Google Data » Google Earth https://googledata.org Everything Google: News, Products, Services, Content, Culture Wed, 28 Dec 2016 21:09:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.13 Geolocation and Firebase for the Internet of Things https://googledata.org/google-maps/geolocation-and-firebase-for-the-internet-of-things/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/geolocation-and-firebase-for-the-internet-of-things/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2016 17:48:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=768df7ca9a4bcff5725c0cab6bd829d6 Posted by Ken Nevarez, Industry Solutions Lead at Google

GPS is the workhorse of location based services, but there are use cases where you may want to avoid the cost and power consumption of GPS hardware or locate devices in places where GPS lacks accuracy, such as in urban environments or buildings.

We've seen recent growth in Internet of Things (IoT) applications using the Google Maps Geolocation API instead of GPS for asset tracking, theft prevention, usage optimization, asset servicing, and more. As part of my 20 percent project at Industry Solutions, I created a prototype IoT device that can locate itself using surrounding WiFi networks and the Google Maps Geolocation API. In this post, I’ll discuss some interesting implementation features and outline how you can create the prototype yourself.

I built a device that scans for local WiFi and writes results (WiFi hotspots and their signal strength) to a Firebase Realtime Database. A back-end service then reads this data and uses the Google Maps Geolocation API to turn this into a real-world location, which can be plotted on a map.

Set up the Device & Write Locally

For this proof of concept, I used the Intel Edison as a Linux-based computing platform and augmented it with Sparkfun’s Edison Blocks. To build the device, you will need an Intel Edison, a Base Block, a Battery Block and a Hardware pack.

Developing for the Edison is straightforward using the Intel XDK IDE. We will be creating a simple Node.js application in JavaScript. I relied on 3 libraries: Firebase for the database connection, wireless-tools/iwlist to capture WiFi networks, and macaddress to capture the device MAC. Installation instructions can be found on the linked pages.

Step 1: get the device MAC address and connect to Firebase:
function initialize() {
    macaddress.one('wlan0', function (err, mac) {
        mac_address = mac;
        if (mac === null) {
            console.log('exiting due to null mac Address');
            process.exit(1);
        }
        firebase.initializeApp({
            serviceAccount: '/node_app_slot/<service-account-key>.json',
            databaseURL: 'https://<project-id>.firebaseio.com/'
        });
        var db = firebase.database();
        ref_samples = db.ref('/samples');
        locationSample();
    });
}
The above code contains two placeholders:

  1. The service-account-key is a private key you create in the Firebase Console. Follow the gear icon in the upper left of console, select “settings”, and click Generate New Private Key. Place this key on your Edison in the directory /node_app_slot/. See this Firebase documentation for more information.
  2. The project-id in the database URL is found in the Firebase console database page after you have linked your Google project with Firebase.


Step 2: scan for WiFi networks every 10 seconds and write locally:
function locationSample() {
    var t = new Date();
    iwlist.scan('wlan0', function(err, networks) {
        if(err === null) {
            ref_samples.push({
                mac: mac_address,
                t_usec: t.getTime(),
                t_locale_string: t.toLocaleString(),
                networks: networks,
            });
        } else {
            console.log(err);
        }        
    });
    setTimeout(locationSample, 10000);
}

Write to the cloud

The locationSample() function above writes detectable WiFi networks to a Firebase database that syncs to the cloud when connected to a network.

Caveat: To configure access rights and authentication to Firebase, I set up the device as a “server”. Instructions for this configuration are on the Firebase website. For this proof of concept, I made the assumption that the device was secure enough to house our credentials. If this is not the case for your implementation you should instead follow the instructions for setting up the client JavaScript SDK.

The database uses 3 queues to manage workload: a WiFi samples queue, a geolocation results queue and a visualization data queue. The workflow will be: samples from the device go into a samples queue, which gets consumed to produce geolocations that are put into a geolocations queue. Geolocations are consumed and formatted for presentation, organized by device, and the output is stored in a visualizations bucket for use by our front end website.

Below is an example of a sample, a geolocation, and our visualization data written by the device and seen in the Firebase Database Console.

Processing the Data with Google App Engine

To execute the processing of the sample data I used a long running Google App Engine Backend Module and a custom version of the Java Client for Google Maps Services.

Caveat: To use Firebase with App Engine, you must use manual scaling. Firebase uses background threads to listen for changes and App Engine only allows long-lived background threads on manually scaled backend instances.

The Java Client for Google Maps Services takes care of a lot of the communications code required to use the Maps APIs and follows our published best practices for error handling and retry strategies that respect rate limits. The GeolocateWifiSample() function below is registered as an event listener with Firebase. It loops over each network reported by the device and incorporates it into the geolocation request.
private void GeolocateWifiSample(DataSnapshot sample,  Firebase db_geolocations, Firebase db_errors) {
    // initalize the context and request
    GeoApiContext context = new GeoApiContext(new GaeRequestHandler()).setApiKey("");
    GeolocationApiRequest request = GeolocationApi.newRequest(context)
            .ConsiderIp(false);
    // for every network that was reported in this sample...
    for (DataSnapshot wap : sample.child("networks").getChildren()) {
        // extract the network data from the database so it’s easier to work with
        String wapMac = wap.child("address").getValue(String.class);
        int wapSignalToNoise = wap.child("quality").getValue(int.class);
        int wapStrength = wap.child("signal").getValue(int.class);
        // include this network in our request
        request.AddWifiAccessPoint(new WifiAccessPoint.WifiAccessPointBuilder()
                .MacAddress(wapMac)
                .SignalStrength(wapStrength)
                .SignalToNoiseRatio(wapSignalToNoise)
                .createWifiAccessPoint());
    }
    ...
    try {
        // call the api
        GeolocationResult result = request.CreatePayload().await();
        ...
        // write results to the database and remove the original sample
    } catch (final NotFoundException e) {
        ...
    } catch (final Throwable e) {
        ...
    }
}
Register the GeolocateWifiSample() function as an event handler. The other listeners that process geolocation results and create the visualization data are built in a similar pattern.
ChildEventListener samplesListener = new ChildEventListener() {
    @Override
    public void onChildAdded(DataSnapshot dataSnapshot, String previousChildName) {
        // geolocate and write to new location
        GeolocateWifiSample(dataSnapshot, db_geolocations, db_errors);
    }
    ...
};
db_samples.addChildEventListener(samplesListener);

Visualize the Data

To visualize the device locations I used Google App Engine to serve stored data from Firebase and the Google Maps JavaScript API to create a simple web page that displays the results. The index.html page contains an empty <div> with id “map”. I initialized this <div> to contain the Google Map object. I also added “child_added” and “child_removed” event handlers to update the map as the data changes over time.
function initMap() {
    // attach listeners
    firebase.database().ref('/visualization').on('child_added', function(data) {
        ...
        data.ref.on('child_added', function(vizData) {
            circles[vizData.key]= new CircleRoyale(map,
                                vizData.val().lat,
                                vizData.val().lng,
                                vizData.val().accuracy,
                                color);
          set_latest_position(data.key, vizData.val().lat, vizData.val().lng);
        });
        data.ref.on('child_removed', function(data) {
            circles[data.key].removeFromMap();
        });
    });
    // create the map
    map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map'), {
      center: get_next_device(),
      zoom: 20,
      scaleControl: true,
    });
    ...
}
Since the API returns not only a location but also an indication of accuracy, I’ve created a custom marker that has a pulsing radius to indicate the accuracy component.
Two devices (red and blue) and their last five known positions

What’s next?

In this post I’ve outlined how you can build an IoT device that uses Google Maps Geolocation API to track any internet-connected device - from robotics to wearables. The App Engine processing module can be expanded to use other Google Maps APIs Web Services providing geographic data such as directions, elevation, place or time zone information. Happy building!

As an alternative, you can achieve a similar solution using Google Cloud Platform as a replacement for Firebase—this article shows you how.

author image
 About Ken: Ken is a Lead on the Industry Solutions team. He works with customers to bring innovative solutions to market.
]]> Posted by Ken Nevarez, Industry Solutions Lead at Google

GPS is the workhorse of location based services, but there are use cases where you may want to avoid the cost and power consumption of GPS hardware or locate devices in places where GPS lacks accuracy, such as in urban environments or buildings.

We've seen recent growth in Internet of Things (IoT) applications using the Google Maps Geolocation API instead of GPS for asset tracking, theft prevention, usage optimization, asset servicing, and more. As part of my 20 percent project at Industry Solutions, I created a prototype IoT device that can locate itself using surrounding WiFi networks and the Google Maps Geolocation API. In this post, I’ll discuss some interesting implementation features and outline how you can create the prototype yourself.

I built a device that scans for local WiFi and writes results (WiFi hotspots and their signal strength) to a Firebase Realtime Database. A back-end service then reads this data and uses the Google Maps Geolocation API to turn this into a real-world location, which can be plotted on a map.

Set up the Device & Write Locally

For this proof of concept, I used the Intel Edison as a Linux-based computing platform and augmented it with Sparkfun’s Edison Blocks. To build the device, you will need an Intel Edison, a Base Block, a Battery Block and a Hardware pack.

Developing for the Edison is straightforward using the Intel XDK IDE. We will be creating a simple Node.js application in JavaScript. I relied on 3 libraries: Firebase for the database connection, wireless-tools/iwlist to capture WiFi networks, and macaddress to capture the device MAC. Installation instructions can be found on the linked pages.

Step 1: get the device MAC address and connect to Firebase:
function initialize() {
    macaddress.one('wlan0', function (err, mac) {
        mac_address = mac;
        if (mac === null) {
            console.log('exiting due to null mac Address');
            process.exit(1);
        }
        firebase.initializeApp({
            serviceAccount: '/node_app_slot/<service-account-key>.json',
            databaseURL: 'https://<project-id>.firebaseio.com/'
        });
        var db = firebase.database();
        ref_samples = db.ref('/samples');
        locationSample();
    });
}
The above code contains two placeholders:

  1. The service-account-key is a private key you create in the Firebase Console. Follow the gear icon in the upper left of console, select “settings”, and click Generate New Private Key. Place this key on your Edison in the directory /node_app_slot/. See this Firebase documentation for more information.
  2. The project-id in the database URL is found in the Firebase console database page after you have linked your Google project with Firebase.


Step 2: scan for WiFi networks every 10 seconds and write locally:
function locationSample() {
    var t = new Date();
    iwlist.scan('wlan0', function(err, networks) {
        if(err === null) {
            ref_samples.push({
                mac: mac_address,
                t_usec: t.getTime(),
                t_locale_string: t.toLocaleString(),
                networks: networks,
            });
        } else {
            console.log(err);
        }        
    });
    setTimeout(locationSample, 10000);
}

Write to the cloud

The locationSample() function above writes detectable WiFi networks to a Firebase database that syncs to the cloud when connected to a network.

Caveat: To configure access rights and authentication to Firebase, I set up the device as a “server”. Instructions for this configuration are on the Firebase website. For this proof of concept, I made the assumption that the device was secure enough to house our credentials. If this is not the case for your implementation you should instead follow the instructions for setting up the client JavaScript SDK.

The database uses 3 queues to manage workload: a WiFi samples queue, a geolocation results queue and a visualization data queue. The workflow will be: samples from the device go into a samples queue, which gets consumed to produce geolocations that are put into a geolocations queue. Geolocations are consumed and formatted for presentation, organized by device, and the output is stored in a visualizations bucket for use by our front end website.

Below is an example of a sample, a geolocation, and our visualization data written by the device and seen in the Firebase Database Console.

Processing the Data with Google App Engine

To execute the processing of the sample data I used a long running Google App Engine Backend Module and a custom version of the Java Client for Google Maps Services.

Caveat: To use Firebase with App Engine, you must use manual scaling. Firebase uses background threads to listen for changes and App Engine only allows long-lived background threads on manually scaled backend instances.

The Java Client for Google Maps Services takes care of a lot of the communications code required to use the Maps APIs and follows our published best practices for error handling and retry strategies that respect rate limits. The GeolocateWifiSample() function below is registered as an event listener with Firebase. It loops over each network reported by the device and incorporates it into the geolocation request.
private void GeolocateWifiSample(DataSnapshot sample,  Firebase db_geolocations, Firebase db_errors) {
    // initalize the context and request
    GeoApiContext context = new GeoApiContext(new GaeRequestHandler()).setApiKey("");
    GeolocationApiRequest request = GeolocationApi.newRequest(context)
            .ConsiderIp(false);
    // for every network that was reported in this sample...
    for (DataSnapshot wap : sample.child("networks").getChildren()) {
        // extract the network data from the database so it’s easier to work with
        String wapMac = wap.child("address").getValue(String.class);
        int wapSignalToNoise = wap.child("quality").getValue(int.class);
        int wapStrength = wap.child("signal").getValue(int.class);
        // include this network in our request
        request.AddWifiAccessPoint(new WifiAccessPoint.WifiAccessPointBuilder()
                .MacAddress(wapMac)
                .SignalStrength(wapStrength)
                .SignalToNoiseRatio(wapSignalToNoise)
                .createWifiAccessPoint());
    }
    ...
    try {
        // call the api
        GeolocationResult result = request.CreatePayload().await();
        ...
        // write results to the database and remove the original sample
    } catch (final NotFoundException e) {
        ...
    } catch (final Throwable e) {
        ...
    }
}
Register the GeolocateWifiSample() function as an event handler. The other listeners that process geolocation results and create the visualization data are built in a similar pattern.
ChildEventListener samplesListener = new ChildEventListener() {
    @Override
    public void onChildAdded(DataSnapshot dataSnapshot, String previousChildName) {
        // geolocate and write to new location
        GeolocateWifiSample(dataSnapshot, db_geolocations, db_errors);
    }
    ...
};
db_samples.addChildEventListener(samplesListener);

Visualize the Data

To visualize the device locations I used Google App Engine to serve stored data from Firebase and the Google Maps JavaScript API to create a simple web page that displays the results. The index.html page contains an empty <div> with id “map”. I initialized this <div> to contain the Google Map object. I also added “child_added” and “child_removed” event handlers to update the map as the data changes over time.
function initMap() {
    // attach listeners
    firebase.database().ref('/visualization').on('child_added', function(data) {
        ...
        data.ref.on('child_added', function(vizData) {
            circles[vizData.key]= new CircleRoyale(map,
                                vizData.val().lat,
                                vizData.val().lng,
                                vizData.val().accuracy,
                                color);
          set_latest_position(data.key, vizData.val().lat, vizData.val().lng);
        });
        data.ref.on('child_removed', function(data) {
            circles[data.key].removeFromMap();
        });
    });
    // create the map
    map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map'), {
      center: get_next_device(),
      zoom: 20,
      scaleControl: true,
    });
    ...
}
Since the API returns not only a location but also an indication of accuracy, I’ve created a custom marker that has a pulsing radius to indicate the accuracy component.
Two devices (red and blue) and their last five known positions

What’s next?

In this post I’ve outlined how you can build an IoT device that uses Google Maps Geolocation API to track any internet-connected device - from robotics to wearables. The App Engine processing module can be expanded to use other Google Maps APIs Web Services providing geographic data such as directions, elevation, place or time zone information. Happy building!

As an alternative, you can achieve a similar solution using Google Cloud Platform as a replacement for Firebase—this article shows you how.

author image
 About Ken: Ken is a Lead on the Industry Solutions team. He works with customers to bring innovative solutions to market.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-maps/geolocation-and-firebase-for-the-internet-of-things/feed/ 0 Address Geocoding in the Google Maps APIs https://googledata.org/google-maps/address-geocoding-in-the-google-maps-apis/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/address-geocoding-in-the-google-maps-apis/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2016 23:43:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=81690be2e957d201ae29c25813978bd5 Geocoding API, the Place Autocomplete service in Places API, and the Place Search service in Places API. What are the differences between them and when should you use each one? Here’s where to start.

Note that while this blog focuses on the server-side Places and Geocoding APIs, these best practices also apply to the client-side Places and Geocoding services in the Google Maps JavaScript API.

Geocoding API

The Geocoding API is best for handling unambiguous queries: complete postal address strings (for example, “48 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont, NSW, Australia”). Compared to other Google APIs, the Geocoding API provides the best quality matching of addresses globally for these types of complete, unambiguous queries. However, Geocoding API is not recommended if your application handles ambiguous or incomplete queries, such as “123 Main St”, or if it handles queries that may contain non-address information such as apartment numbers or business names.
Screen Shot 2016-11-15 at 6.16.15 PM.png
Geocoding API is best used for unambiguous complete addresses, such as "48 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont, NSW, Australia" 

Places API

The Places API allows users to discover both addresses and semantic locations, such as cafes or parks, by name or type. In contrast to the Geocoding API, it handles ambiguous or incomplete requests in a more robust way. If your application handles user interaction, or addresses that are ambiguous or incomplete, consider the following services.


Place Autocomplete service

For applications that respond in real time to user input, we recommend using the Place Autocomplete service in the Places API. This service is designed to return multiple possible addresses and allow the user to choose between them. The autocomplete lookup function can also be biased to return results specific to a location, enabling high quality results to be returned for incomplete queries such as “123 Main St”. Since the Place Autocomplete service is optimized for responding to user input, it also has very low latency, usually at least 10x lower than the Geocoding API. It’s also good at handling misspelled queries, or queries containing non-address information, since as the user types, they can see suggestions and correct their spelling if needed.

Screen Shot 2016-11-14 at 5.35.53 PM.png
Typing "123 Main St" into a Place Autocomplete search box lets the user choose from multiple results. Results can also be biased to prefer those near the area shown on the map or near the current user location

Place Search service

The Place Autocomplete service relies on a user to choose the best option from multiple results. What if you have an application that handles ambiguous or incomplete queries in an automated fashion, with no user able to provide input?

For geocoding ambiguous or incomplete addresses in automated systems, when there is no user to select one of the autocomplete suggestions, we recommend the Place Search service in Places API. Place Search is better at coping with ambiguous queries than the Geocoding API, and lets you restrict your search to a specified area, or rank results by distance, allowing more precise filtering and ranking of results for ambiguous or incomplete queries. Place search is also more robust at responding to queries with additional non-address information such as business names or apartment numbers.

Future Changes to Geocoding API

We plan to roll out an update to the Geocoding API at the end of November 2016 that will increase the difference between Geocoding and Places performance for ambiguous and unambiguous queries. This change will improve the quality of Geocoding results for unambiguous queries, but will be more likely to return ZERO_RESULTS for ambiguous or incomplete queries where the Geocoding API was unable to find a high quality result.

If you are already using the above best practices, you should see an improvement in your Geocoding API results. If you are currently using the Geocoding API for incomplete or ambiguous queries, or for queries that may contain non-address information such as business names or apartment numbers, we recommend that you switch to the Places API instead, as it is likely to give better quality results for your use case.

You can try the new Geocoding service ahead of launch by adding an optional parameter, new_forward_geocoder=true, to your Geocoding API request. For example:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?new_forward_geocoder=true&address=1600+Amphitheatre+Parkway,+Mountain+View,+CA&key=YOUR_API_KEY

If you want to try the new Geocoding service in the JavaScript Maps API Geocoding Service, you can set the new optional parameter newForwardGeocoder: true in the GeocoderRequest object. The new Geocoding service will launch for both the Geocoding API and the Geocoding Service in the JavaScript Maps API at the same time. All of the recommendations in this blog post apply to both the server-side and client-side APIs.

If you have any bug reports or feature requests for the new Geocoding service, please let us know using our public issue tracker.

In Summary

The following table sums up when we recommend you use the Geocoding API, Place Autocomplete service and Place Search service.


 Geocoding API Place Search Place Autocomplete
Scope Addresses only Semantic locations and addresses, including businesses and points of interest
Strengths Unambiguous complete addresses Ambiguous or incomplete addresses in automated systems Responding to real-time user input

If your application does not yet follow these best practices, you may get worse results from Geocoding API in future, so we recommend you test how your application works with the new Geocoding service and update your application to use the above best practices if required. Try the upcoming Geocoding service by setting new_forward_geocoder=true in your geocoding request.

For more information on the Google Maps Geocoding API, Place Autocomplete in the Places API and Place Search in the Places API, please see the developer documentation. Also see this more detailed best practices guide in our documentation for more details on Geocoding best practices for various use cases, including minimizing latency when querying Directions API with addresses.

Finally, a big thank you to all the developers who use the Google Maps Geocoding API and provide feedback via the issue tracker. Getting feedback from developers is vital for us to be able to keep improving our products, so if you have any bug reports or feature requests, please let us know!

author image
 Posted by Elena Kelareva, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs
]]> Geocoding API, the Place Autocomplete service in Places API, and the Place Search service in Places API. What are the differences between them and when should you use each one? Here’s where to start.

Note that while this blog focuses on the server-side Places and Geocoding APIs, these best practices also apply to the client-side Places and Geocoding services in the Google Maps JavaScript API.

Geocoding API

The Geocoding API is best for handling unambiguous queries: complete postal address strings (for example, “48 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont, NSW, Australia”). Compared to other Google APIs, the Geocoding API provides the best quality matching of addresses globally for these types of complete, unambiguous queries. However, Geocoding API is not recommended if your application handles ambiguous or incomplete queries, such as “123 Main St”, or if it handles queries that may contain non-address information such as apartment numbers or business names.
Screen Shot 2016-11-15 at 6.16.15 PM.png
Geocoding API is best used for unambiguous complete addresses, such as "48 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont, NSW, Australia" 

Places API

The Places API allows users to discover both addresses and semantic locations, such as cafes or parks, by name or type. In contrast to the Geocoding API, it handles ambiguous or incomplete requests in a more robust way. If your application handles user interaction, or addresses that are ambiguous or incomplete, consider the following services.


Place Autocomplete service

For applications that respond in real time to user input, we recommend using the Place Autocomplete service in the Places API. This service is designed to return multiple possible addresses and allow the user to choose between them. The autocomplete lookup function can also be biased to return results specific to a location, enabling high quality results to be returned for incomplete queries such as “123 Main St”. Since the Place Autocomplete service is optimized for responding to user input, it also has very low latency, usually at least 10x lower than the Geocoding API. It’s also good at handling misspelled queries, or queries containing non-address information, since as the user types, they can see suggestions and correct their spelling if needed.

