you the most accurate maps possible.