Screen Shot 2016-11-14 at 5.35.53 PM.png
Typing "123 Main St" into a Place Autocomplete search box lets the user choose from multiple results. Results can also be biased to prefer those near the area shown on the map or near the current user location

Place Search service

The Place Autocomplete service relies on a user to choose the best option from multiple results. What if you have an application that handles ambiguous or incomplete queries in an automated fashion, with no user able to provide input?

For geocoding ambiguous or incomplete addresses in automated systems, when there is no user to select one of the autocomplete suggestions, we recommend the Place Search service in Places API. Place Search is better at coping with ambiguous queries than the Geocoding API, and lets you restrict your search to a specified area, or rank results by distance, allowing more precise filtering and ranking of results for ambiguous or incomplete queries. Place search is also more robust at responding to queries with additional non-address information such as business names or apartment numbers.

Future Changes to Geocoding API

We plan to roll out an update to the Geocoding API at the end of November 2016 that will increase the difference between Geocoding and Places performance for ambiguous and unambiguous queries. This change will improve the quality of Geocoding results for unambiguous queries, but will be more likely to return ZERO_RESULTS for ambiguous or incomplete queries where the Geocoding API was unable to find a high quality result.

If you are already using the above best practices, you should see an improvement in your Geocoding API results. If you are currently using the Geocoding API for incomplete or ambiguous queries, or for queries that may contain non-address information such as business names or apartment numbers, we recommend that you switch to the Places API instead, as it is likely to give better quality results for your use case.

You can try the new Geocoding service ahead of launch by adding an optional parameter, new_forward_geocoder=true, to your Geocoding API request. For example:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?new_forward_geocoder=true&address=1600+Amphitheatre+Parkway,+Mountain+View,+CA&key=YOUR_API_KEY

If you want to try the new Geocoding service in the JavaScript Maps API Geocoding Service, you can set the new optional parameter newForwardGeocoder: true in the GeocoderRequest object. The new Geocoding service will launch for both the Geocoding API and the Geocoding Service in the JavaScript Maps API at the same time. All of the recommendations in this blog post apply to both the server-side and client-side APIs.

If you have any bug reports or feature requests for the new Geocoding service, please let us know using our public issue tracker.

In Summary

The following table sums up when we recommend you use the Geocoding API, Place Autocomplete service and Place Search service.


 Geocoding API Place Search Place Autocomplete
Scope Addresses only Semantic locations and addresses, including businesses and points of interest
Strengths Unambiguous complete addresses Ambiguous or incomplete addresses in automated systems Responding to real-time user input

If your application does not yet follow these best practices, you may get worse results from Geocoding API in future, so we recommend you test how your application works with the new Geocoding service and update your application to use the above best practices if required. Try the upcoming Geocoding service by setting new_forward_geocoder=true in your geocoding request.

For more information on the Google Maps Geocoding API, Place Autocomplete in the Places API and Place Search in the Places API, please see the developer documentation. Also see this more detailed best practices guide in our documentation for more details on Geocoding best practices for various use cases, including minimizing latency when querying Directions API with addresses.

Finally, a big thank you to all the developers who use the Google Maps Geocoding API and provide feedback via the issue tracker. Getting feedback from developers is vital for us to be able to keep improving our products, so if you have any bug reports or feature requests, please let us know!

author image
 Posted by Elena Kelareva, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs
]]> https://googledata.org/google-maps/address-geocoding-in-the-google-maps-apis/feed/ 0 Smart scrolling comes to mobile web maps https://googledata.org/google-maps/smart-scrolling-comes-to-mobile-web-maps/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/smart-scrolling-comes-to-mobile-web-maps/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2016 00:23:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=3d0bd0c7ddf67a2d245dfb938dd9a88b guide to building mobile-friendly websites, to a mobile-friendly testing tool, to promoting new mobile web technologies such as Accelerated Mobile Pages and Progressive Web Apps.
bullheadN5D91Lstephenmcd11092016101027.gif

Mobile web users often get frustrated when trying to scroll the page, but an embedded map captures their swipe and pans the map instead. This can even lead to users getting stuck on the map and having to reload the page in order to get back to the rest of the page.

Today we're introducing intuitive scrolling for sites with embedded maps and making the full-screen control visible by default on mobile devices. This should give your users a more intuitive and less frustrating map interaction experience on mobile browsers.

The map trap

We have added a new gestureHandling option to the Google Maps JavaScript API. This setting controls how touch gestures* on the map are handled.

Values:
  • "cooperative": Two-finger touch gestures pan and zoom the map, as do all mouse gestures. One-finger touch gestures are ignored by the map. In this mode, the map cooperates with the page, so that one-finger touch gestures can pan the page.
  • "greedy": All touch gestures pan or zoom the map. This was the previous behaviour.
  • "none": The map cannot be panned or zoomed by user gestures.
  • "auto": Gesture handling is automatically set to either cooperative or greedy, depending on whether the page is scrollable or not (defined by a comparison of the page body dimensions and the window dimensions).
  • If the page is scrollable, “auto” sets the gesture handling mode to cooperative.
  • If the page is not scrollable, “auto” sets the gesture handling to greedy.
  • If the map is in an iFrame, “auto” sets the gesture handling to cooperative because the API can’t determine whether the page is scrollable.
*Note that there is currently no way to change the gesture handling mode for Street View; these options only affect the way gestures are handled by the map. If you’d like to see this extended to Street View in future, please let us know on our public issue tracker.
    You can enable any of these four gesture handling modes by adding the corresponding field to the MapOptions object. For example:

    map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map-div'), {
    gestureHandling: 'cooperative',
    center: {lat: -34.397, lng: 150.644},
    zoom: 8
    });

    If the gestureHandling option is not set, the default value is auto, since that automatically chooses what we expect to be the best behavior based on what the browser can detect about the placement of your map in the page. If you prefer to always use the old map gesture handling mode for users viewing your site on mobile devices, change the value of gestureHandling to greedy, which sends all user gestures to the map.
    Maps viewed within a scrollable website on a mobile device will display this overlay on touch
    The option draggable: false has now been superseded by gestureHandling: 'none'. The old option draggable is now deprecated, but we’ll maintain backwards compatibility. Developers who previously turned off map interaction by setting draggable to false will keep their existing non-interactive maps.

    Maximizing the map when you need it

    Many users in our user studies said they found small embedded maps on mobile devices hard to interact with and they preferred to interact with a larger map. To address this request, we've made the fullscreen control visible by default on mobile devices. The fullscreen control allows the user to make the map larger. When the map is in fullscreen mode, the user can pan the map using one finger. As a developer, you can enable or disable fullscreen control, by setting the fullscreenControl option to true or false in the MapOptions object. When the map is in fullscreen mode, one finger will always pan the map, since there is no surrounding page to pan.

    The default setting of fullscreenControl is true on mobile browsers, and false on desktop browsers, since the problem of maps being too small for interaction usually only occurs on mobile devices.
    ScrollLockScreenshot.png
    The fullscreen control allows the user to make the map larger for easier interaction
    View this demo on a mobile device to see how the fullscreen button and cooperative gesture handling mode (or auto gesture handling mode on a scrollable site) will look to your users.

    For more information on the Google Maps JavaScript API, please see the developer documentation or review the latest release notes.

    A big thank you to all the developers who use the Google Maps JavaScript API and provide feedback via the issue tracker. Getting feedback from developers is vital for us to be able to keep improving our products, so if you have any bug reports or feature requests, please let us know.

    author image
    		 Posted by Elena Kelareva, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs

    ]]>     guide to building mobile-friendly websites, to a mobile-friendly testing tool, to promoting new mobile web technologies such as Accelerated Mobile Pages and Progressive Web Apps.
    bullheadN5D91Lstephenmcd11092016101027.gif

    Mobile web users often get frustrated when trying to scroll the page, but an embedded map captures their swipe and pans the map instead. This can even lead to users getting stuck on the map and having to reload the page in order to get back to the rest of the page.

    Today we're introducing intuitive scrolling for sites with embedded maps and making the full-screen control visible by default on mobile devices. This should give your users a more intuitive and less frustrating map interaction experience on mobile browsers.

    The map trap

    We have added a new gestureHandling option to the Google Maps JavaScript API. This setting controls how touch gestures* on the map are handled.

    Values:
    • "cooperative": Two-finger touch gestures pan and zoom the map, as do all mouse gestures. One-finger touch gestures are ignored by the map. In this mode, the map cooperates with the page, so that one-finger touch gestures can pan the page.
    • "greedy": All touch gestures pan or zoom the map. This was the previous behaviour.
    • "none": The map cannot be panned or zoomed by user gestures.
    • "auto": Gesture handling is automatically set to either cooperative or greedy, depending on whether the page is scrollable or not (defined by a comparison of the page body dimensions and the window dimensions).
    • If the page is scrollable, “auto” sets the gesture handling mode to cooperative.
    • If the page is not scrollable, “auto” sets the gesture handling to greedy.
    • If the map is in an iFrame, “auto” sets the gesture handling to cooperative because the API can’t determine whether the page is scrollable.
    *Note that there is currently no way to change the gesture handling mode for Street View; these options only affect the way gestures are handled by the map. If you’d like to see this extended to Street View in future, please let us know on our public issue tracker.
      You can enable any of these four gesture handling modes by adding the corresponding field to the MapOptions object. For example:

      map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map-div'), {
      gestureHandling: 'cooperative',
      center: {lat: -34.397, lng: 150.644},
      zoom: 8
      });

      If the gestureHandling option is not set, the default value is auto, since that automatically chooses what we expect to be the best behavior based on what the browser can detect about the placement of your map in the page. If you prefer to always use the old map gesture handling mode for users viewing your site on mobile devices, change the value of gestureHandling to greedy, which sends all user gestures to the map.
      Maps viewed within a scrollable website on a mobile device will display this overlay on touch
      The option draggable: false has now been superseded by gestureHandling: 'none'. The old option draggable is now deprecated, but we’ll maintain backwards compatibility. Developers who previously turned off map interaction by setting draggable to false will keep their existing non-interactive maps.

      Maximizing the map when you need it

      Many users in our user studies said they found small embedded maps on mobile devices hard to interact with and they preferred to interact with a larger map. To address this request, we've made the fullscreen control visible by default on mobile devices. The fullscreen control allows the user to make the map larger. When the map is in fullscreen mode, the user can pan the map using one finger. As a developer, you can enable or disable fullscreen control, by setting the fullscreenControl option to true or false in the MapOptions object. When the map is in fullscreen mode, one finger will always pan the map, since there is no surrounding page to pan.

      The default setting of fullscreenControl is true on mobile browsers, and false on desktop browsers, since the problem of maps being too small for interaction usually only occurs on mobile devices.
      ScrollLockScreenshot.png
      The fullscreen control allows the user to make the map larger for easier interaction
      View this demo on a mobile device to see how the fullscreen button and cooperative gesture handling mode (or auto gesture handling mode on a scrollable site) will look to your users.

      For more information on the Google Maps JavaScript API, please see the developer documentation or review the latest release notes.

      A big thank you to all the developers who use the Google Maps JavaScript API and provide feedback via the issue tracker. Getting feedback from developers is vital for us to be able to keep improving our products, so if you have any bug reports or feature requests, please let us know.

      author image
      		 Posted by Elena Kelareva, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs

      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/smart-scrolling-comes-to-mobile-web-maps/feed/ 0       Key Improvements for Your Maps API Experience https://googledata.org/google-maps/key-improvements-for-your-maps-api-experience/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/key-improvements-for-your-maps-api-experience/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2016 20:31:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9870fc60c50246ed836158d1c27a8b6e Originally posted on the Google Developers blog.
      Posted by Israel Shalom, Product Manager

      Here at Google, we’re serving more than a hundred APIs to ensure that developers have the resources to build amazing experiences with them. We provide a reliable infrastructure and make it as simple as possible so developers can focus on building the future. With this in mind, we’re introducing a few improvements for the API experience: more flexible keys, a streamlined 'getting-started' experience, and easy monitoring.

      Faster, more flexible key generation

      Keys are a standard way for APIs to identify callers, and one of the very first steps in interacting with a Google API. Tens of thousands of keys are created every day for Google APIs, so we’re making this step simpler -- reducing the old multi-step process with a single click:


      You no longer need to choose your platform and various other restrictions at the time of creation, but we still encourage scope management as a best practice:

      Streamlined getting started flow

      We realize that many developers want to get straight to creation and don’t necessarily want to step into the console. We’ve just introduced an in-flow credential set up procedure directly embedded within the developer documentation:

      Click the 'Get a Key' button, choose or create a project, and then let us take care of enabling the API and creating a key.
      We are currently rolling this out for the Google Maps APIs and over the next few months we'll bring it to the rest of our documentation.

      API Dashboard

      We’re not just making it easier to get started, we’re simplifying the on-going usage experience, too. For developers who use one or more APIs frequently, we've built the new API Dashboard to easily view usage and quotas.

      If you’ve enabled any APIs, the dashboard is front and center in the API Console. There you can view all the APIs you’re using along with usage, error and latency data:


      Clicking on an API will jump to a detailed report, where you’ll see the traffic sliced by methods, credentials, versions and response code (available on select APIs):


      We hope these new features make your API usage easier, and we can't wait to see what you’re going to build next!]]>       Originally posted on the Google Developers blog.
      Posted by Israel Shalom, Product Manager

      Here at Google, we’re serving more than a hundred APIs to ensure that developers have the resources to build amazing experiences with them. We provide a reliable infrastructure and make it as simple as possible so developers can focus on building the future. With this in mind, we’re introducing a few improvements for the API experience: more flexible keys, a streamlined 'getting-started' experience, and easy monitoring.

      Faster, more flexible key generation

      Keys are a standard way for APIs to identify callers, and one of the very first steps in interacting with a Google API. Tens of thousands of keys are created every day for Google APIs, so we’re making this step simpler -- reducing the old multi-step process with a single click:


      You no longer need to choose your platform and various other restrictions at the time of creation, but we still encourage scope management as a best practice:

      Streamlined getting started flow

      We realize that many developers want to get straight to creation and don’t necessarily want to step into the console. We’ve just introduced an in-flow credential set up procedure directly embedded within the developer documentation:

      Click the 'Get a Key' button, choose or create a project, and then let us take care of enabling the API and creating a key.
      We are currently rolling this out for the Google Maps APIs and over the next few months we'll bring it to the rest of our documentation.

      API Dashboard

      We’re not just making it easier to get started, we’re simplifying the on-going usage experience, too. For developers who use one or more APIs frequently, we've built the new API Dashboard to easily view usage and quotas.

      If you’ve enabled any APIs, the dashboard is front and center in the API Console. There you can view all the APIs you’re using along with usage, error and latency data:


      Clicking on an API will jump to a detailed report, where you’ll see the traffic sliced by methods, credentials, versions and response code (available on select APIs):


      We hope these new features make your API usage easier, and we can't wait to see what you’re going to build next!]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/key-improvements-for-your-maps-api-experience/feed/ 0       Try these new Google Maps voice commands on your next road trip https://googledata.org/google-earth/try-these-new-google-maps-voice-commands-on-your-next-road-trip/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/try-these-new-google-maps-voice-commands-on-your-next-road-trip/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2016 13:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9f066dd0da7b23b6156850479a029783
      For the ultimate hands-free and eyes-free experience, first make sure you’ve got the latest versions of the Google Maps app and Google app for Android. Then, the next time you enter navigation mode or driving mode, you can simply say “Ok Google” followed by a voice command, without needing to tap or even look at the screen. You’ll always know when voice commands can be used in Google Maps by looking for a white microphone icon in the top right corner.


      When you say “Ok Google”, the microphone will activate and you’ll see a circle with bouncing dots – indicating that your voice command is being heard. For example, try saying “Ok Google, find gas stations”, and see what happens. You can tap the circle to cancel an ongoing command. If for some reason you want to use a non-hands-free alternative to saying “Ok Google”, tap the microphone and simply say “Find gas stations”.

      To make sure you have things set up correctly, tap the overflow menu (the button with three dots), then tap “Settings”, and finally, tap ““Ok Google” detection”. The “While driving” setting allows you to say “Ok Google” during navigation in Google Maps. If you’d like to do this anywhere on your device, you’ll need to enable the “Always on” setting (on some devices, the setting is called “From any screen”). And if for some reason you’d like to turn off “Ok Google” detection entirely throughout your device, you can do so by toggling the settings to the off position.


      Once you’re all set up, the possibilities are endless. In addition to tried-and-true voice commands like “What’s my next turn?” and “What’s my ETA?”, you can now do things like “Show / Hide traffic”, “Mute / Unmute voice guidance”, and even “Avoid tolls / highways / ferries”, with just the sound of your voice. If you anticipate traffic, you can say “How’s traffic ahead?” or “Show alternate routes”. And if you want to add a little fun to your drive, you can say “Play some jazz”, “Send a text”, or maybe even “Call mom”. Here’s a cheat sheet with more of the voice commands you can use in Google Maps. Safe driving, and happy road tripping!

      Posted by Raghu Simha, Product Manager, Google Maps




      ]]>
      For the ultimate hands-free and eyes-free experience, first make sure you’ve got the latest versions of the Google Maps app and Google app for Android. Then, the next time you enter navigation mode or driving mode, you can simply say “Ok Google” followed by a voice command, without needing to tap or even look at the screen. You’ll always know when voice commands can be used in Google Maps by looking for a white microphone icon in the top right corner.


      When you say “Ok Google”, the microphone will activate and you’ll see a circle with bouncing dots – indicating that your voice command is being heard. For example, try saying “Ok Google, find gas stations”, and see what happens. You can tap the circle to cancel an ongoing command. If for some reason you want to use a non-hands-free alternative to saying “Ok Google”, tap the microphone and simply say “Find gas stations”.

      To make sure you have things set up correctly, tap the overflow menu (the button with three dots), then tap “Settings”, and finally, tap ““Ok Google” detection”. The “While driving” setting allows you to say “Ok Google” during navigation in Google Maps. If you’d like to do this anywhere on your device, you’ll need to enable the “Always on” setting (on some devices, the setting is called “From any screen”). And if for some reason you’d like to turn off “Ok Google” detection entirely throughout your device, you can do so by toggling the settings to the off position.


      Once you’re all set up, the possibilities are endless. In addition to tried-and-true voice commands like “What’s my next turn?” and “What’s my ETA?”, you can now do things like “Show / Hide traffic”, “Mute / Unmute voice guidance”, and even “Avoid tolls / highways / ferries”, with just the sound of your voice. If you anticipate traffic, you can say “How’s traffic ahead?” or “Show alternate routes”. And if you want to add a little fun to your drive, you can say “Play some jazz”, “Send a text”, or maybe even “Call mom”. Here’s a cheat sheet with more of the voice commands you can use in Google Maps. Safe driving, and happy road tripping!

      Posted by Raghu Simha, Product Manager, Google Maps




      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/try-these-new-google-maps-voice-commands-on-your-next-road-trip/feed/ 0       A sizzling open source release for the Australian Election site https://googledata.org/google-maps/a-sizzling-open-source-release-for-the-australian-election-site/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/a-sizzling-open-source-release-for-the-australian-election-site/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2016 16:58:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=5ee332b1176b0a9094425e03bdae57a3
      Our team of designers, engineers and product managers didn't have an immediate sense of how to attack the problem. What we did have was the power of Google’s APIs, programming languages, and Cloud hosting with Firebase and Google Cloud Platform.

      The result is a mish-mash of some technologies we'd been wanting to learn more about. We're open sourcing the ausvotes.withgoogle.com repository to give developers a sense of what happens when you get a handful of engineers in a room with a clear goal and a immovable deadline.

      The Election AU 2016 repository uses:

      • Go from Google App Engine instances to serve the appropriate level of detail for users' viewport queries from memory at very low latency, and
      • Dart to render the live result maps on top of Google Maps JavaScript API using Firebase real time database updates.

      A product is only as good as the attention and usage is receives. Our team was really happy with the results of our work:

      • 406,000 people used our maps, including 217,000 on election day.
      • We had 139 stories in the media.
      • Our map was also embedded in major news websites, such as Sky News.

      Complete setup and installation instructions are available in the Github README.

      author image
      		 Posted by Brett Morgan, Developer Programs Engineer
      ]]>
      Our team of designers, engineers and product managers didn't have an immediate sense of how to attack the problem. What we did have was the power of Google’s APIs, programming languages, and Cloud hosting with Firebase and Google Cloud Platform.

      The result is a mish-mash of some technologies we'd been wanting to learn more about. We're open sourcing the ausvotes.withgoogle.com repository to give developers a sense of what happens when you get a handful of engineers in a room with a clear goal and a immovable deadline.

      The Election AU 2016 repository uses:

      • Go from Google App Engine instances to serve the appropriate level of detail for users' viewport queries from memory at very low latency, and
      • Dart to render the live result maps on top of Google Maps JavaScript API using Firebase real time database updates.

      A product is only as good as the attention and usage is receives. Our team was really happy with the results of our work:

      • 406,000 people used our maps, including 217,000 on election day.
      • We had 139 stories in the media.
      • Our map was also embedded in major news websites, such as Sky News.

      Complete setup and installation instructions are available in the Github README.

      author image
      		 Posted by Brett Morgan, Developer Programs Engineer
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/a-sizzling-open-source-release-for-the-australian-election-site/feed/ 0       Walk the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine like the pros with Street View https://googledata.org/google-earth/walk-the-ryder-cup-at-hazeltine-like-the-pros-with-street-view/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/walk-the-ryder-cup-at-hazeltine-like-the-pros-with-street-view/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2016 16:37:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=008249291eb8153f964f0aa9c5b7aee7 Street View Trekker. They hit the links to collect hole-by-hole imagery at Minnesota’s Hazeltine National Golf Club, site of this year's tournament starting today through October 2.

      Over two days, the team covered the 160-acres course.

      Randy Dickerson, of Turner Sports, gets ready for his first trek. Randy and team carried the 40lb camera over the 5+ mile golf course at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

      Not to be outdone by past Street View collects captured by snowmobile, boat and zipline, the Trekker hitched a ride on a golf cart.

      Explore the images on Google Maps, or walk the course like the pros using the Hazeltine Explorer, an interactive tour developed by Turner and Ubilabs. Along with 360-degree views, the site, built with Google Maps APIs, features custom elevation graphs for every hole, integrated video highlights and course-specific historical moments.

      Fans attending the event can also make use of the Ryder Cup app’s Wayfinding feature, available on Android and iOS. Built using Google Maps APIs, the feature includes a detailed view of the course with routing instructions that account for walking paths and crosswalks. The map also displays information about on-course amenities and facilities. 


      iPhone_wayfinder.png

      Posted By: Vanessa Schneider, Program Manager, Google Earth Outreach]]>       Street View Trekker. They hit the links to collect hole-by-hole imagery at Minnesota’s Hazeltine National Golf Club, site of this year's tournament starting today through October 2.

      Over two days, the team covered the 160-acres course.

      Randy Dickerson, of Turner Sports, gets ready for his first trek. Randy and team carried the 40lb camera over the 5+ mile golf course at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

      Not to be outdone by past Street View collects captured by snowmobile, boat and zipline, the Trekker hitched a ride on a golf cart.

      Explore the images on Google Maps, or walk the course like the pros using the Hazeltine Explorer, an interactive tour developed by Turner and Ubilabs. Along with 360-degree views, the site, built with Google Maps APIs, features custom elevation graphs for every hole, integrated video highlights and course-specific historical moments.

      Fans attending the event can also make use of the Ryder Cup app’s Wayfinding feature, available on Android and iOS. Built using Google Maps APIs, the feature includes a detailed view of the course with routing instructions that account for walking paths and crosswalks. The map also displays information about on-course amenities and facilities. 


      iPhone_wayfinder.png

      Posted By: Vanessa Schneider, Program Manager, Google Earth Outreach ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/walk-the-ryder-cup-at-hazeltine-like-the-pros-with-street-view/feed/ 0       Custom map styling with the Google Maps APIs on Android and iOS https://googledata.org/google-maps/custom-map-styling-with-the-google-maps-apis-on-android-and-ios/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/custom-map-styling-with-the-google-maps-apis-on-android-and-ios/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2016 21:49:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=4b1f306fe70b635ffd0b2a70033a6250
      Your app, your map style. For iOS and Android.

      Cross-platform custom map styling is here—change the color palette of your maps, hide labels, vary road density and toggle points of interest. Your maps can now match your brand and style across your website and your apps!

      The Google Maps APIs now support you in creating beautiful styled maps for your Android and iOS apps as well as your website using the same JSON style object.

      Easily create your style

      The new Google Maps APIs Styling Wizard helps you to create a map style in a few clicks. Use one of our pre-built styles or create your own style from scratch.

      Access advanced options for further control over every available aspect of your map style including visibility, fills & stroke weight.

      Use the styling wizard for point and click custom style creation.

      Show what’s important, hide the rest

      Custom map styling provides you with ways to tailor your map for a particular use case. Got your own transit stops and want to turn the Google ones off? We’ve got you covered. Want to hide highways and highlight water features? Done. You can control the visibility of labels, landscapes, transit icons, points of interest, roads and more to create the look that reflects your brand and purpose. See the samples for Android, iOS and JavaScript.

      Both the iOS and the Android SDKs now support business points of interest as well; this means you’ll now see hotels, restaurants and shops on your maps. They’ll only be visible when you compile with the latest SDKs and you can control their visibility via styling.

      Style once, use on any platform

      When you’re happy with your new map style, you can export & use the same JSON styling object in our iOS, Android and JavaScript Maps APIs. The Styling Wizard also provides the URL for you to use with the Google Static Maps API.

      To enable a custom style in your app or website, take a look at the code samples: Android, iOS & JavaScript.

      You can distribute the styles with your app, fetch them dynamically, and even change them at runtime.
      Custom styles now work on native iOS and Android apps as well as the web.
      The Android and iOS release notes contain details of bugs fixed as well as the custom basemap styling features mentioned in this post. Read the Maps APIs styling guides for Android, iOS and JavaScript, and watch the Styling your Maps Geocast (embedded below).


      A big thank you to Android and iOS developers everywhere for using the Google Maps Android API and the Google Maps SDK for iOS and submitting feedback via the issue tracker. We heard you!

      Share your styled basemaps on Twitter and G+ via #mapstyle and show us what you’ve done!
      author image Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs
      ]]>
      Your app, your map style. For iOS and Android.

      Cross-platform custom map styling is here—change the color palette of your maps, hide labels, vary road density and toggle points of interest. Your maps can now match your brand and style across your website and your apps!

      The Google Maps APIs now support you in creating beautiful styled maps for your Android and iOS apps as well as your website using the same JSON style object.

      Easily create your style

      The new Google Maps APIs Styling Wizard helps you to create a map style in a few clicks. Use one of our pre-built styles or create your own style from scratch.

      Access advanced options for further control over every available aspect of your map style including visibility, fills & stroke weight.

      Use the styling wizard for point and click custom style creation.

      Show what’s important, hide the rest

      Custom map styling provides you with ways to tailor your map for a particular use case. Got your own transit stops and want to turn the Google ones off? We’ve got you covered. Want to hide highways and highlight water features? Done. You can control the visibility of labels, landscapes, transit icons, points of interest, roads and more to create the look that reflects your brand and purpose. See the samples for Android, iOS and JavaScript.

      Both the iOS and the Android SDKs now support business points of interest as well; this means you’ll now see hotels, restaurants and shops on your maps. They’ll only be visible when you compile with the latest SDKs and you can control their visibility via styling.

      Style once, use on any platform

      When you’re happy with your new map style, you can export & use the same JSON styling object in our iOS, Android and JavaScript Maps APIs. The Styling Wizard also provides the URL for you to use with the Google Static Maps API.

      To enable a custom style in your app or website, take a look at the code samples: Android, iOS & JavaScript.

      You can distribute the styles with your app, fetch them dynamically, and even change them at runtime.
      Custom styles now work on native iOS and Android apps as well as the web.
      The Android and iOS release notes contain details of bugs fixed as well as the custom basemap styling features mentioned in this post. Read the Maps APIs styling guides for Android, iOS and JavaScript, and watch the Styling your Maps Geocast (embedded below).


      A big thank you to Android and iOS developers everywhere for using the Google Maps Android API and the Google Maps SDK for iOS and submitting feedback via the issue tracker. We heard you!

      Share your styled basemaps on Twitter and G+ via #mapstyle and show us what you’ve done!
      author image Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/custom-map-styling-with-the-google-maps-apis-on-android-and-ios/feed/ 0       Always know which way you’re headed with this Google Maps update https://googledata.org/google-earth/always-know-which-way-youre-headed-with-this-google-maps-update/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/always-know-which-way-youre-headed-with-this-google-maps-update/#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2016 13:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=2b6f017f099974a7202844c582617b41

      The beam also tells you how accurate your phone’s direction is at any given time. The narrower the beam, the more accurate the direction. The wider the beam, the more likely it is that your your phone’s compass is temporarily uncalibrated, which means that its sensors aren’t working as they should be. This can happen by doing something as simple as charging your phone or walking by a metal pole, which most of us do everyday. Thankfully, there’s a really easy fix. Any time you want to get back on track – not just when you see a prompt or notification – simply move your phone in a figure 8 motion a few times. This should immediately result in a more accurate direction.
      Help_Article_v1.gif
      Once you master the curving motion, you’re one step closer to having a more accurate compass when you use Google Maps on your Android phone.

      Posted by: Raja Ayyagari, Product Manager, Google Maps]]>

      The beam also tells you how accurate your phone’s direction is at any given time. The narrower the beam, the more accurate the direction. The wider the beam, the more likely it is that your your phone’s compass is temporarily uncalibrated, which means that its sensors aren’t working as they should be. This can happen by doing something as simple as charging your phone or walking by a metal pole, which most of us do everyday. Thankfully, there’s a really easy fix. Any time you want to get back on track – not just when you see a prompt or notification – simply move your phone in a figure 8 motion a few times. This should immediately result in a more accurate direction.
      Help_Article_v1.gif
      Once you master the curving motion, you’re one step closer to having a more accurate compass when you use Google Maps on your Android phone.

      Posted by: Raja Ayyagari, Product Manager, Google Maps]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/always-know-which-way-youre-headed-with-this-google-maps-update/feed/ 0       Mapping global fishing activity with machine learning https://googledata.org/google-earth/mapping-global-fishing-activity-with-machine-learning/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/mapping-global-fishing-activity-with-machine-learning/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2016 17:10:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9b63784b92ddff7f1c852b4f868e096b
      The world’s oceans and fisheries are at a turning point. Over a billion people depend on wild-caught fish for their primary source of protein. Fisheries are intertwined with global food security, slave labor issues, livelihoods, sovereign wealth and biodiversity but our fisheries are being harvested beyond sustainable levels. Fish populations have already plummeted by 90 percent for some species within the last generation, and the human population is only growing larger. One in five fish entering global markets is harvested illegally, or is unreported or unregulated. But amidst all these sobering trends, we're also better equipped to face these challenges — thanks to the rise of technology, increased availability of information, and a growing international desire to create a sustainable future.

      Today, in partnership with Oceana and SkyTruth, we’re launching Global Fishing Watch, a beta technology platform intended to increase awareness of fisheries and influence sustainable policy through transparency. Global Fishing Watch combines cloud computing technology with satellite data to provide the world’s first global view of commercial fishing activities. It gives anyone around the world — citizens, governments, industry, and researchers — a free, simple, online platform to visualize, track, and share information about fishing activity worldwide.

      Global Fishing Watch, the first global view of large scale commercial fishing activity over time

      At any given time, there are about 200,000 vessels publicly broadcasting their location at sea through the Automatic Identification System (AIS). Their signals are picked up by dozens of satellites and thousands of terrestrial receivers. Global Fishing Watch runs this information — more than 22 million points of information per day — through machine learning classifiers to determine the type of ship (e.g., cargo, tug, sail, fishing), what kind of fishing gear (longline, purse seine, trawl) they’re using and where they’re fishing based on their movement patterns. To do this, our research partners and fishery experts have manually classified thousands of vessel tracks as training data to “teach” our algorithms what fishing looks like. We then apply that learning to the entire dataset — 37 billion points over the last 4.5 years — enabling anyone to see the individual tracks and fishing activity of every vessel along with its name and flag state.
      An individual vessel fishing off Madagascar

      This data can help inform sustainable policy and identify suspicious behaviors for further investigation. By understanding what areas of the ocean are being heavily fished, agencies and governments can make important decisions about how much fishing should be allowed in any given area. Often, fish populations are so depleted that the only way to ensure they are replenished is to create “no take areas” where fishing is not allowed. Our hope is that this new technology can help governments and other organizations make decisions about which areas need protection and monitor if policies are respected.
      Kiribati's Phoenix Island Protected Area transitioning from heavy tuna fishing to a protected area.

      Partners have already started using Global Fishing Watch and have committed to providing additional data sources for greater impact:

      • Indonesia’s Minister of Fisheries and Marine Affairs, Susi Pudjiastuti, has committed to making the government’s Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) public in Global Fishing Watch in 2017. Ibu Susi has been a progressive leader for transparency in fisheries with other governments now expressing similar interest to collaborate.
      • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will collaborate on new research methodologies for reporting spatial fishery and vessel statistics, building on Global Fishing Watch and developing transparency tools to support their member states in improving the monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities.
      • Trace Register, a seafood digital supply chain company, has committed to using Global Fishing Watch to verify catch documentation for its customers such as Whole Foods.
      • Bali Seafood, the largest exporter of snapper from Indonesia, has teamed up with Pelagic Data Systems, manufacturers of cellular and solar powered tracking devices to bring the same transparency for small scale and artisanal fishing vessels, into Global Fishing Watch as part of a pilot program.

      We’ve also developed a Global Fishing Watch Research Program with 10 leading institutions from around the world. By combining Google tools, methodologies, and datasets in a collaborative environment, they’re modeling economic, environmental, policy, and climate change implications on fisheries at a scale not otherwise possible.

      Global Fishing Watch was not possible five years ago. From a technology perspective, satellites were just beginning to collect vessel positions over the open ocean, and the "global coverage" was spotty. There has been tremendous growth in machine learning with applications in new fields. Policy and regulatory frameworks have evolved, with the United States, European Union, and other nations and Regional Fishery Management Organizations now requiring that vessels broadcast their positions. Market forces and import laws are beginning to demand transparency and traceability, both as a positive differentiator and for risk management. All of these forces interact and shape each other.

      Today, Global Fishing Watch is an early preview of what is possible. We’re committed to continuing to build tools, partnerships, and access to information to help restore our abundant ocean for generations to come.


      Go explore your ocean at www.globalfishingwatch.org


      Posted By: Brian Sullivan, Google Lead - Global Fishing Watch, Sr. Program Manager - Google Ocean & Earth Outreach

      ]]>
      The world’s oceans and fisheries are at a turning point. Over a billion people depend on wild-caught fish for their primary source of protein. Fisheries are intertwined with global food security, slave labor issues, livelihoods, sovereign wealth and biodiversity but our fisheries are being harvested beyond sustainable levels. Fish populations have already plummeted by 90 percent for some species within the last generation, and the human population is only growing larger. One in five fish entering global markets is harvested illegally, or is unreported or unregulated. But amidst all these sobering trends, we're also better equipped to face these challenges — thanks to the rise of technology, increased availability of information, and a growing international desire to create a sustainable future.

      Today, in partnership with Oceana and SkyTruth, we’re launching Global Fishing Watch, a beta technology platform intended to increase awareness of fisheries and influence sustainable policy through transparency. Global Fishing Watch combines cloud computing technology with satellite data to provide the world’s first global view of commercial fishing activities. It gives anyone around the world — citizens, governments, industry, and researchers — a free, simple, online platform to visualize, track, and share information about fishing activity worldwide.

      Global Fishing Watch, the first global view of large scale commercial fishing activity over time

      At any given time, there are about 200,000 vessels publicly broadcasting their location at sea through the Automatic Identification System (AIS). Their signals are picked up by dozens of satellites and thousands of terrestrial receivers. Global Fishing Watch runs this information — more than 22 million points of information per day — through machine learning classifiers to determine the type of ship (e.g., cargo, tug, sail, fishing), what kind of fishing gear (longline, purse seine, trawl) they’re using and where they’re fishing based on their movement patterns. To do this, our research partners and fishery experts have manually classified thousands of vessel tracks as training data to “teach” our algorithms what fishing looks like. We then apply that learning to the entire dataset — 37 billion points over the last 4.5 years — enabling anyone to see the individual tracks and fishing activity of every vessel along with its name and flag state.
      An individual vessel fishing off Madagascar

      This data can help inform sustainable policy and identify suspicious behaviors for further investigation. By understanding what areas of the ocean are being heavily fished, agencies and governments can make important decisions about how much fishing should be allowed in any given area. Often, fish populations are so depleted that the only way to ensure they are replenished is to create “no take areas” where fishing is not allowed. Our hope is that this new technology can help governments and other organizations make decisions about which areas need protection and monitor if policies are respected.
      Kiribati's Phoenix Island Protected Area transitioning from heavy tuna fishing to a protected area.

      Partners have already started using Global Fishing Watch and have committed to providing additional data sources for greater impact:

      • Indonesia’s Minister of Fisheries and Marine Affairs, Susi Pudjiastuti, has committed to making the government’s Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) public in Global Fishing Watch in 2017. Ibu Susi has been a progressive leader for transparency in fisheries with other governments now expressing similar interest to collaborate.
      • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will collaborate on new research methodologies for reporting spatial fishery and vessel statistics, building on Global Fishing Watch and developing transparency tools to support their member states in improving the monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities.
      • Trace Register, a seafood digital supply chain company, has committed to using Global Fishing Watch to verify catch documentation for its customers such as Whole Foods.
      • Bali Seafood, the largest exporter of snapper from Indonesia, has teamed up with Pelagic Data Systems, manufacturers of cellular and solar powered tracking devices to bring the same transparency for small scale and artisanal fishing vessels, into Global Fishing Watch as part of a pilot program.

      We’ve also developed a Global Fishing Watch Research Program with 10 leading institutions from around the world. By combining Google tools, methodologies, and datasets in a collaborative environment, they’re modeling economic, environmental, policy, and climate change implications on fisheries at a scale not otherwise possible.

      Global Fishing Watch was not possible five years ago. From a technology perspective, satellites were just beginning to collect vessel positions over the open ocean, and the "global coverage" was spotty. There has been tremendous growth in machine learning with applications in new fields. Policy and regulatory frameworks have evolved, with the United States, European Union, and other nations and Regional Fishery Management Organizations now requiring that vessels broadcast their positions. Market forces and import laws are beginning to demand transparency and traceability, both as a positive differentiator and for risk management. All of these forces interact and shape each other.

      Today, Global Fishing Watch is an early preview of what is possible. We’re committed to continuing to build tools, partnerships, and access to information to help restore our abundant ocean for generations to come.


      Go explore your ocean at www.globalfishingwatch.org


      Posted By: Brian Sullivan, Google Lead - Global Fishing Watch, Sr. Program Manager - Google Ocean & Earth Outreach

      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/mapping-global-fishing-activity-with-machine-learning/feed/ 0       Making the most of the Google Maps Web Service APIs https://googledata.org/google-maps/making-the-most-of-the-google-maps-web-service-apis/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/making-the-most-of-the-google-maps-web-service-apis/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2016 16:31:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=14a658761a7c6658bce270742bb2f60f
      The Google Maps API team maintains client libraries that give you the power to develop with the confidence that your app will scale smoothly. We provide client libraries for Python, Java, and Go, which are used by thousands of developers around the world. We're excited to announce the recent addition of Node.js to the client library family.

      When building mobile applications, it is a best practice to use native APIS like Places API for Android and Places API for iOS where you can, but when you find that your use case requires data that is only available via the Google Maps APIs Web Services, such as Elevation, then using these client libraries is the best way forward.

      These libraries help you implement API request best practices such as:
      • Requests are sent at the default rate limit for each web service, but of course this is configurable.
      • The client libraries will automatically retry any request if the API sends a 5xx error. Retries use exponential back-off, which helps in the event of intermittent failures.
      • The client libraries make it easy to authenticate with your freely available API Key. Google Maps APIs Premium Plan customers can alternatively use their client ID and secret.
      • The Java and Go libraries return native objects for each of the API responses. The Python and Node.js libraries return the structure as it is received from the API.
      The client libraries can help you in a variety of ways. One of them is exposing the result sets in a format that makes most sense for the language in question. For example, the Java and Go client libraries include object hierarchies that are type-safe representations of the potential results for each API. This allows you to write code in the comfort of your editor with the knowledge that the compiler will catch any mistakes.

      With 3 million apps and websites using Google Maps APIs, we have an important tip for ensuring reliability when using web services: call APIs from a server rather than directly from Android or iOS. This secures your API key so that your quota can't be consumed by a bad actor, along with being able to add caching to handle common requests quickly.

      A server instance acts as a proxy that takes requests from your Android and iOS apps and then forwards them to the Google Maps Web Service APIs on your app’s behalf. The easiest way to create a server side proxy is using the Google Maps Web Service client libraries from Google App Engine instances. For more detail, please watch Laurence Moroney’s Google I/O 2016 session “Building geo services that scale”.

      You can learn more about the Google Maps API web services in our documentation. The easiest way to use these APIs and follow best practices is to use the Client Libraries for Google Maps Web Services. Download the client libraries for Java, Python, Go or Node.js from Github to start using them today!

      author image
      		 Posted by Brett Morgan, Developer Programs Engineer

      ]]>
      The Google Maps API team maintains client libraries that give you the power to develop with the confidence that your app will scale smoothly. We provide client libraries for Python, Java, and Go, which are used by thousands of developers around the world. We're excited to announce the recent addition of Node.js to the client library family.

      When building mobile applications, it is a best practice to use native APIS like Places API for Android and Places API for iOS where you can, but when you find that your use case requires data that is only available via the Google Maps APIs Web Services, such as Elevation, then using these client libraries is the best way forward.

      These libraries help you implement API request best practices such as:
      • Requests are sent at the default rate limit for each web service, but of course this is configurable.
      • The client libraries will automatically retry any request if the API sends a 5xx error. Retries use exponential back-off, which helps in the event of intermittent failures.
      • The client libraries make it easy to authenticate with your freely available API Key. Google Maps APIs Premium Plan customers can alternatively use their client ID and secret.
      • The Java and Go libraries return native objects for each of the API responses. The Python and Node.js libraries return the structure as it is received from the API.
      The client libraries can help you in a variety of ways. One of them is exposing the result sets in a format that makes most sense for the language in question. For example, the Java and Go client libraries include object hierarchies that are type-safe representations of the potential results for each API. This allows you to write code in the comfort of your editor with the knowledge that the compiler will catch any mistakes.

      With 3 million apps and websites using Google Maps APIs, we have an important tip for ensuring reliability when using web services: call APIs from a server rather than directly from Android or iOS. This secures your API key so that your quota can't be consumed by a bad actor, along with being able to add caching to handle common requests quickly.

      A server instance acts as a proxy that takes requests from your Android and iOS apps and then forwards them to the Google Maps Web Service APIs on your app’s behalf. The easiest way to create a server side proxy is using the Google Maps Web Service client libraries from Google App Engine instances. For more detail, please watch Laurence Moroney’s Google I/O 2016 session “Building geo services that scale”.

      You can learn more about the Google Maps API web services in our documentation. The easiest way to use these APIs and follow best practices is to use the Client Libraries for Google Maps Web Services. Download the client libraries for Java, Python, Go or Node.js from Github to start using them today!

      author image
      		 Posted by Brett Morgan, Developer Programs Engineer

      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/making-the-most-of-the-google-maps-web-service-apis/feed/ 0       Hailing more ride service options in Google Maps https://googledata.org/google-earth/hailing-more-ride-service-options-in-google-maps/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/hailing-more-ride-service-options-in-google-maps/#comments Thu, 08 Sep 2016 15:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=7f6fb6ab329d48f5b0ed6bb9181301c3 introduced a new way for people to find and compare the fastest ways to get around town by adding a new ride services tab when searching for directions in Google Maps. Today, we’re adding two more partners in the U.S., Lyft and Gett. Now Google Maps will display options from 9 ride-sharing partners in over 60 countries, allowing you to compare the fastest, most affordable ride near you, without having to download and open multiple apps.

      Say you’re looking to get from the High Line to Times Square in Manhattan. When typing these locations into the Google Maps app, you’ll see a ride services tab appear alongside driving, transit and walking directions. Just tap the icon and you’ll find fare estimates and pick up times from multiple ride service partners, depending on driver availability. We’ll also show various types of services offered by each partner— for instance Lyft may also show options for a Lyft Line ride.
      Bookaride Uber Lyft.png
      The ride service tab updates automatically based on driver availability, estimated fare and ETA.

      Ride options from Lyft will begin appearing across the U.S., while Gett will show availability within New York City. So the next time you find yourself with an appointment across the city, just open the Google Maps app on iOS or Android and take it for a spin.

       By Sara Torti, Senior Product Manager, Google Maps]]>       introduced a new way for people to find and compare the fastest ways to get around town by adding a new ride services tab when searching for directions in Google Maps. Today, we’re adding two more partners in the U.S., Lyft and Gett. Now Google Maps will display options from 9 ride-sharing partners in over 60 countries, allowing you to compare the fastest, most affordable ride near you, without having to download and open multiple apps.

      Say you’re looking to get from the High Line to Times Square in Manhattan. When typing these locations into the Google Maps app, you’ll see a ride services tab appear alongside driving, transit and walking directions. Just tap the icon and you’ll find fare estimates and pick up times from multiple ride service partners, depending on driver availability. We’ll also show various types of services offered by each partner— for instance Lyft may also show options for a Lyft Line ride.
      Bookaride Uber Lyft.png
      The ride service tab updates automatically based on driver availability, estimated fare and ETA.

      Ride options from Lyft will begin appearing across the U.S., while Gett will show availability within New York City. So the next time you find yourself with an appointment across the city, just open the Google Maps app on iOS or Android and take it for a spin.

       By Sara Torti, Senior Product Manager, Google Maps]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/hailing-more-ride-service-options-in-google-maps/feed/ 0       Sheep View: Where there’s a wool, there’s a way https://googledata.org/google-earth/sheep-view-where-theres-a-wool-theres-a-way/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/sheep-view-where-theres-a-wool-theres-a-way/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2016 12:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=6d798618f41b8a03b2cd12da60c3a1eb

      When we herd about the Sheep View project, we thought it was shear brilliance. So we decided to help the Faroese by supplying them with a Street View trekker and 360 cameras via our Street View camera loan program. Last week, the Google Maps team arrived in the Faroe Islands to help train and equip the local community to capture even more (but slightly less woolly) Street View imagery.



      Now that the Faroe Islands is supplied with a Trekker and 360 cameras, residents and tourists can assist the sheep in collecting Street View imagery of their beautiful lands using selfie-sticks, bikes, backpacks, cars, kayaks, horses, ships and even wheelbarrows. The Visit Faroe Islands office in Tórshavn and Atlantic Airways at the airport will be lending out Street View 360 cameras to visitors willing to lend a hoof.

      The Faroe Islands have shown us that even sheep can contribute to Street View. If your hometown or favorite hiking trail hasn’t made it into Google Maps yet, grab your own 360 camera or apply to borrow one from us through our Street View camera loan program. We’re excited to see what ewe map!


      Published By: David Castro González de Vega - Google Maps Program Manager









      ]]>

      When we herd about the Sheep View project, we thought it was shear brilliance. So we decided to help the Faroese by supplying them with a Street View trekker and 360 cameras via our Street View camera loan program. Last week, the Google Maps team arrived in the Faroe Islands to help train and equip the local community to capture even more (but slightly less woolly) Street View imagery.



      Now that the Faroe Islands is supplied with a Trekker and 360 cameras, residents and tourists can assist the sheep in collecting Street View imagery of their beautiful lands using selfie-sticks, bikes, backpacks, cars, kayaks, horses, ships and even wheelbarrows. The Visit Faroe Islands office in Tórshavn and Atlantic Airways at the airport will be lending out Street View 360 cameras to visitors willing to lend a hoof.

      The Faroe Islands have shown us that even sheep can contribute to Street View. If your hometown or favorite hiking trail hasn’t made it into Google Maps yet, grab your own 360 camera or apply to borrow one from us through our Street View camera loan program. We’re excited to see what ewe map!


      Published By: David Castro González de Vega - Google Maps Program Manager









      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/sheep-view-where-theres-a-wool-theres-a-way/feed/ 0       Five Trending Roadside Attractions for Your End of Summer Road Trip https://googledata.org/google-earth/five-trending-roadside-attractions-for-your-end-of-summer-road-trip/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/five-trending-roadside-attractions-for-your-end-of-summer-road-trip/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2016 12:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=11ea42007655d1b59ae95cb89c4e164a

      Roadtrippers leaving California for the beautiful Oregon landscape shouldn’t miss the Trees of Mystery attraction just 36 miles south of the Oregon border. Despite the name, the true showstoppers are the 49-foot-tall statue of Paul Bunyan and the 35-foot-tall Babe the Blue Ox – both of which are visible from Highway 101.


      Downtown Seattle sports a notoriously sticky tourist attraction: a wall covered in gum. Although the wall was scrubbed clean back in 2015, it returned to all its glory in no time. Road trippers who find themselves at the famous Pike Place Market need only wander downstairs to Post Alley to behold the man-made (or chewed) marvel.


      Just off Route 66, weary travelers can take a break to picnic, swim, or fish at the small lake that’s home to a big Blue Whale. To cool off from their long drives visitors fling themselves off his tail, slide down his fins and pose for photos in his open jaws.


      Fewer than 30 minutes from Atlantic City, travelers can take in another larger than life creation – Lucy the Elephant. Lucy is a 132-year-old elephant-shaped building that towers six-stories tall. Visitors can enter the structure and climb up to the howdah (the carriage positioned on the back of an elephant) for a picturesque view of the beach below.


      Take a short detour off I-95 in Connecticut to take a trip back in time to the Jurassic period. Northeastern roadtrippers will find 40 life-sized dinosaur figures on a 1.5-mile nature trail in The Dinosaur Place. And the best part is that they don’t have to worry about any real-life velociraptors.

      Next time you’re on a road trip, remember to take a break and explore the roadside attractions along your route. Google Maps can help you do just that with a variety of features like offline maps, the ability to search for places along your route, and the option to create multi-stop trips (now available on Android and iOS). After all, the journey can be just as much fun as the destination.

      Posted by Pierre Petronin, Quantitative Analyst, Google Maps
      ]]>

      Roadtrippers leaving California for the beautiful Oregon landscape shouldn’t miss the Trees of Mystery attraction just 36 miles south of the Oregon border. Despite the name, the true showstoppers are the 49-foot-tall statue of Paul Bunyan and the 35-foot-tall Babe the Blue Ox – both of which are visible from Highway 101.


      Downtown Seattle sports a notoriously sticky tourist attraction: a wall covered in gum. Although the wall was scrubbed clean back in 2015, it returned to all its glory in no time. Road trippers who find themselves at the famous Pike Place Market need only wander downstairs to Post Alley to behold the man-made (or chewed) marvel.


      Just off Route 66, weary travelers can take a break to picnic, swim, or fish at the small lake that’s home to a big Blue Whale. To cool off from their long drives visitors fling themselves off his tail, slide down his fins and pose for photos in his open jaws.


      Fewer than 30 minutes from Atlantic City, travelers can take in another larger than life creation – Lucy the Elephant. Lucy is a 132-year-old elephant-shaped building that towers six-stories tall. Visitors can enter the structure and climb up to the howdah (the carriage positioned on the back of an elephant) for a picturesque view of the beach below.


      Take a short detour off I-95 in Connecticut to take a trip back in time to the Jurassic period. Northeastern roadtrippers will find 40 life-sized dinosaur figures on a 1.5-mile nature trail in The Dinosaur Place. And the best part is that they don’t have to worry about any real-life velociraptors.

      Next time you’re on a road trip, remember to take a break and explore the roadside attractions along your route. Google Maps can help you do just that with a variety of features like offline maps, the ability to search for places along your route, and the option to create multi-stop trips (now available on Android and iOS). After all, the journey can be just as much fun as the destination.

      Posted by Pierre Petronin, Quantitative Analyst, Google Maps
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/five-trending-roadside-attractions-for-your-end-of-summer-road-trip/feed/ 0       New JavaScript Street View renderer brings rendering improvements and better mobile support https://googledata.org/google-maps/new-javascript-street-view-renderer-brings-rendering-improvements-and-better-mobile-support/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/new-javascript-street-view-renderer-brings-rendering-improvements-and-better-mobile-support/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2016 00:05:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=f621f4e7249b42187362f1d2efb228cb
      Today we’re making Street View even better, especially on mobile devices, by launching a new Street View renderer in the Google Maps JavaScript API. Read on for the full details of what we’ve improved!

      Better display

      Smoother Transitions

      Transitions from one point to another in Street View now include more animation frames, creating the effect of gliding smoothly to the next location. Transitions in the old renderer looked like jumping from one location to another.

      Old renderer
      New renderer
      next-old-short.gifnext-new-short.gif

      Smoother Loading Animations

      The old renderer repeats images while loading new content, resulting in a stuttering effect. The new renderer uses lower resolution imagery while loading, resulting in a smoother animation when rotating an image in Street View.

      Old renderer
      New renderer
      old.gif
      new.gif

      Object modeling improvements

      Objects in Street View look better in the new renderer because it builds a 360-degree model that considers all possible perspectives. For example, this high rise building has wavy lines in the old renderer, as opposed to crisp lines in the new renderer.

      Old renderer
      New renderer

      In another example: for imagery on an incline, such as a street with a steep hill, the new renderer corrects the objects to be vertical, whereas the old renderer would have shown the objects at an angle.

      Old renderer
      New renderer

      Better mobile support

      WebGL imagery

      The new renderer uses WebGL (on browsers that support it) which results in a higher frame rate and better rendering, especially on mobile devices. On mobile devices, the old renderer would display a fish-eye projection of the image, whereas WebGL allows us to present a rendered sphere that looks as it would in reality. For example, the street in the image below is straight, but the old renderer made it look curved on mobile devices.

      Old renderer
      New renderer
      WebGL_before.png
      WebGL_after.png

      Touch support

      As mobile web usage grows, users expect familiar touch-based interactions to work everywhere. The new renderer supports the same natural touch-based gestures on mobile which have been available in the Google Maps Android app: pinch-to-zoom and double-tap-to-go. In the old renderer, zooming was only available through the +/- buttons, and movement was only possible by clicking the arrows on the ground.

      Motion tracking on mobile devices

      Mobile devices give developers the opportunity to provide their users with more natural ways to explore and interact with their applications. We’ve enabled support for device orientation events on Street View so that users on mobile devices can look around in Street View by moving their phone. Developers have the option to turn this off if they prefer. Please see the developer documentation for more details, or open the documentation link on a mobile device to see motion tracking in action.

      Better controls

      X Forward

      When using a desktop device with a mouse or trackpad, users will see a small "X" at the cursor location that indicates the next camera location if they choose to move forward. Arrows indicate the direction of movement. Wall rectangles identify the direction the camera will point towards.

      Next image targets
      Next centered image target

      Cleaner street names, labels and targets

      Street names and labels are now separated from controls, removing overlap issues and allowing for clean display in right-to-left and left-to-right languages.

      Old renderer
      New renderer
      We hope you enjoy using the new and improved Street View renderer! Also a big thank you to all the developers who use the Google Maps JavaScript API and provide feedback via the issue tracker. Getting feedback from developers is vital for us to be able to keep improving our products, so if you have any bug reports or feature requests, please let us know!

      For more information on Street View in the Google Maps JavaScript API, please see the developer documentation.

      author image
      		 Posted by Elena Kelareva, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs

      ]]>
      Today we’re making Street View even better, especially on mobile devices, by launching a new Street View renderer in the Google Maps JavaScript API. Read on for the full details of what we’ve improved!

      Better display

      Smoother Transitions

      Transitions from one point to another in Street View now include more animation frames, creating the effect of gliding smoothly to the next location. Transitions in the old renderer looked like jumping from one location to another.

      Old renderer
      New renderer
      next-old-short.gifnext-new-short.gif

      Smoother Loading Animations

      The old renderer repeats images while loading new content, resulting in a stuttering effect. The new renderer uses lower resolution imagery while loading, resulting in a smoother animation when rotating an image in Street View.

      Old renderer
      New renderer
      old.gif
      new.gif

      Object modeling improvements

      Objects in Street View look better in the new renderer because it builds a 360-degree model that considers all possible perspectives. For example, this high rise building has wavy lines in the old renderer, as opposed to crisp lines in the new renderer.

      Old renderer
      New renderer

      In another example: for imagery on an incline, such as a street with a steep hill, the new renderer corrects the objects to be vertical, whereas the old renderer would have shown the objects at an angle.

      Old renderer
      New renderer

      Better mobile support

      WebGL imagery

      The new renderer uses WebGL (on browsers that support it) which results in a higher frame rate and better rendering, especially on mobile devices. On mobile devices, the old renderer would display a fish-eye projection of the image, whereas WebGL allows us to present a rendered sphere that looks as it would in reality. For example, the street in the image below is straight, but the old renderer made it look curved on mobile devices.

      Old renderer
      New renderer
      WebGL_before.png
      WebGL_after.png

      Touch support

      As mobile web usage grows, users expect familiar touch-based interactions to work everywhere. The new renderer supports the same natural touch-based gestures on mobile which have been available in the Google Maps Android app: pinch-to-zoom and double-tap-to-go. In the old renderer, zooming was only available through the +/- buttons, and movement was only possible by clicking the arrows on the ground.

      Motion tracking on mobile devices

      Mobile devices give developers the opportunity to provide their users with more natural ways to explore and interact with their applications. We’ve enabled support for device orientation events on Street View so that users on mobile devices can look around in Street View by moving their phone. Developers have the option to turn this off if they prefer. Please see the developer documentation for more details, or open the documentation link on a mobile device to see motion tracking in action.

      Better controls

      X Forward

      When using a desktop device with a mouse or trackpad, users will see a small "X" at the cursor location that indicates the next camera location if they choose to move forward. Arrows indicate the direction of movement. Wall rectangles identify the direction the camera will point towards.

      Next image targets
      Next centered image target

      Cleaner street names, labels and targets

      Street names and labels are now separated from controls, removing overlap issues and allowing for clean display in right-to-left and left-to-right languages.

      Old renderer
      New renderer
      We hope you enjoy using the new and improved Street View renderer! Also a big thank you to all the developers who use the Google Maps JavaScript API and provide feedback via the issue tracker. Getting feedback from developers is vital for us to be able to keep improving our products, so if you have any bug reports or feature requests, please let us know!

      For more information on Street View in the Google Maps JavaScript API, please see the developer documentation.

      author image
      		 Posted by Elena Kelareva, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs

      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/new-javascript-street-view-renderer-brings-rendering-improvements-and-better-mobile-support/feed/ 0       Dragons and turtles, and fish, oh hi! https://googledata.org/google-earth/dragons-and-turtles-and-fish-oh-hi/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/dragons-and-turtles-and-fish-oh-hi/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2016 06:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=c3a20bab8c5e01eb1424ce8ffbaa72e3 The Indonesian Island of Komodo is home to the world's largest living lizard — the Komodo Dragon. Now you can see these carnivorous reptiles from the comfort (and safety!) of home with the launch of new Street View imagery from the Komodo islands.

      Beyond taking a virtual walk with dragons, you can also explore the rich marine life surrounding Komodo Island, with the launch of 11 new underwater sites from Indonesia, thanks to XL Catlin Seaview Survey and The Ocean Agency.
      BatuBolong.png
      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey

      Home to a kaleidoscope of corals and fish, sites like Batu Bolong and Raja Ampat attract scuba divers from around the world. Now you can take a dip with turtles, go swimming with sweetlips, and inspect colorful corals all without having to put on a wetsuit. All you need is Google Maps, to see and appreciate these unique and beautiful sites (available on iOS or Android).
      Keruo.png
      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey


      Bunaken National Park in the Coral Triangle is another top destination for aquanauts, as it has some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world and is home to many reef fish and turtles.

      TimorII.png
      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey

      AlungBanua.png
      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey

      To really get schooled in the marine diversity of Indonesia, head over to the Drop-off in Bali where you’ll encounter Giant Trevally, Big Eye Trevally and Yellowstripe Scad aplenty.

      DropOff.png

      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey

      To capture all this stunning underwater imagery, the XL Catlin Seaview Survey team use a panoramic camera system, mounted on an underwater scooter piloted by a diver. The crystal clear images are produced by the camera cruising along at around 4kms per hour taking rapid-fire 360 degree pictures every 3 seconds. This imagery is part of a unique global study dedicated to monitoring the change of the ocean’s corals and revealing that change to the world.

      Screenshot 2016-08-06 10.54.46.png
      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey

      Once you’re finished exploring the sea, come up for some air and take in the sights on land at Komodo village.  

      Screen Shot 2016-08-06 at 9.18.39 PM.png

      We hope you enjoy exploring Indonesia’s stunning natural beauty, above and below the water with Google Street View.

      Posted by Cynthia Wei, Google Street View Program Manager, South East Asia.
      ]]>       The Indonesian Island of Komodo is home to the world's largest living lizard — the Komodo Dragon. Now you can see these carnivorous reptiles from the comfort (and safety!) of home with the launch of new Street View imagery from the Komodo islands.

      Beyond taking a virtual walk with dragons, you can also explore the rich marine life surrounding Komodo Island, with the launch of 11 new underwater sites from Indonesia, thanks to XL Catlin Seaview Survey and The Ocean Agency.
      BatuBolong.png
      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey

      Home to a kaleidoscope of corals and fish, sites like Batu Bolong and Raja Ampat attract scuba divers from around the world. Now you can take a dip with turtles, go swimming with sweetlips, and inspect colorful corals all without having to put on a wetsuit. All you need is Google Maps, to see and appreciate these unique and beautiful sites (available on iOS or Android).
      Keruo.png
      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey


      Bunaken National Park in the Coral Triangle is another top destination for aquanauts, as it has some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world and is home to many reef fish and turtles.

      TimorII.png
      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey

      AlungBanua.png
      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey

      To really get schooled in the marine diversity of Indonesia, head over to the Drop-off in Bali where you’ll encounter Giant Trevally, Big Eye Trevally and Yellowstripe Scad aplenty.

      DropOff.png

      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey

      To capture all this stunning underwater imagery, the XL Catlin Seaview Survey team use a panoramic camera system, mounted on an underwater scooter piloted by a diver. The crystal clear images are produced by the camera cruising along at around 4kms per hour taking rapid-fire 360 degree pictures every 3 seconds. This imagery is part of a unique global study dedicated to monitoring the change of the ocean’s corals and revealing that change to the world.

      Screenshot 2016-08-06 10.54.46.png
      Image from XL Catlin Seaview Survey

      Once you’re finished exploring the sea, come up for some air and take in the sights on land at Komodo village.  

      Screen Shot 2016-08-06 at 9.18.39 PM.png

      We hope you enjoy exploring Indonesia’s stunning natural beauty, above and below the water with Google Street View.

      Posted by Cynthia Wei, Google Street View Program Manager, South East Asia.
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/dragons-and-turtles-and-fish-oh-hi/feed/ 0       Get around town a little easier with new offline features and ride service options https://googledata.org/google-earth/get-around-town-a-little-easier-with-new-offline-features-and-ride-service-options/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/get-around-town-a-little-easier-with-new-offline-features-and-ride-service-options/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2016 05:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=abd3afa129afd6cb5da4458df5b926f4
      Scenario 1: You live or are traveling around a place with expensive data or spotty service
      We’ve all been through this -- whether in our own backyard or a different country. You need to get directions, but you don’t have service. Or you do have service – but it’s spotty – so you find yourself staring at the map in a perpetual state of loading while you sit in your car waiting to find out which way to go. Now, when you know you’ll have spotty service or just want to save on data, you can toggle to “Wi-fi only” to use Google Maps entirely offline on Android. And the best part is that you can still use other apps and the rest of your phone as you normally would. You might even save on battery life too.

      81M6LszJB4Z.png

      Scenario 2: You’re running out of storage
      Entry-level smartphones come with internal storage capacities as low as 4GB, while higher-end models range between 8GB and 32GB. For many of us, that’s not enough for all the videos, music, apps, and photos we cram onto our beloved smartphones. To ensure that Google Maps users with any storage capacity can download and use offline areas when they need them most, we’ve added the ability to download your offline areas to an external SD card (if your device supports them) on Google Maps for Android. Now you’ll never have to choose between snapping more food photos or the ability to navigate offline.


      Scenario 3: You just want someone else to do the driving
      Sometimes you just need to get somewhere fast and don't want to drive, walk, or take public transportation. In March, we introduced a dedicated mode where users can easily compare ride service options without having to open multiple apps. In addition to showing options from Uber, we're now showing GO-JEK rides in three cities in Indonesia with ten more cities coming soon (Android, rolling out on iOS) and Grab rides in 24 cities throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand (Android, rolling out on iOS). We've also expanded the availability of Gett, Hailo, and MyTaxi in select cities across Ireland, Poland, Italy, Austria, Russia, and Israel (Android, iOS).

      Commuting around your own city can be a battle and navigating around a foreign land can be ten times tougher. Using Google Maps offline and comparing between ride service options help make it a little easier so you can spend more time living and less time figuring out how to get places.

      Posted by Amanda Bishop, Product Manager, Google Maps










      ]]>
      Scenario 1: You live or are traveling around a place with expensive data or spotty service
      We’ve all been through this -- whether in our own backyard or a different country. You need to get directions, but you don’t have service. Or you do have service – but it’s spotty – so you find yourself staring at the map in a perpetual state of loading while you sit in your car waiting to find out which way to go. Now, when you know you’ll have spotty service or just want to save on data, you can toggle to “Wi-fi only” to use Google Maps entirely offline on Android. And the best part is that you can still use other apps and the rest of your phone as you normally would. You might even save on battery life too.

      81M6LszJB4Z.png

      Scenario 2: You’re running out of storage
      Entry-level smartphones come with internal storage capacities as low as 4GB, while higher-end models range between 8GB and 32GB. For many of us, that’s not enough for all the videos, music, apps, and photos we cram onto our beloved smartphones. To ensure that Google Maps users with any storage capacity can download and use offline areas when they need them most, we’ve added the ability to download your offline areas to an external SD card (if your device supports them) on Google Maps for Android. Now you’ll never have to choose between snapping more food photos or the ability to navigate offline.


      Scenario 3: You just want someone else to do the driving
      Sometimes you just need to get somewhere fast and don't want to drive, walk, or take public transportation. In March, we introduced a dedicated mode where users can easily compare ride service options without having to open multiple apps. In addition to showing options from Uber, we're now showing GO-JEK rides in three cities in Indonesia with ten more cities coming soon (Android, rolling out on iOS) and Grab rides in 24 cities throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand (Android, rolling out on iOS). We've also expanded the availability of Gett, Hailo, and MyTaxi in select cities across Ireland, Poland, Italy, Austria, Russia, and Israel (Android, iOS).

      Commuting around your own city can be a battle and navigating around a foreign land can be ten times tougher. Using Google Maps offline and comparing between ride service options help make it a little easier so you can spend more time living and less time figuring out how to get places.

      Posted by Amanda Bishop, Product Manager, Google Maps










      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/get-around-town-a-little-easier-with-new-offline-features-and-ride-service-options/feed/ 0       Google Maps goes for the win with Rio updates https://googledata.org/google-earth/google-maps-goes-for-the-win-with-rio-updates/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/google-maps-goes-for-the-win-with-rio-updates/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2016 12:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=7c636eebb89b73cd6defb8ca6ebd8bad
      Getting around Rio without a hitch
      For folks on the ground in Rio, Maps can be your real-world assistant, helping you get where you’re going via whichever mode of transportation you prefer. In April, we launched real-time transit for 1,300 bus lines in the ​​Rio metro area, as well as bike routes throughout Rio and the rest of Brazil.


      Construction, security and crowds during large-scale events can put a damper on a driver’s day. We’re working with the City of Rio to make sure Google Maps has the most up-to-date info on traffic, road closures and detours and help get you where you’re going faster.

      Breezing through traffic and beating the crowds is reason for celebration. With the Explore feature on Google Maps for Android and iOS in Brazil, anyone can uncover the local gems wherever you go by simply tapping “Explore food & drinks near you” at the bottom of the app. From there you can swipe through the best breakfast, lunch, coffee, dinner, and drinks spots around them.


      Getting all of Rio on the Map
      The favelas of Rio aren’t well-known to many outsiders, partly because there’s limited information about these areas to include on maps. We partnered with the local Brazilian nonprofit Grupo Cultural AfroReggae on a project called “Tá No Mapa” (“It’s On the Map” in English). Together with AfroReggae we trained 150 favela residents on digital mapping skills and in just two years they’ve mapped 26 favelas and gotten more than 3,000 businesses on the map. Not only does this allow locals to find businesses like Bar do David—an award-winning restaurant in the favela Chapeu Mangueira—it’s helped some local residents get a mailing address for the first time.



      Getting in on the action from home
      For those of you (*raises hand*) who can’t make it to Rio this summer, you can still get in on the excitement from the comfort of your home. We refreshed our Google Street View imagery to give virtual travelers an insider's look at the stadiums. You can almost taste the caipirinhas!


      For those who really want to feel like they’re in the the game, we also launched indoor maps of all 25 official indoor venues and added more details to the maps of the 12 outdoor venues – like the custom-made golf course where you can now practically see all 18 holes.


      No matter what city you find yourself in this summer, these very same features can help you find the perfect spot to watch the action and get there with ease.

      Posted by Marcus Leal, Product Manager, Google Maps



      ]]>
      Getting around Rio without a hitch
      For folks on the ground in Rio, Maps can be your real-world assistant, helping you get where you’re going via whichever mode of transportation you prefer. In April, we launched real-time transit for 1,300 bus lines in the ​​Rio metro area, as well as bike routes throughout Rio and the rest of Brazil.


      Construction, security and crowds during large-scale events can put a damper on a driver’s day. We’re working with the City of Rio to make sure Google Maps has the most up-to-date info on traffic, road closures and detours and help get you where you’re going faster.

      Breezing through traffic and beating the crowds is reason for celebration. With the Explore feature on Google Maps for Android and iOS in Brazil, anyone can uncover the local gems wherever you go by simply tapping “Explore food & drinks near you” at the bottom of the app. From there you can swipe through the best breakfast, lunch, coffee, dinner, and drinks spots around them.


      Getting all of Rio on the Map
      The favelas of Rio aren’t well-known to many outsiders, partly because there’s limited information about these areas to include on maps. We partnered with the local Brazilian nonprofit Grupo Cultural AfroReggae on a project called “Tá No Mapa” (“It’s On the Map” in English). Together with AfroReggae we trained 150 favela residents on digital mapping skills and in just two years they’ve mapped 26 favelas and gotten more than 3,000 businesses on the map. Not only does this allow locals to find businesses like Bar do David—an award-winning restaurant in the favela Chapeu Mangueira—it’s helped some local residents get a mailing address for the first time.



      Getting in on the action from home
      For those of you (*raises hand*) who can’t make it to Rio this summer, you can still get in on the excitement from the comfort of your home. We refreshed our Google Street View imagery to give virtual travelers an insider's look at the stadiums. You can almost taste the caipirinhas!


      For those who really want to feel like they’re in the the game, we also launched indoor maps of all 25 official indoor venues and added more details to the maps of the 12 outdoor venues – like the custom-made golf course where you can now practically see all 18 holes.


      No matter what city you find yourself in this summer, these very same features can help you find the perfect spot to watch the action and get there with ease.

      Posted by Marcus Leal, Product Manager, Google Maps



      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/google-maps-goes-for-the-win-with-rio-updates/feed/ 0       An experiment built with 3D Google Maps imagery, inspired by kids https://googledata.org/google-earth/an-experiment-built-with-3d-google-maps-imagery-inspired-by-kids/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/an-experiment-built-with-3d-google-maps-imagery-inspired-by-kids/#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2016 14:07:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=903174a55a6f0c00d36271d2a2e6f818


      For years, Google Maps has been adding 3D imagery from all over the world – New York City, the Grand Canyon, Mont Blanc, and more. A few of us started wondering if this 3D imagery could make learning about the world a bit more fun for kids. We started playing with quick prototypes, and even brainstormed with our own kids to get inspired by their sense of curiosity.

      Our idea became a new, experimental app called Verne: The Himalayas. It invites you to explore the Himalayas as a 500 foot Yeti named Verne. You can run up Mt. Everest, chase yaks, discover bits of information, ride a jetpack, play Himalayan instruments, and more.

      We're excited to share it today as a fun way for anyone to take a summer trip to the tallest mountain range in the world. Get the app for your Android device from the Play Store, or learn more here.

      Posted by: Amar Gandhi and JR Schmidt - 3D tinkerers and Yeti Enthusiasts



      ]]>


      For years, Google Maps has been adding 3D imagery from all over the world – New York City, the Grand Canyon, Mont Blanc, and more. A few of us started wondering if this 3D imagery could make learning about the world a bit more fun for kids. We started playing with quick prototypes, and even brainstormed with our own kids to get inspired by their sense of curiosity.

      Our idea became a new, experimental app called Verne: The Himalayas. It invites you to explore the Himalayas as a 500 foot Yeti named Verne. You can run up Mt. Everest, chase yaks, discover bits of information, ride a jetpack, play Himalayan instruments, and more.

      We're excited to share it today as a fun way for anyone to take a summer trip to the tallest mountain range in the world. Get the app for your Android device from the Play Store, or learn more here.

      Posted by: Amar Gandhi and JR Schmidt - 3D tinkerers and Yeti Enthusiasts



      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/an-experiment-built-with-3d-google-maps-imagery-inspired-by-kids/feed/ 0       Keep users focused on what’s important with the latest Google Maps Android API https://googledata.org/google-maps/keep-users-focused-on-whats-important-with-the-latest-google-maps-android-api/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/keep-users-focused-on-whats-important-with-the-latest-google-maps-android-api/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2016 23:44:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=f35d261a51d1d3b8fd723e7ce8da13d6

      Track camera movements more accurately

      As one of our top requests, developers have been asking for a better way to track camera movements and the ability to see why the camera is moving, whether caused by user gestures, built-in API animations or developer controlled movements [Issue 4636]. Our new camera change listeners support you in doing this. Your app can now receive notifications for camera start, ongoing, and end events.

      See the developer’s guide to camera change events and take a look at this code sample which shows you how to detect when the user drags the map, and draws a line to track this movement when it happens.

      Control the zooming, panning and scrolling experience

      Have you ever wanted to be able to control how much your user can zoom in and out and pan around on your map so that you can more tightly control the experience? Or have you got tile overlays only for zoom levels 15 through 20 and wish you could limit the zooming capability of both the map and your tile overlays to those particular levels?

      You can now set the min and max zoom levels on your map by using GoogleMap.setMinZoomPreference() and GoogleMap.setMaxZoomPreference() [Issue 4663]. These zoom levels will also apply to any tile overlays you have on your map.

      In addition, you can also constrain the lat/lng center bounds of the focal point of the map (the camera target) so that users can only scroll and pan within these bounds using GoogleMap.setLatLngBoundsForCameraTarget(). This is awesome if you want your users to stay within the map area of your tile overlays, or you wish to confine the map in your app to a particular local area.
      Pan and zoom limits on a map for Adelaide, a beautiful city in South Australia
      See the developer’s guide to learn more about setting boundaries on the map as well as this code sample.

      Marker tags

      Does your app cater for different types of markers and you want to treat them differently when a user taps on them? Or do you want to assign priorities to your markers? The new marker Tag property allows you to associate whatever data object you like with a marker, supporting you in doing this and more [Issue 4650].

      A big thank you to Android developers everywhere for using the Google Maps Android API and submitting feedback via the issue tracker.

      Our release notes contain details of bugs fixed as well as the features mentioned in this post. Take a look and start using our new features today!
      author image Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs


      ]]>

      Track camera movements more accurately

      As one of our top requests, developers have been asking for a better way to track camera movements and the ability to see why the camera is moving, whether caused by user gestures, built-in API animations or developer controlled movements [Issue 4636]. Our new camera change listeners support you in doing this. Your app can now receive notifications for camera start, ongoing, and end events.

      See the developer’s guide to camera change events and take a look at this code sample which shows you how to detect when the user drags the map, and draws a line to track this movement when it happens.

      Control the zooming, panning and scrolling experience

      Have you ever wanted to be able to control how much your user can zoom in and out and pan around on your map so that you can more tightly control the experience? Or have you got tile overlays only for zoom levels 15 through 20 and wish you could limit the zooming capability of both the map and your tile overlays to those particular levels?

      You can now set the min and max zoom levels on your map by using GoogleMap.setMinZoomPreference() and GoogleMap.setMaxZoomPreference() [Issue 4663]. These zoom levels will also apply to any tile overlays you have on your map.

      In addition, you can also constrain the lat/lng center bounds of the focal point of the map (the camera target) so that users can only scroll and pan within these bounds using GoogleMap.setLatLngBoundsForCameraTarget(). This is awesome if you want your users to stay within the map area of your tile overlays, or you wish to confine the map in your app to a particular local area.
      Pan and zoom limits on a map for Adelaide, a beautiful city in South Australia
      See the developer’s guide to learn more about setting boundaries on the map as well as this code sample.

      Marker tags

      Does your app cater for different types of markers and you want to treat them differently when a user taps on them? Or do you want to assign priorities to your markers? The new marker Tag property allows you to associate whatever data object you like with a marker, supporting you in doing this and more [Issue 4650].

      A big thank you to Android developers everywhere for using the Google Maps Android API and submitting feedback via the issue tracker.

      Our release notes contain details of bugs fixed as well as the features mentioned in this post. Take a look and start using our new features today!
      author image Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs


      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/keep-users-focused-on-whats-important-with-the-latest-google-maps-android-api/feed/ 0       Now you can build multi-stop road trips on Google Maps for iOS https://googledata.org/google-earth/now-you-can-build-multi-stop-road-trips-on-google-maps-for-ios/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/now-you-can-build-multi-stop-road-trips-on-google-maps-for-ios/#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2016 21:50:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d6331cce3a7f7e3a15df85c33a66af71

      Posted by Aditya Dhanrajani, Product Manager, Google Maps]]>

      Posted by Aditya Dhanrajani, Product Manager, Google Maps]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/now-you-can-build-multi-stop-road-trips-on-google-maps-for-ios/feed/ 0       New Zagat iOS app: Tap into tailored, trustworthy dining recommendations — wherever you may be https://googledata.org/google-earth/new-zagat-ios-app-tap-into-tailored-trustworthy-dining-recommendations-wherever-you-may-be/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/new-zagat-ios-app-tap-into-tailored-trustworthy-dining-recommendations-wherever-you-may-be/#comments Tue, 26 Jul 2016 12:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d36469d612a0b775ba51d0713d2b0448 mobile iOS app in order to provide relevant restaurant recommendations for diners on the go. Looking for new watering holes in your area or wanting the top recommended dining spots for the city you’re visiting? Zagat now makes it simple and easy using its reliable recipe that looks at the wisdom of the crowds combined with hand-crafted reviews. Check out the Zagat blog for more details.

      Author: Laura Slabin, Director, Local Content & Community]]>       mobile iOS app in order to provide relevant restaurant recommendations for diners on the go. Looking for new watering holes in your area or wanting the top recommended dining spots for the city you’re visiting? Zagat now makes it simple and easy using its reliable recipe that looks at the wisdom of the crowds combined with hand-crafted reviews. Check out the Zagat blog for more details.

      Author: Laura Slabin, Director, Local Content & Community]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/new-zagat-ios-app-tap-into-tailored-trustworthy-dining-recommendations-wherever-you-may-be/feed/ 0       Google Places API for iOS & Google Maps SDK for iOS are now in separate CocoaPods https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-places-api-for-ios-google-maps-sdk-for-ios-are-now-in-separate-cocoapods/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-places-api-for-ios-google-maps-sdk-for-ios-are-now-in-separate-cocoapods/#comments Tue, 26 Jul 2016 00:27:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=37a539d2b2548cec32c791ebe83b15d8

      What does this mean for me? What do I have to do?

      Nothing immediately for your current implementation, but we strongly suggest that you upgrade within the next year to the new Google Maps SDK for iOS 2.0 and Google Places API for iOS 2.0. The Google Maps for iOS SDK Version 1.x will become unsupported in one year’s time.

      If you are using the Standard Plan Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.x, and haven’t specified a version in your podfile, you will be automatically upgraded to the new Google Maps SDK for iOS 2.0 when you run ‘pod update’. If you use any Places functionality, we’ve created this migration guide for the Places API to step you through the process of migrating to the new Google Places API for iOS 2.0.

      In addition, we’ve documented how to extract all the frameworks (Maps, Places) from the relevant CocoaPods so you can manually include the SDKs in your project rather than using CocoaPods if you wish. [Issue 8856]

      What does this mean for Premium Plan Maps SDK customers?

      There is no longer a separate Google Maps Premium Plan SDK. Instead it has been replaced with the new streamlined Google Maps SDK for iOS 2.0 for both Standard and Premium Plan developers.

      We’ve created a Premium Plan migration guide that will step you through the process of migrating to the new Google Maps SDK for iOS 2.0. We’ve also documented how to extract the frameworks from the CocoaPods so you can manually include the SDKs in your project if you’d prefer that. Your Enterprise Maps key will continue to work, as will your Premium Plan.

      Please note:
      The Google Maps SDK for iOS Premium Plan SDK 1.13.2 (current version) will be supported for one year during which time we suggest you upgrade to the new streamlined Google Maps SDK for iOS 2.0.

      Take a look at our release notes and start using version 2.0 today!

      author image
      		 Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs
      ]]>

      What does this mean for me? What do I have to do?

      Nothing immediately for your current implementation, but we strongly suggest that you upgrade within the next year to the new Google Maps SDK for iOS 2.0 and Google Places API for iOS 2.0. The Google Maps for iOS SDK Version 1.x will become unsupported in one year’s time.

      If you are using the Standard Plan Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.x, and haven’t specified a version in your podfile, you will be automatically upgraded to the new Google Maps SDK for iOS 2.0 when you run ‘pod update’. If you use any Places functionality, we’ve created this migration guide for the Places API to step you through the process of migrating to the new Google Places API for iOS 2.0.

      In addition, we’ve documented how to extract all the frameworks (Maps, Places) from the relevant CocoaPods so you can manually include the SDKs in your project rather than using CocoaPods if you wish. [Issue 8856]

      What does this mean for Premium Plan Maps SDK customers?

      There is no longer a separate Google Maps Premium Plan SDK. Instead it has been replaced with the new streamlined Google Maps SDK for iOS 2.0 for both Standard and Premium Plan developers.

      We’ve created a Premium Plan migration guide that will step you through the process of migrating to the new Google Maps SDK for iOS 2.0. We’ve also documented how to extract the frameworks from the CocoaPods so you can manually include the SDKs in your project if you’d prefer that. Your Enterprise Maps key will continue to work, as will your Premium Plan.

      Please note:
      The Google Maps SDK for iOS Premium Plan SDK 1.13.2 (current version) will be supported for one year during which time we suggest you upgrade to the new streamlined Google Maps SDK for iOS 2.0.

      Take a look at our release notes and start using version 2.0 today!

      author image
      		 Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-places-api-for-ios-google-maps-sdk-for-ios-are-now-in-separate-cocoapods/feed/ 0       Discover the action around you with the updated Google Maps https://googledata.org/google-earth/discover-the-action-around-you-with-the-updated-google-maps/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/discover-the-action-around-you-with-the-updated-google-maps/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2016 19:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=23e0acc9435c62ab7a25452b0927d967

      A cleaner look 
      The world is full of information, which means highlighting necessary info on the map without overcrowding it is a balancing act. So as part of this update, we’ve removed elements that aren’t absolutely required (like road outlines). The result is a cleaner look that makes it easier to see helpful and actionable information like traffic and transit. And we’ve improved the typography of street names, points of interest, transit stations, and more to make them more distinguishable from other things on the map, helping you navigate the world with fewer distractions.


      Areas of interest
      The cleaner canvas also lets us show local information in entirely new ways. As you explore the new map, you’ll notice areas shaded in orange representing “areas of interest”—places where there’s a lot of activities and things to do. To find an “area of interest” just open Google Maps and look around you. When you’ve found an orange-shaded area, zoom in to see more details about each venue and tap one for more info. Whether you’re looking for a hotel in a hot spot or just trying to determine which way to go after exiting the subway in a new place, “areas of interest” will help you find what you’re looking for with just a couple swipes and a zoom.



      We determine “areas of interest” with an algorithmic process that allows us to highlight the areas with the highest concentration of restaurants, bars and shops. In high-density areas like NYC, we use a human touch to make sure we’re showing the most active areas.

      A more subtle and balanced color scheme
      The new Maps has a subtle color scheme to help you easily differentiate between man-made or natural features, and quickly identify places like hospitals, schools or highways. In case you’re curious, here’s a key showing what each color on the map represents.
      Google Maps already provides you everything you need to get around the world in one place —including business information, ratings and reviews, and more than 100+ million distinct places. And with these updates, it's now even easier to navigate to where you want to go.

      Posted by Zhou Bailiang, UX Designer, Google Maps and Mark Li, Software Engineer, Google Local






      ]]>

      A cleaner look 
      The world is full of information, which means highlighting necessary info on the map without overcrowding it is a balancing act. So as part of this update, we’ve removed elements that aren’t absolutely required (like road outlines). The result is a cleaner look that makes it easier to see helpful and actionable information like traffic and transit. And we’ve improved the typography of street names, points of interest, transit stations, and more to make them more distinguishable from other things on the map, helping you navigate the world with fewer distractions.


      Areas of interest
      The cleaner canvas also lets us show local information in entirely new ways. As you explore the new map, you’ll notice areas shaded in orange representing “areas of interest”—places where there’s a lot of activities and things to do. To find an “area of interest” just open Google Maps and look around you. When you’ve found an orange-shaded area, zoom in to see more details about each venue and tap one for more info. Whether you’re looking for a hotel in a hot spot or just trying to determine which way to go after exiting the subway in a new place, “areas of interest” will help you find what you’re looking for with just a couple swipes and a zoom.



      We determine “areas of interest” with an algorithmic process that allows us to highlight the areas with the highest concentration of restaurants, bars and shops. In high-density areas like NYC, we use a human touch to make sure we’re showing the most active areas.

      A more subtle and balanced color scheme
      The new Maps has a subtle color scheme to help you easily differentiate between man-made or natural features, and quickly identify places like hospitals, schools or highways. In case you’re curious, here’s a key showing what each color on the map represents.
      Google Maps already provides you everything you need to get around the world in one place —including business information, ratings and reviews, and more than 100+ million distinct places. And with these updates, it's now even easier to navigate to where you want to go.

      Posted by Zhou Bailiang, UX Designer, Google Maps and Mark Li, Software Engineer, Google Local






      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/discover-the-action-around-you-with-the-updated-google-maps/feed/ 0       I/O session: Location and Proximity Superpowers: Eddystone + Google Beacon Platform https://googledata.org/google-maps/io-session-location-and-proximity-superpowers-eddystone-google-beacon-platform/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/io-session-location-and-proximity-superpowers-eddystone-google-beacon-platform/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2016 15:05:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=1a69413f640adbd367f8eb6aa9b762c2
      Since then, we’ve learned that when deployment of physical infrastructure is involved, it’s important to get the best possible value from your investment. That’s why the Google beacon platform works differently from the traditional approach.

      We don’t think of beacons as only pointing to a single feature in an app, or a single web resource. Instead, the Google beacon platform enables extensible location infrastructure that you can manage through your Google Developer project and reuse many times. Each beacon can take part in several different interactions: through your app, through other developers’ apps, through Google services, and the web. All of this functionality works transparently across Eddystone-UID and Eddystone-EID -- because using our APIs means you never have to think about monitoring for the individual bytes that a beacon is broadcasting.

      For example, we’re excited that the City of Amsterdam has adopted Eddystone and the newly released publicly visible namespace feature for the foundation of their open beacon network. Or, through Nearby Notifications, Eddystone and the Google beacon platform enable explorers of the BFG Dream Jar Trail to discover cloud-updateable content in Dream Jars across London.

      To make getting started as easy as possible we’ve provided a set of tools to help developers, including links to beacon manufacturers that can help you with Eddystone, Beacon Tools (for Android and iOS), the Beacon Dashboard, a codelab and of course our documentation. And, if you were not able to attend Google I/O in person this year, you can watch my session, Location and Proximity Superpowers: Eddystone + Google Beacon Platform:
      We can’t wait to see what you build!

      author image
      		 About Peter: I am a Product Manager for the Google beacon platform, including the open beacon format Eddystone, and Google's cloud services that integrate beacon technology with first and third party apps. When I’m not working at Google I enjoy taking my dog, Oscar, for walks on Hampstead Heath.
      ]]>
      Since then, we’ve learned that when deployment of physical infrastructure is involved, it’s important to get the best possible value from your investment. That’s why the Google beacon platform works differently from the traditional approach.

      We don’t think of beacons as only pointing to a single feature in an app, or a single web resource. Instead, the Google beacon platform enables extensible location infrastructure that you can manage through your Google Developer project and reuse many times. Each beacon can take part in several different interactions: through your app, through other developers’ apps, through Google services, and the web. All of this functionality works transparently across Eddystone-UID and Eddystone-EID -- because using our APIs means you never have to think about monitoring for the individual bytes that a beacon is broadcasting.

      For example, we’re excited that the City of Amsterdam has adopted Eddystone and the newly released publicly visible namespace feature for the foundation of their open beacon network. Or, through Nearby Notifications, Eddystone and the Google beacon platform enable explorers of the BFG Dream Jar Trail to discover cloud-updateable content in Dream Jars across London.

      To make getting started as easy as possible we’ve provided a set of tools to help developers, including links to beacon manufacturers that can help you with Eddystone, Beacon Tools (for Android and iOS), the Beacon Dashboard, a codelab and of course our documentation. And, if you were not able to attend Google I/O in person this year, you can watch my session, Location and Proximity Superpowers: Eddystone + Google Beacon Platform:
      We can’t wait to see what you build!

      author image
      		 About Peter: I am a Product Manager for the Google beacon platform, including the open beacon format Eddystone, and Google's cloud services that integrate beacon technology with first and third party apps. When I’m not working at Google I enjoy taking my dog, Oscar, for walks on Hampstead Heath.
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/io-session-location-and-proximity-superpowers-eddystone-google-beacon-platform/feed/ 0       More ways to share your street smarts in Google Maps https://googledata.org/google-earth/more-ways-to-share-your-street-smarts-in-google-maps/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/more-ways-to-share-your-street-smarts-in-google-maps/#comments Thu, 21 Jul 2016 13:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9ed62cdd957c6de4ed43ca12f411a7e7
      Easily add places or suggest edits
      First, we’ve expanded the ability to add missing places and edit existing business or landmark information worldwide on both the Google Maps app (Android, iOS) and through Google Search. This lets people contribute new and updated information to Google Maps from more places—whether they’re searching for a new restaurant on Google.com or looking for a nearby convenience store while on the go.

      Share more details about a place
      There’s more to a place than its business hours or address—you might want to know if a place has a romantic vibe, serves vegetarian food or offers outdoor seating. Now on Google Maps for Android and when searching on your mobile phone, you can contribute what you know about a place so that others can benefit from the info as well. Knowing these types of details helps us build a deeper understanding of a place so we can better help users find the places most relevant to them.
      Verify suggested edits from others
      We’ve also introduced a new way for users to help approve edits suggested by others, ultimately reducing the amount of time it takes for edits to appear on the map. For places that have pending suggestions, you’ll see a notification stating that “Someone suggested new info.” If you click or tap that notification, you’ll have the option to verify whether the suggestion is accurate. Once enough votes are received to be confident that the suggestion is accurate, it’s published to the map. This feature is available to Android users on the Google Maps app and both Android and iOS users on mobile Google Search.


      Together, these new changes let people who are familiar with their neighborhoods help provide accurate, reliable information about their favorite haunts and hidden gems. So now when searching for useful information about a place on Google Maps or Search, you’ll get an even better representation of the ever-changing world around us.

      Posted by Nirav Mehta, Product Manager, Google Maps and Local Search




      ]]>
      Easily add places or suggest edits
      First, we’ve expanded the ability to add missing places and edit existing business or landmark information worldwide on both the Google Maps app (Android, iOS) and through Google Search. This lets people contribute new and updated information to Google Maps from more places—whether they’re searching for a new restaurant on Google.com or looking for a nearby convenience store while on the go.

      Share more details about a place
      There’s more to a place than its business hours or address—you might want to know if a place has a romantic vibe, serves vegetarian food or offers outdoor seating. Now on Google Maps for Android and when searching on your mobile phone, you can contribute what you know about a place so that others can benefit from the info as well. Knowing these types of details helps us build a deeper understanding of a place so we can better help users find the places most relevant to them.
      Verify suggested edits from others
      We’ve also introduced a new way for users to help approve edits suggested by others, ultimately reducing the amount of time it takes for edits to appear on the map. For places that have pending suggestions, you’ll see a notification stating that “Someone suggested new info.” If you click or tap that notification, you’ll have the option to verify whether the suggestion is accurate. Once enough votes are received to be confident that the suggestion is accurate, it’s published to the map. This feature is available to Android users on the Google Maps app and both Android and iOS users on mobile Google Search.


      Together, these new changes let people who are familiar with their neighborhoods help provide accurate, reliable information about their favorite haunts and hidden gems. So now when searching for useful information about a place on Google Maps or Search, you’ll get an even better representation of the ever-changing world around us.

      Posted by Nirav Mehta, Product Manager, Google Maps and Local Search




      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/more-ways-to-share-your-street-smarts-in-google-maps/feed/ 0       Announcing marker clustering in the Google Maps SDK for iOS Utility Library https://googledata.org/google-maps/announcing-marker-clustering-in-the-google-maps-sdk-for-ios-utility-library/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/announcing-marker-clustering-in-the-google-maps-sdk-for-ios-utility-library/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2016 01:02:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d56a751bec20d18ab45db2975aca83d0 marker clustering to the Google Maps SDK for iOS Utility Library! This much-requested feature is now available for iOS in addition to Android and JavaScript.

      Do you ever feel that your map just has too many markers on it, making it feel cluttered and hard to comprehend? Or, perhaps you want to show where the popular restaurants are in your city, but you still want your map to look clean?

      Marker clustering supports you in doing this. As the zoom levels of the map change, you can aggregate markers, indicating clearly to your users exactly where those popular restaurants are located. As your user zooms in, the markers progressively split out until all of the individual markers are displayed.
      Using the new marker clustering feature in the Google Maps SDK for iOS Utility Library is an easy 4 step process:
      • Add ‘Google-Maps-iOS-Utils’ to your Podfile
      • Instantiate the GMUClusterManager
      • Implement the GMUClusterItem protocol for your marker objects
      • Add the marker objects to the cluster manager
      We provide the default algorithm, renderer and icon generator to support you in doing this. In addition, you can also fully customize each of these by extending the default implementations, or by providing your own implementation of these protocols: GMUClusterAlgorithm, GMUClusterRenderer, GMUClusterIconGenerator.

      Take a look at the documentation and demo samples, and start using marker clustering in the Google Maps SDK for iOS Utility Library today!

      author image
      		 Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs
      ]]>       marker clustering to the Google Maps SDK for iOS Utility Library! This much-requested feature is now available for iOS in addition to Android and JavaScript.

      Do you ever feel that your map just has too many markers on it, making it feel cluttered and hard to comprehend? Or, perhaps you want to show where the popular restaurants are in your city, but you still want your map to look clean?

      Marker clustering supports you in doing this. As the zoom levels of the map change, you can aggregate markers, indicating clearly to your users exactly where those popular restaurants are located. As your user zooms in, the markers progressively split out until all of the individual markers are displayed.
      Using the new marker clustering feature in the Google Maps SDK for iOS Utility Library is an easy 4 step process:
      • Add ‘Google-Maps-iOS-Utils’ to your Podfile
      • Instantiate the GMUClusterManager
      • Implement the GMUClusterItem protocol for your marker objects
      • Add the marker objects to the cluster manager
      We provide the default algorithm, renderer and icon generator to support you in doing this. In addition, you can also fully customize each of these by extending the default implementations, or by providing your own implementation of these protocols: GMUClusterAlgorithm, GMUClusterRenderer, GMUClusterIconGenerator.

      Take a look at the documentation and demo samples, and start using marker clustering in the Google Maps SDK for iOS Utility Library today!

      author image
      		 Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/announcing-marker-clustering-in-the-google-maps-sdk-for-ios-utility-library/feed/ 0       I/O session live: Building geo services that scale https://googledata.org/google-maps/io-session-live-building-geo-services-that-scale/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/io-session-live-building-geo-services-that-scale/#comments Thu, 14 Jul 2016 18:57:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=862539a9e3fb8c95e57e91824e004f32 Posted by Laurence Moroney, Developer Advocate at Google
      While at Google I/O, l had the opportunity to present the session ‘Building geo services that scale’. I’m pleased to share it more broadly for those of you who were not able to be there in person:
      Building geo services that scale
      Not all map and geo applications run entirely on your mobile device. Perhaps you want to protect your keys or other API access data from reverse engineering by putting them in the cloud, or you have custom business logic that you run on your server that you don't want to distribute via mobile. To protect your keys and API access data you'll need to operate some kind of service. In this session you'll learn how to build that service on the Google Cloud Platform and consume it in a mobile application that uses the Google Maps APIs.
      DSC_3206 (1).jpg

      author image      		 About Laurence: I am a Developer Advocate at Google, working on mobile services, specializing in cross-platform developer technologies. As the host of 'Coffee with a Googler' on the Google Developers channel I’m able to meet with some of those most creative and inspiring developers at Google and learn about the projects they’re leading. When I’m not Googling, I’m involved in many things, including working on the revival comics for the Stargate TV shows, and enjoying the geek cred that this brings.


      ]]>       Posted by Laurence Moroney, Developer Advocate at Google
      While at Google I/O, l had the opportunity to present the session ‘Building geo services that scale’. I’m pleased to share it more broadly for those of you who were not able to be there in person:
      Building geo services that scale
      Not all map and geo applications run entirely on your mobile device. Perhaps you want to protect your keys or other API access data from reverse engineering by putting them in the cloud, or you have custom business logic that you run on your server that you don't want to distribute via mobile. To protect your keys and API access data you'll need to operate some kind of service. In this session you'll learn how to build that service on the Google Cloud Platform and consume it in a mobile application that uses the Google Maps APIs.
      DSC_3206 (1).jpg

      author image      		 About Laurence: I am a Developer Advocate at Google, working on mobile services, specializing in cross-platform developer technologies. As the host of 'Coffee with a Googler' on the Google Developers channel I’m able to meet with some of those most creative and inspiring developers at Google and learn about the projects they’re leading. When I’m not Googling, I’m involved in many things, including working on the revival comics for the Stargate TV shows, and enjoying the geek cred that this brings.


      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/io-session-live-building-geo-services-that-scale/feed/ 0       Behind the Australian Elections Map: Mapping democracy in real-time https://googledata.org/google-maps/behind-the-australian-elections-map-mapping-democracy-in-real-time/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/behind-the-australian-elections-map-mapping-democracy-in-real-time/#comments Fri, 01 Jul 2016 23:53:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=37f65dc9cfb45a49282062813949e3e4
      Googlers in the Sydney office were recently chatting about the upcoming election and realized we all had similar questions: what were the results last cycle, where are the closest polling stations, and where do we look for real-time results on election day? Friends and family were asking the same questions, so we decided to build a solution using Google Maps APIs, Firebase, Google App Engine, Google Cloud Compute, Angular 2, the Google Translation Toolkit and Go.



      The aim of the election map was to provide all the information that Australians would need to participate in the voting process. We wanted to cover pre-, mid- and post-election needs, including:

      1. A polling place locator with searchable addresses, suburbs, and electorates
      2. Directions and navigation to the polling places, accessible via the election map
      3. Real-time election results once polling has closed and counting has started
      4. The ability to share and embed maps.

      UX mockup: map and fake election results using testing data

      The pre-election map displays static electorate data, polling booths and ballot papers. It also indicates who won the electorate in the last 2013 election. To do this, we sourced 2013 election data from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and stored it in a Go application intended for Google App Engine so that it could be served to the website frontend. The AEC provided us with data about electorate boundaries and polling place locations.

      The website frontend was built using Angular 2 and we've used several open source projects, including GDAL, mapshaper and a point clustering library. These libraries allowed us to send only the required details for a user's viewport, while keeping data usage reasonably low and reducing visual noise.

      Polling location information with address and directions intent
      Day-of website visitors will have the ability to search for polling stations and learn about what services are available at each location (accessibility, sausage sizzle and/or cake stand). We sourced the sausage sizzle and cake stand data from Democracy Sausage and Snagvotes. We used the polling place ID to match these to the AEC polling place identifiers. We built a small Google Compute Engine app which sources the data from our sausage sizzle data sources and broadcasts it out to our live web application using Firebase Realtime Database.
      Autocomplete searches for polling locations
      To enable the search functionality, we use two different services in parallel. We first attempt to match the search query against the electorate list on the client. We also use the Google Maps Javascript API Places Library with Autocomplete to provide suggestions of what users might be searching for, including suburbs, places of interest and addresses. This gives our users the ability to select recommendations instead of having to type full queries.

      Voters also need to plan their trip to the polling booths. We relied on Google Maps' existing real-time traffic information and turn-by-turn directions to provide directions functionality.

      After 6pm on election night and when votes begin to be counted, we will switch the site to show real time election results. To do this, again we are using the AEC data feed and Firebase Realtime Database.

      To make it really easy for people to visualize the elections results we employed a hemicycle (half donut circle) in the left sidebar to display real-time results. We also added "share" and "embed" features so people and media can easily share information about the election.
      This project was put together by a cross-functional group of Google volunteers including software engineers, UX Designers, product managers and the legal and marketing teams. We'll all be voting on July 2nd, cake in hand. See you at the polls!

      author image
      		 About Taylah: I am an Associate Product Manager at Google’s Sydney office where I work on Google Maps for Android Auto. I love working on Google Maps as you get to help millions of people explore the world every day. When I’m not at work, I love exploring beautiful places, shopping in thrift stores, painting and spending time with my family and friends.

      ]]>
      Googlers in the Sydney office were recently chatting about the upcoming election and realized we all had similar questions: what were the results last cycle, where are the closest polling stations, and where do we look for real-time results on election day? Friends and family were asking the same questions, so we decided to build a solution using Google Maps APIs, Firebase, Google App Engine, Google Cloud Compute, Angular 2, the Google Translation Toolkit and Go.



      The aim of the election map was to provide all the information that Australians would need to participate in the voting process. We wanted to cover pre-, mid- and post-election needs, including:

      1. A polling place locator with searchable addresses, suburbs, and electorates
      2. Directions and navigation to the polling places, accessible via the election map
      3. Real-time election results once polling has closed and counting has started
      4. The ability to share and embed maps.

      UX mockup: map and fake election results using testing data

      The pre-election map displays static electorate data, polling booths and ballot papers. It also indicates who won the electorate in the last 2013 election. To do this, we sourced 2013 election data from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and stored it in a Go application intended for Google App Engine so that it could be served to the website frontend. The AEC provided us with data about electorate boundaries and polling place locations.

      The website frontend was built using Angular 2 and we've used several open source projects, including GDAL, mapshaper and a point clustering library. These libraries allowed us to send only the required details for a user's viewport, while keeping data usage reasonably low and reducing visual noise.

      Polling location information with address and directions intent
      Day-of website visitors will have the ability to search for polling stations and learn about what services are available at each location (accessibility, sausage sizzle and/or cake stand). We sourced the sausage sizzle and cake stand data from Democracy Sausage and Snagvotes. We used the polling place ID to match these to the AEC polling place identifiers. We built a small Google Compute Engine app which sources the data from our sausage sizzle data sources and broadcasts it out to our live web application using Firebase Realtime Database.
      Autocomplete searches for polling locations
      To enable the search functionality, we use two different services in parallel. We first attempt to match the search query against the electorate list on the client. We also use the Google Maps Javascript API Places Library with Autocomplete to provide suggestions of what users might be searching for, including suburbs, places of interest and addresses. This gives our users the ability to select recommendations instead of having to type full queries.

      Voters also need to plan their trip to the polling booths. We relied on Google Maps' existing real-time traffic information and turn-by-turn directions to provide directions functionality.

      After 6pm on election night and when votes begin to be counted, we will switch the site to show real time election results. To do this, again we are using the AEC data feed and Firebase Realtime Database.

      To make it really easy for people to visualize the elections results we employed a hemicycle (half donut circle) in the left sidebar to display real-time results. We also added "share" and "embed" features so people and media can easily share information about the election.
      This project was put together by a cross-functional group of Google volunteers including software engineers, UX Designers, product managers and the legal and marketing teams. We'll all be voting on July 2nd, cake in hand. See you at the polls!

      author image
      		 About Taylah: I am an Associate Product Manager at Google’s Sydney office where I work on Google Maps for Android Auto. I love working on Google Maps as you get to help millions of people explore the world every day. When I’m not at work, I love exploring beautiful places, shopping in thrift stores, painting and spending time with my family and friends.

      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/behind-the-australian-elections-map-mapping-democracy-in-real-time/feed/ 0       Kick off your summer travels with these new Google Maps features https://googledata.org/google-maps/kick-off-your-summer-travels-with-these-new-google-maps-features/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/kick-off-your-summer-travels-with-these-new-google-maps-features/#comments Thu, 30 Jun 2016 13:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=002c431d55dfbffeaaba9a583230fd54 The weather’s heating up, kids are out of school, and that means only one thing: summer’s officially here. Summer brings weekend road trips, faraway escapes and all kinds of getaways in between. And with the latest update to Google Maps, we're introducing two new features to get you where you’re going and help you remember your travels in a brand new way.

      Road trip warriors can now get multi-stop directions in Google Maps on Android (coming soon to iOS). Just open the app, enter a destination, tap the corner menu, and then click “Add a stop”. To rearrange the order of your stops, tap and hold the three dot menu to the left of “Add stop” and drag it to the position you want – you can even search for types of places like gas stations or restaurants like you normally would. Once you’ve added all your stops, tap “Done” and your multi-stop route is complete. When you enter navigation mode you’ll have the same seamless driving experience you’re used to, whether you’re going from errand to errand or hitting scenic spots along Route 66.


      A lot of the fun of traveling is the memories created while exploring new places with friends, family or even solo. Pictures are a traditional way to remember those moments, but now Your Timeline users on Android can preserve their travel memories and info in a new way. Google Maps users with Location History enabled can open Your Timeline, select a date from their recent vacation or everyday life and add notes to help remember what they did that day—or save important notes for later.



      No matter where your travels take you this summer and beyond, these new Google Maps features will get you there and help keep track of all the memories you make along the way.

      Posted by Liz Davidoff, Communications Manager, Google Maps


      ]]>       The weather’s heating up, kids are out of school, and that means only one thing: summer’s officially here. Summer brings weekend road trips, faraway escapes and all kinds of getaways in between. And with the latest update to Google Maps, we're introducing two new features to get you where you’re going and help you remember your travels in a brand new way.

      Road trip warriors can now get multi-stop directions in Google Maps on Android (coming soon to iOS). Just open the app, enter a destination, tap the corner menu, and then click “Add a stop”. To rearrange the order of your stops, tap and hold the three dot menu to the left of “Add stop” and drag it to the position you want – you can even search for types of places like gas stations or restaurants like you normally would. Once you’ve added all your stops, tap “Done” and your multi-stop route is complete. When you enter navigation mode you’ll have the same seamless driving experience you’re used to, whether you’re going from errand to errand or hitting scenic spots along Route 66.


      A lot of the fun of traveling is the memories created while exploring new places with friends, family or even solo. Pictures are a traditional way to remember those moments, but now Your Timeline users on Android can preserve their travel memories and info in a new way. Google Maps users with Location History enabled can open Your Timeline, select a date from their recent vacation or everyday life and add notes to help remember what they did that day—or save important notes for later.



      No matter where your travels take you this summer and beyond, these new Google Maps features will get you there and help keep track of all the memories you make along the way.

      Posted by Liz Davidoff, Communications Manager, Google Maps


      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/kick-off-your-summer-travels-with-these-new-google-maps-features/feed/ 0       Marker zIndex and more come to the Google Maps Android API https://googledata.org/google-maps/marker-zindex-and-more-come-to-the-google-maps-android-api/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/marker-zindex-and-more-come-to-the-google-maps-android-api/#comments Mon, 27 Jun 2016 23:36:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=105c00de197ba6606d8fb182f74bb131

      Marker zIndex

      Marker zIndex is one of the most requested features on our issue tracker - today's release gives you the ability to control the order in which markers are displayed on the map [Issue 7762]. This gives you control over which tap target your user is most likely to hit by setting the zIndex property on each marker. The markers are drawn in order of the zIndex, with the the highest zIndex marker drawn on top.


      animated image with cars moving over a plane
      animated image with cars moving under a plane thanks to zIndex
      Before: No control over the marker zIndex. The plane will be obscured by some of the cars. After: The zIndex of the plane is set to be the highest. The plane is now always visible on top.

      Tile overlay transparency

      Just like ground overlays, you can now set the transparency of your tile overlay to allow the basemap to show through [Issue 4765].

      Circle clickability

      Just like polylines and polygons, apps compiled with the latest release can now have circle clickability via the OnCircleClickListener. You can enable or disable the clickability of circles by calling setClickable(boolean) on the relevant circle.

      getMapAsync() now required

      In December 2014 we deprecated getMap() in favor of getMapAsync(). From this release onwards, you'll need to use getMapAsync() in order to compile your apps. Note that existing apps in the wild on your users' devices won't be impacted by this change as the getMap() method still exists within the Google Play Services APK that is delivered to Android devices.

      If you haven't already done so, follow these steps:

      Here's a sample fragment using the deprecated getMap(), with a fictitious doStuff() method that would implement the fragment's initial logic:
      import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity;
 import com.google.android.gms.maps.GoogleMap;
 import com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment;

 public class MainActivity extends FragmentActivity {

     private GoogleMap mMap;

     @Override
     public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
         setContentView(R.layout.main);
         mMap = ((SupportMapFragment) getSupportFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.map)).getMap();
         doStuff();
     }

 }


      The above however was error prone, since getMap() could potentially return null. Here's the same sample using getMapAsync():

      import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity;
 import com.google.android.gms.maps.GoogleMap;
 import com.google.android.gms.maps.OnMapReadyCallback;
 import com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment;

 public class MainActivity extends FragmentActivity implements OnMapReadyCallback {

     private GoogleMap mMap;

     @Override
     public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
         setContentView(R.layout.main);
         ((SupportMapFragment) getSupportFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.map)).getMapAsync(this);
     }

     @Override
     public void onMapReady(GoogleMap map) {
         mMap = map;
         doStuff();
     }

 }

      You can see we now implement the OnMapReadyCallback interface which defines the onMapReady() method, which will be called when the GoogleMap instance is ready. We’ve also moved the call to the fictitious doStuff() method into onMapReady(), since this is where we now want to start the fragment's initial logic.

      A big thank you to Android developers everywhere for using the Google Maps Android API and submitting feedback via the issue tracker.

      Our release notes contain details of bugs fixed, deprecation notices, as well as the features mentioned in this post. Take a look and start using our new features today!



      author image
      		 Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs.
      ]]>

      Marker zIndex

      Marker zIndex is one of the most requested features on our issue tracker - today's release gives you the ability to control the order in which markers are displayed on the map [Issue 7762]. This gives you control over which tap target your user is most likely to hit by setting the zIndex property on each marker. The markers are drawn in order of the zIndex, with the the highest zIndex marker drawn on top.


      animated image with cars moving over a plane
      animated image with cars moving under a plane thanks to zIndex
      Before: No control over the marker zIndex. The plane will be obscured by some of the cars. After: The zIndex of the plane is set to be the highest. The plane is now always visible on top.

      Tile overlay transparency

      Just like ground overlays, you can now set the transparency of your tile overlay to allow the basemap to show through [Issue 4765].

      Circle clickability

      Just like polylines and polygons, apps compiled with the latest release can now have circle clickability via the OnCircleClickListener. You can enable or disable the clickability of circles by calling setClickable(boolean) on the relevant circle.

      getMapAsync() now required

      In December 2014 we deprecated getMap() in favor of getMapAsync(). From this release onwards, you'll need to use getMapAsync() in order to compile your apps. Note that existing apps in the wild on your users' devices won't be impacted by this change as the getMap() method still exists within the Google Play Services APK that is delivered to Android devices.

      If you haven't already done so, follow these steps:

      Here's a sample fragment using the deprecated getMap(), with a fictitious doStuff() method that would implement the fragment's initial logic:
      import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity;
 import com.google.android.gms.maps.GoogleMap;
 import com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment;

 public class MainActivity extends FragmentActivity {

     private GoogleMap mMap;

     @Override
     public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
         setContentView(R.layout.main);
         mMap = ((SupportMapFragment) getSupportFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.map)).getMap();
         doStuff();
     }

 }


      The above however was error prone, since getMap() could potentially return null. Here's the same sample using getMapAsync():

      import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity;
 import com.google.android.gms.maps.GoogleMap;
 import com.google.android.gms.maps.OnMapReadyCallback;
 import com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment;

 public class MainActivity extends FragmentActivity implements OnMapReadyCallback {

     private GoogleMap mMap;

     @Override
     public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
         setContentView(R.layout.main);
         ((SupportMapFragment) getSupportFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.map)).getMapAsync(this);
     }

     @Override
     public void onMapReady(GoogleMap map) {
         mMap = map;
         doStuff();
     }

 }

      You can see we now implement the OnMapReadyCallback interface which defines the onMapReady() method, which will be called when the GoogleMap instance is ready. We’ve also moved the call to the fictitious doStuff() method into onMapReady(), since this is where we now want to start the fragment's initial logic.

      A big thank you to Android developers everywhere for using the Google Maps Android API and submitting feedback via the issue tracker.

      Our release notes contain details of bugs fixed, deprecation notices, as well as the features mentioned in this post. Take a look and start using our new features today!



      author image
      		 Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs.
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/marker-zindex-and-more-come-to-the-google-maps-android-api/feed/ 0       Keeping Earth up to date and looking great https://googledata.org/google-earth/keeping-earth-up-to-date-and-looking-great/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/keeping-earth-up-to-date-and-looking-great/#comments Mon, 27 Jun 2016 15:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=8b47858848ff419dd17a888081b13b23 Three years ago we introduced a cloud-free mosaic of the world in Google Earth. Today we’re rolling out an even more beautiful and seamless version, with fresh imagery from Landsat 8 satellite and new processing techniques for sharper images than ever before. Satellite images are often cloudy, but not always over the same place, so we looked at millions of images and took the clearest pixels to stitch together this cloud-free and seamless image.
      Columbia Glacier, Alaska
      Detroit, Michigan
      Swiss Alps, Switzerland
      Higher Quality Imagery
      Landsat 8, which launched into orbit in 2013, is the newest sensor in the USGS/NASA Landsat Program—superior to its predecessors in many ways. Landsat 8 captures images with greater detail, truer colors, and at an unprecedented frequency—capturing twice as many images as Landsat 7 does every day. This new rendition of Earth uses the most recent data available -- mostly from Landsat 8 -- making it our freshest global mosaic to date.


      In the new view of New York City, details like skyscrapers, building shadows, and baseball and softball fields in Central Park shine through.


      Our previous mosaic used imagery from Landsat 7 only, which at the time was the best imagery of its kind. Unfortunately, Landsat 7 images captured after 2003 were affected by a hardware failure, resulting in large diagonal gaps of missing data You can see this effect in the subsets of two Landsat 7 images captured over Oklahoma City, OK, in 2000 and 2003.

      July 9, 2000

      September 20, 2003
      Processing imagery with Earth Engine
      To produce this new imagery, we used the same publicly available Earth Engine APIs that scientists use to do things like track global tree cover, loss, and gain; predict Malaria outbreaks; and map global surface water over a 30 year period.


      Like our previous mosaic, we mined data from nearly a petabyte of Landsat imagery—that’s more than 700 trillion individual pixels—to choose the best cloud-free pixels. To put that in perspective, 700 trillion pixels is 7,000 times more pixels than the estimated number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, or 70 times more pixels than the estimated number of galaxies in the Universe.
      Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan


      Screen Shot 2016-06-23 at 3.31.37 PM.jpg
      Brasilia, Brazil
      Open data is good for everyone
      This update was made possible in a large part thanks to the Landsat program and its commitment to free and accessible open data. Landsat, a joint program of the USGS and NASA, has observed the Earth continuously from 1972 to the present day and offers a wealth of information on the changes to the Earth's surface over time. And it's all available in Earth Engine!

      The new imagery is now available across all our mapping products. To check it out, open up Google Earth, or turn on the satellite layer in Google Maps.

      Post authored by: Chris Herwig, Program Manager, Google Earth Engine]]>       Three years ago we introduced a cloud-free mosaic of the world in Google Earth. Today we’re rolling out an even more beautiful and seamless version, with fresh imagery from Landsat 8 satellite and new processing techniques for sharper images than ever before. Satellite images are often cloudy, but not always over the same place, so we looked at millions of images and took the clearest pixels to stitch together this cloud-free and seamless image.
      Columbia Glacier, Alaska
      Detroit, Michigan
      Swiss Alps, Switzerland
      Higher Quality Imagery
      Landsat 8, which launched into orbit in 2013, is the newest sensor in the USGS/NASA Landsat Program—superior to its predecessors in many ways. Landsat 8 captures images with greater detail, truer colors, and at an unprecedented frequency—capturing twice as many images as Landsat 7 does every day. This new rendition of Earth uses the most recent data available -- mostly from Landsat 8 -- making it our freshest global mosaic to date.


      In the new view of New York City, details like skyscrapers, building shadows, and baseball and softball fields in Central Park shine through.


      Our previous mosaic used imagery from Landsat 7 only, which at the time was the best imagery of its kind. Unfortunately, Landsat 7 images captured after 2003 were affected by a hardware failure, resulting in large diagonal gaps of missing data You can see this effect in the subsets of two Landsat 7 images captured over Oklahoma City, OK, in 2000 and 2003.

      July 9, 2000

      September 20, 2003
      Processing imagery with Earth Engine
      To produce this new imagery, we used the same publicly available Earth Engine APIs that scientists use to do things like track global tree cover, loss, and gain; predict Malaria outbreaks; and map global surface water over a 30 year period.


      Like our previous mosaic, we mined data from nearly a petabyte of Landsat imagery—that’s more than 700 trillion individual pixels—to choose the best cloud-free pixels. To put that in perspective, 700 trillion pixels is 7,000 times more pixels than the estimated number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, or 70 times more pixels than the estimated number of galaxies in the Universe.
      Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan


      Screen Shot 2016-06-23 at 3.31.37 PM.jpg
      Brasilia, Brazil
      Open data is good for everyone
      This update was made possible in a large part thanks to the Landsat program and its commitment to free and accessible open data. Landsat, a joint program of the USGS and NASA, has observed the Earth continuously from 1972 to the present day and offers a wealth of information on the changes to the Earth's surface over time. And it's all available in Earth Engine!

      The new imagery is now available across all our mapping products. To check it out, open up Google Earth, or turn on the satellite layer in Google Maps.

      Post authored by: Chris Herwig, Program Manager, Google Earth Engine]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/keeping-earth-up-to-date-and-looking-great/feed/ 0       Building for Scale: Updates to Google Maps APIs Standard Plan https://googledata.org/google-maps/building-for-scale-updates-to-google-maps-apis-standard-plan/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/building-for-scale-updates-to-google-maps-apis-standard-plan/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2016 22:51:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=0aa5ab747d15bb5d53686b324879571c unicorns to passion projects to public service, the power of maps and location data is limited only by the creativity of developers.

      The Internet landscape has dramatically shifted from desktops to mobile devices in the last decade, and as a result, our services have evolved to meet the needs of our developers and their users. More devices means exponentially more requests, and hundreds of millions of global users are just coming online. Therefore, today we are announcing a few updates to bring more simplicity and consistency to our Standard Plan limits and pricing.

      As of June 22, 2016 we are making the following changes to the Google Maps APIs Standard Plan:

      1. We no longer support keyless access (any request that doesn't include an API key). Future product updates are only available for requests made with an API key. API keys allow us to contact developers when required and help us identify misbehaving implementations.
      2. We have implemented a simple 25,000 map loads per day free limit to new Google Maps JavaScript API, Static Maps API, and Street View Image API implementations. The confusing 90-consecutive-day grace period for these APIs is being retired on October 12, 2016. With this change, developers can predictably plan for growth while media sites and US nonprofits can request more quota at no charge via our dedicated support programs.
      3. We have reduced the daily map load maximum limit you can purchase for Google Maps JavaScript API, Static Maps API, and Street View Image API from 1,000,000 to 100,000 requests per API.* We believe higher-volume developers are best served with a Premium Plan license, which includes technical support and a Service Level Agreement, and with this change we've also created consistency between Standard Plan quotas across our maps and web service APIs.
      4. We now count Google Maps JavaScript API client-side requests towards the daily limit of the associated web service API.*

      The new policies will apply immediately to all Maps API implementations created on or after June 22nd, 2016.

      Existing applications have been grandfathered based on their current usage to ensure that they continue to function both now and in the future. We will also be proactively contacting all existing API key users who, based on usage growth patterns, may be impacted in the future. If you’re an existing user, please take the time to read our Policy Update for Standard Plan summary for details on how each of these changes might affect your implementation.

      Posted by Ken Hoetmer, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs

       * Exceptions may apply for implementations that were exceeding new quotas prior to June 22, 2016.]]>       unicorns to passion projects to public service, the power of maps and location data is limited only by the creativity of developers.

      The Internet landscape has dramatically shifted from desktops to mobile devices in the last decade, and as a result, our services have evolved to meet the needs of our developers and their users. More devices means exponentially more requests, and hundreds of millions of global users are just coming online. Therefore, today we are announcing a few updates to bring more simplicity and consistency to our Standard Plan limits and pricing.

      As of June 22, 2016 we are making the following changes to the Google Maps APIs Standard Plan:

      1. We no longer support keyless access (any request that doesn't include an API key). Future product updates are only available for requests made with an API key. API keys allow us to contact developers when required and help us identify misbehaving implementations.
      2. We have implemented a simple 25,000 map loads per day free limit to new Google Maps JavaScript API, Static Maps API, and Street View Image API implementations. The confusing 90-consecutive-day grace period for these APIs is being retired on October 12, 2016. With this change, developers can predictably plan for growth while media sites and US nonprofits can request more quota at no charge via our dedicated support programs.
      3. We have reduced the daily map load maximum limit you can purchase for Google Maps JavaScript API, Static Maps API, and Street View Image API from 1,000,000 to 100,000 requests per API.* We believe higher-volume developers are best served with a Premium Plan license, which includes technical support and a Service Level Agreement, and with this change we've also created consistency between Standard Plan quotas across our maps and web service APIs.
      4. We now count Google Maps JavaScript API client-side requests towards the daily limit of the associated web service API.*

      The new policies will apply immediately to all Maps API implementations created on or after June 22nd, 2016.

      Existing applications have been grandfathered based on their current usage to ensure that they continue to function both now and in the future. We will also be proactively contacting all existing API key users who, based on usage growth patterns, may be impacted in the future. If you’re an existing user, please take the time to read our Policy Update for Standard Plan summary for details on how each of these changes might affect your implementation.

      Posted by Ken Hoetmer, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs

       * Exceptions may apply for implementations that were exceeding new quotas prior to June 22, 2016.]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/building-for-scale-updates-to-google-maps-apis-standard-plan/feed/ 0       Learn about developing geo applications over coffee with Ankur Kotwal and Ken Hoetmer https://googledata.org/google-maps/learn-about-developing-geo-applications-over-coffee-with-ankur-kotwal-and-ken-hoetmer/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/learn-about-developing-geo-applications-over-coffee-with-ankur-kotwal-and-ken-hoetmer/#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2016 16:19:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=755f0ce091d0a152fcadb75c94d7b224 Posted by Laurence Moroney, Developer Advocate at Google

      While at Google I/O, I had a chance to sit down for a cup of coffee with Ankur Kotwal, Developer Advocate at Google and Ken Hoetmer, Product Manager for the Google Maps APIs. Both had an interesting perspective on how maps have evolved and where they are headed.

      In Ankur’s session we discussed technologies beyond the visualization aspects of maps, including the Directions API, Places API and Roads API. He highlighted innovative ways developers are using Google Maps APIs including VR, marker clustering and heatmaps. We also spoke about Santa Tracker, which Ankur has been a part of for four years (he also revealed what Santa likes to do during his time off). Ankur announced the new Google Maps APIs Beta program, so if you have not signed-up, head over to the site to apply.

      Learn about developing Geo applications over Coffee with Ankur Kotwal

      While speaking with Ken, we discussed how he started working with maps and the Google Maps API as well as how he eventually landed at Google on the Sydney maps team. Ken spoke about how use cases have evolved from interactive maps to more powerful applications and insights driven by location information made available through the APIs. He shared details about some newer APIs including native iOS and Android Places API, Roads API, Directions API and Predictive Travel Time (estimating travel time and routes based on now or in the future). He also highlighted some notable location-based intelligence use cases including Uber, GoJek, Dash Labs and the city of Sydney.

      Google Maps APIs and Coffee with Product Manager Ken Hoetmer








      author image
      		 About Laurence: I am a Developer Advocate at Google, working on mobile services, specializing in cross-platform developer technologies. As the host of 'Coffee with a Googler' on the Google Developers channel I’m able to meet with some of those most creative and inspiring developers at Google and learn about the projects they’re leading. When I’m not Googling, I’m involved in many things, including working on the revival comics for the Stargate TV shows, and enjoying the geek cred that this brings.

      ]]>       Posted by Laurence Moroney, Developer Advocate at Google

      While at Google I/O, I had a chance to sit down for a cup of coffee with Ankur Kotwal, Developer Advocate at Google and Ken Hoetmer, Product Manager for the Google Maps APIs. Both had an interesting perspective on how maps have evolved and where they are headed.

      In Ankur’s session we discussed technologies beyond the visualization aspects of maps, including the Directions API, Places API and Roads API. He highlighted innovative ways developers are using Google Maps APIs including VR, marker clustering and heatmaps. We also spoke about Santa Tracker, which Ankur has been a part of for four years (he also revealed what Santa likes to do during his time off). Ankur announced the new Google Maps APIs Beta program, so if you have not signed-up, head over to the site to apply.

      Learn about developing Geo applications over Coffee with Ankur Kotwal

      While speaking with Ken, we discussed how he started working with maps and the Google Maps API as well as how he eventually landed at Google on the Sydney maps team. Ken spoke about how use cases have evolved from interactive maps to more powerful applications and insights driven by location information made available through the APIs. He shared details about some newer APIs including native iOS and Android Places API, Roads API, Directions API and Predictive Travel Time (estimating travel time and routes based on now or in the future). He also highlighted some notable location-based intelligence use cases including Uber, GoJek, Dash Labs and the city of Sydney.

      Google Maps APIs and Coffee with Product Manager Ken Hoetmer








      author image
      		 About Laurence: I am a Developer Advocate at Google, working on mobile services, specializing in cross-platform developer technologies. As the host of 'Coffee with a Googler' on the Google Developers channel I’m able to meet with some of those most creative and inspiring developers at Google and learn about the projects they’re leading. When I’m not Googling, I’m involved in many things, including working on the revival comics for the Stargate TV shows, and enjoying the geek cred that this brings.

      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/learn-about-developing-geo-applications-over-coffee-with-ankur-kotwal-and-ken-hoetmer/feed/ 0       Going #SolarforSolstice with Project Sunroof and the Sierra Club https://googledata.org/google-earth/going-solarforsolstice-with-project-sunroof-and-the-sierra-club/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/going-solarforsolstice-with-project-sunroof-and-the-sierra-club/#comments Mon, 20 Jun 2016 18:57:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=70b7dab2145cf3a6607dde759b6da277
      The sun delivers more energy to Earth in one hour than civilization uses in a whole year. On this long Summer Solstice day, solar panels on your roof could generate enough energy to run your refrigerator for almost two weeks—that’s 50 percent more energy than the average day. Yet globally only about 1 percent of our energy comes from solar. So today, Project Sunroof teamed up with the Sierra Club to share some tips on how you can better use the sun to generate energy and protect our Earth.

      sunroof-gif-1.gif

      Solar energy is one of the cleanest energy sources available, and the U.S. has abundant solar resources. Project Sunroof is our attempt to make going solar a little easier. Homeowners can search their property and get a solar recommendation based on roof size, the amount of sun that hits it throughout the year, weather, applicable government incentives, and electricity rates and bill.

      sunroof-gif-2.gif

      Whether or not solar is an option for you, the Sierra Club has some additional tips on how to use the power of the sun and other forms of clean energy to slow the impacts of climate change. Check out Ready for 100 to learn more about how you can help us achieve 100% clean, renewable energy across the United States.
      SUN-6.gif



      Posted by Carl Elkin, Founder of Sunroof]]>
      The sun delivers more energy to Earth in one hour than civilization uses in a whole year. On this long Summer Solstice day, solar panels on your roof could generate enough energy to run your refrigerator for almost two weeks—that’s 50 percent more energy than the average day. Yet globally only about 1 percent of our energy comes from solar. So today, Project Sunroof teamed up with the Sierra Club to share some tips on how you can better use the sun to generate energy and protect our Earth.

      sunroof-gif-1.gif

      Solar energy is one of the cleanest energy sources available, and the U.S. has abundant solar resources. Project Sunroof is our attempt to make going solar a little easier. Homeowners can search their property and get a solar recommendation based on roof size, the amount of sun that hits it throughout the year, weather, applicable government incentives, and electricity rates and bill.

      sunroof-gif-2.gif

      Whether or not solar is an option for you, the Sierra Club has some additional tips on how to use the power of the sun and other forms of clean energy to slow the impacts of climate change. Check out Ready for 100 to learn more about how you can help us achieve 100% clean, renewable energy across the United States.
      SUN-6.gif



      Posted by Carl Elkin, Founder of Sunroof]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/going-solarforsolstice-with-project-sunroof-and-the-sierra-club/feed/ 0       More descriptive JavaScript console error messages https://googledata.org/google-maps/more-descriptive-javascript-console-error-messages/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/more-descriptive-javascript-console-error-messages/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2016 17:49:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=954097ba33150a87c5832e18c4d8dc72 Posted by Kosuke Mizubayashi, Technical Solutions Engineer at Google

      Over the past few months we've rolled out several JavaScript console error message improvements designed to help developers implement Google Maps JavaScript API into web apps. Our goal was to:

      • Give developers more descriptive error messages
      • Provide developers with a suggested solution to resolve the error
      • Avoid popups for displaying error messages
      • Create a positive experience for end-users in the event an error occurs

      How do developers usually use the JavaScript console? When? Why?
      Web developers use browser tools to develop and debug their applications. They can find various messages in the JavaScript console to which their application, libraries or APIs write. For users of our Google Maps JavaScript API, we have returned error messages in the JavaScript console for some types of Maps API errors. But, these messages were often not descriptive enough for web developers to investigate the issue and find solutions.

       What happened when users saw the old error messages?
      Our previous popup error messages showed up on the top of the web page. This JavaScript alert prevented users from interacting with the page until the “OK” button was clicked, even if they were not interacting with the map. We served 4 basic error messages that pointed to the general troubleshooting page of our website.
      Error_message.png

      What do developers and users see now?
      We now display 21 different error messages in the console —you can see the full list in our developer documentation. In addition, we've provided direct links from specific errors to self-service solutions on the developer site. We've also simplified the error messages displayed to end users -the improved error appears in the map div itself, allowing users to interact with the rest of the page even if the map load fails.
      JS Console error message.png

      We hope these changes will improve your implementation and interactions with your end users.


      author image
      		 About Kosuke: I’ve been a Technical Solutions Engineer at Google for 6 years. I enjoy working on the Google Maps APIs because there is always a new discovery on maps. Outside of Google, I love beer, especially after skiing in the mountains.
      ]]>       Posted by Kosuke Mizubayashi, Technical Solutions Engineer at Google

      Over the past few months we've rolled out several JavaScript console error message improvements designed to help developers implement Google Maps JavaScript API into web apps. Our goal was to:

      • Give developers more descriptive error messages
      • Provide developers with a suggested solution to resolve the error
      • Avoid popups for displaying error messages
      • Create a positive experience for end-users in the event an error occurs

      How do developers usually use the JavaScript console? When? Why?
      Web developers use browser tools to develop and debug their applications. They can find various messages in the JavaScript console to which their application, libraries or APIs write. For users of our Google Maps JavaScript API, we have returned error messages in the JavaScript console for some types of Maps API errors. But, these messages were often not descriptive enough for web developers to investigate the issue and find solutions.

       What happened when users saw the old error messages?
      Our previous popup error messages showed up on the top of the web page. This JavaScript alert prevented users from interacting with the page until the “OK” button was clicked, even if they were not interacting with the map. We served 4 basic error messages that pointed to the general troubleshooting page of our website.
      Error_message.png

      What do developers and users see now?
      We now display 21 different error messages in the console —you can see the full list in our developer documentation. In addition, we've provided direct links from specific errors to self-service solutions on the developer site. We've also simplified the error messages displayed to end users -the improved error appears in the map div itself, allowing users to interact with the rest of the page even if the map load fails.
      JS Console error message.png

      We hope these changes will improve your implementation and interactions with your end users.


      author image
      		 About Kosuke: I’ve been a Technical Solutions Engineer at Google for 6 years. I enjoy working on the Google Maps APIs because there is always a new discovery on maps. Outside of Google, I love beer, especially after skiing in the mountains.
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/more-descriptive-javascript-console-error-messages/feed/ 0       Google I/O session live: Streamlining developer experiences with the Google Maps APIs https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-io-session-live-streamlining-developer-experiences-with-the-google-maps-apis/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-io-session-live-streamlining-developer-experiences-with-the-google-maps-apis/#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2016 18:18:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a5689a442414bfe13f8c1bf068053c85 Posted by Ankur Kotwal, Developer Advocate at Google

      While at Google I/O, Laurence Moroney and I had a chance to present our session titled ‘Streamlining developer experiences with the Google Maps APIs’. We’re pleased to share it more broadly for those of you who were not able to be there in person:
      Streamlining developer experiences with the Google Maps APIs
      The Google Maps APIs provide a seamless experience for developers of all levels. Some want to offer a map or directions but don't want to build these things themselves; this can be achieved with just a few lines of code. Other developers prefer to integrate natively with off-the-shelf widgets. Finally, some developers want complete control over every aspect of the presentation. This session highlights the Maps APIs that represent the full gamut of the developer experiences, enabling you to get going immediately and scale as necessary. You'll see how widgets and services can be added over time with a suite of Maps APIs, services and libraries.






      author image
      		 About Ankur: I am a Developer Advocate at Google experienced in building on Android and the Google Maps API. I am based out of the Google Sydney office and lead the Geo Developer Relations & Next Billion Users Developer Relations team to inspire developers towards building on the Google developer platform. When I’m not at Google inspiring other developers, I enjoy spending time with my kids.
      ]]>       Posted by Ankur Kotwal, Developer Advocate at Google

      While at Google I/O, Laurence Moroney and I had a chance to present our session titled ‘Streamlining developer experiences with the Google Maps APIs’. We’re pleased to share it more broadly for those of you who were not able to be there in person:
      Streamlining developer experiences with the Google Maps APIs
      The Google Maps APIs provide a seamless experience for developers of all levels. Some want to offer a map or directions but don't want to build these things themselves; this can be achieved with just a few lines of code. Other developers prefer to integrate natively with off-the-shelf widgets. Finally, some developers want complete control over every aspect of the presentation. This session highlights the Maps APIs that represent the full gamut of the developer experiences, enabling you to get going immediately and scale as necessary. You'll see how widgets and services can be added over time with a suite of Maps APIs, services and libraries.






      author image
      		 About Ankur: I am a Developer Advocate at Google experienced in building on Android and the Google Maps API. I am based out of the Google Sydney office and lead the Geo Developer Relations & Next Billion Users Developer Relations team to inspire developers towards building on the Google developer platform. When I’m not at Google inspiring other developers, I enjoy spending time with my kids.
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-io-session-live-streamlining-developer-experiences-with-the-google-maps-apis/feed/ 0       Introducing the Google Maps APIs Udacity course https://googledata.org/google-maps/introducing-the-google-maps-apis-udacity-course/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/introducing-the-google-maps-apis-udacity-course/#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2016 21:46:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=728fc14be6155b8d314f3983454213e9 Posted by Emily Keller, Technical Program Manager for Google Maps APIs

      The Google Maps Operations team gets to work with thousands of developers each year to create great user experiences and powerful analytics built on maps and location data. We drew from these experiences to create a brand new Google Maps APIs course, in collaboration with Udacity, that teaches developers best practices when using our web APIs.
      Google Maps 03.jpg

      The new course, available today for free, gives you step-by-step tutorials that demonstrate how to integrate maps and location features into your website, and how to get useful location related data using various Web Service APIs.

      You’ll walk through building a real-estate listings site using a uniquely styled Google map, data visualization, and street view panoramas. You’ll practice developing location-related features: calculate distance between locations, get directions, and view places of interest data.
      You’ll also see other examples of Google Maps APIs in action and learn how to secure and monitor your deployment using the Google APIs Console. At the end of the course, you’ll have built your first map-enabled site and be ready to create your own projects using location data, services, and maps!

      Whether you’re new to Google Maps APIs or just want a refresher, head over to Udacity to learn about how to start adding location features and map visualizations into your websites, today!


      author image
      		 About Emily: I happily joined Google in September, 2015. I love working with the Google Maps APIs because they are easy to build with and enable end users to have an intuitive, familiar experience in any site or app. Outside of Google I like to play Zelda, eat pizza and drink coffee with my dog.
      ]]>       Posted by Emily Keller, Technical Program Manager for Google Maps APIs

      The Google Maps Operations team gets to work with thousands of developers each year to create great user experiences and powerful analytics built on maps and location data. We drew from these experiences to create a brand new Google Maps APIs course, in collaboration with Udacity, that teaches developers best practices when using our web APIs.
      Google Maps 03.jpg

      The new course, available today for free, gives you step-by-step tutorials that demonstrate how to integrate maps and location features into your website, and how to get useful location related data using various Web Service APIs.

      You’ll walk through building a real-estate listings site using a uniquely styled Google map, data visualization, and street view panoramas. You’ll practice developing location-related features: calculate distance between locations, get directions, and view places of interest data.
      You’ll also see other examples of Google Maps APIs in action and learn how to secure and monitor your deployment using the Google APIs Console. At the end of the course, you’ll have built your first map-enabled site and be ready to create your own projects using location data, services, and maps!

      Whether you’re new to Google Maps APIs or just want a refresher, head over to Udacity to learn about how to start adding location features and map visualizations into your websites, today!


      author image
      		 About Emily: I happily joined Google in September, 2015. I love working with the Google Maps APIs because they are easy to build with and enable end users to have an intuitive, familiar experience in any site or app. Outside of Google I like to play Zelda, eat pizza and drink coffee with my dog.
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/introducing-the-google-maps-apis-udacity-course/feed/ 0       Google I/O session live: Understand your Place in this world https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-io-session-live-understand-your-place-in-this-world/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-io-session-live-understand-your-place-in-this-world/#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2016 20:57:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=096fc26afbbbbce5fee1b425b9b5b832 Posted by Florian Bertele, Product Manager on the Google Maps APIs team

      At Google I/O, Ravi Palanki, Android Place API technical lead and I presented our session titled ‘Understand your Place in this world’. Even if you were not able to attend Google I/O in person, you can now watch our session:
      Understand your Place in this world
      Humans navigate a world made up of places with names, addresses and phone numbers—not lat/long coordinates. The Google Places API enables an app or website to present location data to users in a human-centered fashion. In this session we shared how you can use the Places API to discover your environment. I walked the audience through the main use cases and Places API functionalities, across mobile and web. We also showed off some newly-released mobile widgets, and Ravi did a deep-dive into the benefits of the mobile platform, such as optimization for mobile device battery life and increased device accuracy. This session is a great starting point to learn how the Places API can make all your apps -- not just map-centric ones -- smarter.
      IMG_20160519_093436.jpg
      With the Google Places API you get data from the same database used by Google Maps and Google+ Local. Places features more than 100 million businesses and points of interest that are updated frequently through owner-verified listings and user-moderated contributions.
      • Use the power of mobile to give your users contextual information about where they are, when they’re there with the Places API for Android.
      • Search for and retrieve rich information about local businesses and points of interest, available on every screen with the Places API Web Service.
      • Add autocomplete to any application, providing type-ahead location-based predictions like the search on Google Maps.
      IMG_20160519_090128.jpg
      I am a product manager on the Maps API team. In my role, I focus on the Places API across all platforms and geographies. When I’m not at Google, I love running coastal trails, playing the piano and enjoying the fantastic lifestyle in Sydney!]]>       Posted by Florian Bertele, Product Manager on the Google Maps APIs team

      At Google I/O, Ravi Palanki, Android Place API technical lead and I presented our session titled ‘Understand your Place in this world’. Even if you were not able to attend Google I/O in person, you can now watch our session:
      Understand your Place in this world
      Humans navigate a world made up of places with names, addresses and phone numbers—not lat/long coordinates. The Google Places API enables an app or website to present location data to users in a human-centered fashion. In this session we shared how you can use the Places API to discover your environment. I walked the audience through the main use cases and Places API functionalities, across mobile and web. We also showed off some newly-released mobile widgets, and Ravi did a deep-dive into the benefits of the mobile platform, such as optimization for mobile device battery life and increased device accuracy. This session is a great starting point to learn how the Places API can make all your apps -- not just map-centric ones -- smarter.
      IMG_20160519_093436.jpg
      With the Google Places API you get data from the same database used by Google Maps and Google+ Local. Places features more than 100 million businesses and points of interest that are updated frequently through owner-verified listings and user-moderated contributions.
      • Use the power of mobile to give your users contextual information about where they are, when they’re there with the Places API for Android.
      • Search for and retrieve rich information about local businesses and points of interest, available on every screen with the Places API Web Service.
      • Add autocomplete to any application, providing type-ahead location-based predictions like the search on Google Maps.
      IMG_20160519_090128.jpg
      I am a product manager on the Maps API team. In my role, I focus on the Places API across all platforms and geographies. When I’m not at Google, I love running coastal trails, playing the piano and enjoying the fantastic lifestyle in Sydney! ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-io-session-live-understand-your-place-in-this-world/feed/ 0       Now you can use Explore to discover the flavors of Brazil https://googledata.org/google-earth/now-you-can-use-explore-to-discover-the-flavors-of-brazil/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/now-you-can-use-explore-to-discover-the-flavors-of-brazil/#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2016 20:57:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=1bd76c057fa7ca44eaf60ccd9d7cfd47


      The Explore experience in Brazil is very much like the experience here in the US and is available on both iPhone and Android. Simply open Google Maps on your mobile phone and tap “explore food & drinks near you” at the bottom of the screen. Depending on where you are and time of day, a category (breakfast, lunch, coffee, dinner and drinks) is preselected for you. Google Maps will share lists of food and drink locations around you, ranging from “best breakfasts” to “waterside dining”. Once you find a list that fits your needs, just tap on the list to see suggested locations. Then swipe right or left to see more options and tap “read more” or the arrow at the bottom of the screen to select a venue and get more details. Of course you'll see these on-screen prompts like "explore food & drinks near you" in the language you’ve set as primary on your mobile phone.

      For those of you not heading to Rio this summer, you can still use Explore to discover new places around the world. Explore is also available on Android and iPhone in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. And it was just recently made available in Australia and Canada as well.

      Posted by Bryan Cheng, Product Manager, Google Maps ]]>


      The Explore experience in Brazil is very much like the experience here in the US and is available on both iPhone and Android. Simply open Google Maps on your mobile phone and tap “explore food & drinks near you” at the bottom of the screen. Depending on where you are and time of day, a category (breakfast, lunch, coffee, dinner and drinks) is preselected for you. Google Maps will share lists of food and drink locations around you, ranging from “best breakfasts” to “waterside dining”. Once you find a list that fits your needs, just tap on the list to see suggested locations. Then swipe right or left to see more options and tap “read more” or the arrow at the bottom of the screen to select a venue and get more details. Of course you'll see these on-screen prompts like "explore food & drinks near you" in the language you’ve set as primary on your mobile phone.

      For those of you not heading to Rio this summer, you can still use Explore to discover new places around the world. Explore is also available on Android and iPhone in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. And it was just recently made available in Australia and Canada as well.

      Posted by Bryan Cheng, Product Manager, Google Maps ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/now-you-can-use-explore-to-discover-the-flavors-of-brazil/feed/ 0       Take in the Sites of Rio de Janeiro Before the Games Begin https://googledata.org/google-earth/take-in-the-sites-of-rio-de-janeiro-before-the-games-begin/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/take-in-the-sites-of-rio-de-janeiro-before-the-games-begin/#comments Fri, 27 May 2016 20:57:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=02f2c4fabc9dc9ca3e9e21cf3fe1c266 the magic of Rio de Janeiro – whether planning to attend in person or watch the excitement from afar.


      Google Street View engineer takes pictures from the inside of Rio’s Olympic Park

      Starting today, a quick visit to Street View will give you a preview of the places where the world's most talented athletes will make history. Barrel down the Olympic mountain bike trail and take a stroll on the track where runners will sprint as fast as their legs will carry them in an attempt to bring home the gold.


      Olympic Mountain Bike Trail

      We’re also releasing indoor imagery of more than 200 hotels, restaurants and bars across the city. Take a peek at the pink carpeted Copacabana Palace or the breathtaking poolside ocean views at the Fasano Hotel. If you’ll be in Rio for the Games, check out the vibe before you make restaurant reservations or the local bar to ensure there’s ample room on the dancefloor to bust out your Samba moves.


      Suite in the Fasano Hotel, famous for its celebrity guests in Rio

      Step outside to take in some of the most iconic sites of Rio including Christ the Redeemer, The Dona Marta Hilltop, and Arpoador Beach. We’ve captured imagery of every main tourist attraction in Rio including the famous Selarón Steps.


      View from Arpoador Beach

      In addition to the many beautiful sites, we’ve collected up-to-date Street View imagery of Rio's streets and neighborhoods so you can get a feel for the area around your accommodation ahead of time. Check out the bus stops to familiarize yourself with local transportation - or pick the perfect people watching Juice bar to enjoy an Acai bowl on the way from the hotel to the beach.

      Whether you’re preparing to visit in person or simply enjoying the sites from afar, make yourself a caipirinha or have a Pão de Queijo (delicious Brazilian cheese bread) while you explore.


      Posted by Marcus Leal, Google Maps manager in Brazil]]>       the magic of Rio de Janeiro – whether planning to attend in person or watch the excitement from afar.


      Google Street View engineer takes pictures from the inside of Rio’s Olympic Park

      Starting today, a quick visit to Street View will give you a preview of the places where the world's most talented athletes will make history. Barrel down the Olympic mountain bike trail and take a stroll on the track where runners will sprint as fast as their legs will carry them in an attempt to bring home the gold.


      Olympic Mountain Bike Trail

      We’re also releasing indoor imagery of more than 200 hotels, restaurants and bars across the city. Take a peek at the pink carpeted Copacabana Palace or the breathtaking poolside ocean views at the Fasano Hotel. If you’ll be in Rio for the Games, check out the vibe before you make restaurant reservations or the local bar to ensure there’s ample room on the dancefloor to bust out your Samba moves.


      Suite in the Fasano Hotel, famous for its celebrity guests in Rio

      Step outside to take in some of the most iconic sites of Rio including Christ the Redeemer, The Dona Marta Hilltop, and Arpoador Beach. We’ve captured imagery of every main tourist attraction in Rio including the famous Selarón Steps.


      View from Arpoador Beach

      In addition to the many beautiful sites, we’ve collected up-to-date Street View imagery of Rio's streets and neighborhoods so you can get a feel for the area around your accommodation ahead of time. Check out the bus stops to familiarize yourself with local transportation - or pick the perfect people watching Juice bar to enjoy an Acai bowl on the way from the hotel to the beach.

      Whether you’re preparing to visit in person or simply enjoying the sites from afar, make yourself a caipirinha or have a Pão de Queijo (delicious Brazilian cheese bread) while you explore.


      Posted by Marcus Leal, Google Maps manager in Brazil]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/take-in-the-sites-of-rio-de-janeiro-before-the-games-begin/feed/ 0       Bring the world’s changing forests inside the classroom https://googledata.org/google-earth/bring-the-worlds-changing-forests-inside-the-classroom/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/bring-the-worlds-changing-forests-inside-the-classroom/#comments Wed, 25 May 2016 21:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=026b029a439aab1ae2672a8c9d331596 Science in the Classroom, Dr. Matt Hansen of the University of Maryland, and Google Earth Engine are presenting Global Forest Change Explorer to help engage young people in forest conservation.


      The Global Forest Change Explorer website contains maps that are available for interactive analysis as well as an accompanying activity worksheet. The Explorer Tool allows students to quickly visualize trends in forest loss and gain, compare different countries and ecoregions, and apply the forest data to try to predict underlying causes where there is significant change in forest density. The Explorer Tool relies on open data that is used by remote sensing and GIS professionals in their work.

      Fly to different parts of the world and compare data.

      A number of years ago, Dr. Matt Hansen and a team of researchers at the University of Maryland turned to Google Earth Engine to map high-resolution global forest cover with Earth Engine's cloud-based image processing and computing. The team mapped global forest loss and gain from 2000 to 2012 at 30-meter resolution for the entire globe. In 2013, the methods and results were published in Science Magazine and online for everyone to explore. These findings are now an important part of the website Global Forest Watch, which gives governments and decision makers free access to the data and tools required to monitor and manage their forests.

      Screen Shot 2016-05-11 at 9.06.46 PM.png
      Dr. Matt Hansen presenting at the World Economic Forum

      Science in the Classroom (SitC) thought this was great research to bring into the classroom and make available to anyone online. SitC packages annotated research papers with supplemental teaching materials to help pre-college and college students understand the structure and workings of scientific research. SitC and Google Earth Engine built the Global Forest Change Explorer to make Dr. Hansen’s data accessible to a younger audience.

      Screen Shot 2016-05-12 at 12.38.38 PM.png

      We live in a dynamic world where the pressures of population growth increasingly impact and threaten our forests. However, as technology, open data, and people continue to mobilize, we are given more tools to research the health of our planet. Educators can easily flip their classrooms into science labs by combining SitC materials with Global Forest Change Explorer. With these tools, students will leave sessions with richer understanding of environmental change, more curiosity, and a desire to actively participate in protecting our forests.

      Get started with Global Forest Change Explorer today!


      Posted by Emily Henderson, Google Geo Education Outreach]]>       Science in the Classroom, Dr. Matt Hansen of the University of Maryland, and Google Earth Engine are presenting Global Forest Change Explorer to help engage young people in forest conservation.


      The Global Forest Change Explorer website contains maps that are available for interactive analysis as well as an accompanying activity worksheet. The Explorer Tool allows students to quickly visualize trends in forest loss and gain, compare different countries and ecoregions, and apply the forest data to try to predict underlying causes where there is significant change in forest density. The Explorer Tool relies on open data that is used by remote sensing and GIS professionals in their work.

      Fly to different parts of the world and compare data.

      A number of years ago, Dr. Matt Hansen and a team of researchers at the University of Maryland turned to Google Earth Engine to map high-resolution global forest cover with Earth Engine's cloud-based image processing and computing. The team mapped global forest loss and gain from 2000 to 2012 at 30-meter resolution for the entire globe. In 2013, the methods and results were published in Science Magazine and online for everyone to explore. These findings are now an important part of the website Global Forest Watch, which gives governments and decision makers free access to the data and tools required to monitor and manage their forests.

      Screen Shot 2016-05-11 at 9.06.46 PM.png
      Dr. Matt Hansen presenting at the World Economic Forum

      Science in the Classroom (SitC) thought this was great research to bring into the classroom and make available to anyone online. SitC packages annotated research papers with supplemental teaching materials to help pre-college and college students understand the structure and workings of scientific research. SitC and Google Earth Engine built the Global Forest Change Explorer to make Dr. Hansen’s data accessible to a younger audience.

      Screen Shot 2016-05-12 at 12.38.38 PM.png

      We live in a dynamic world where the pressures of population growth increasingly impact and threaten our forests. However, as technology, open data, and people continue to mobilize, we are given more tools to research the health of our planet. Educators can easily flip their classrooms into science labs by combining SitC materials with Global Forest Change Explorer. With these tools, students will leave sessions with richer understanding of environmental change, more curiosity, and a desire to actively participate in protecting our forests.

      Get started with Global Forest Change Explorer today!


      Posted by Emily Henderson, Google Geo Education Outreach]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/bring-the-worlds-changing-forests-inside-the-classroom/feed/ 0       Get away for Memorial Day with Google Maps’ road trip-friendly features and tips https://googledata.org/google-earth/get-away-for-memorial-day-with-google-maps-road-trip-friendly-features-and-tips/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/get-away-for-memorial-day-with-google-maps-road-trip-friendly-features-and-tips/#comments Thu, 19 May 2016 22:31:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=2dd121bbd1c49ad5cecb4bb29cb2fe54
      Searching within Navigation: Make quick pit stops without long detours. Search for places along your route without ever leaving navigation mode. Once in navigation mode, just tap the magnifying glass and then tap a category like “gas stations” and see real-time gas prices or “restaurants” to see dining options close to you. Tap “search for more places” to search for a venue outside the preset categories. And no matter what you search for, you’re alerted to how much detour time the stop will add to your trip. Available on iPhone and Android
      Offline Maps: Search for places, get directions, and turn-by-turn navigation even when you hit a dead zone. Before you leave and still have a wifi connection, just download the region you’ll be traveling within for an uninterrupted navigation experience once you hit the road. Available on Android and iPhone
      Real-time Traffic Alerts and Dynamic Rerouting: Google Maps gives you the best and fastest route based on current and historic traffic conditions. When you Input a destination, you get alerted about upcoming traffic conditions. And while on the road, Google Maps gives you a heads up if congestion lies ahead along with an estimate of how long the delay will be. You’ll also get suggestions for an alternative route (if a faster one is available) with an explanation for why it’s recommended. Available on Android and iPhone



      Toll and Ferry Notifications: Never get caught without exact change again. You’ll see a toll icon when your route includes toll roads and you’ll see a ferry icon if your route requires you to take a ferry. To avoid tolls and ferries completely, select “Route options” when you search for driving directions and check off the categories you want to avoid. Available on Android and iPhone

      Explore: Once you get to your destination, open Google Maps and tap “Explore food & drinks near you” at the bottom of the screen. Based on the time of day, you’ll see relevant lists of food and drink locations nearby. Available on Android and rolling out to iPhone users in the US, UK, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Spain now




      Now that you’ve got the scoop on road trip-friendly features, get familiar with some time-saving tips. Master these simple hacks and you’ll practically be a Google Maps ninja.
      • Shift into navigation mode faster: You can access navigation mode in Maps (turn-by-turn directions and dictation) by tapping and holding the car, bike, or walk icon in the bottom right corner of your phone screen. Available on Android and iPhone
      • Get oriented with one tap: Tap the compass in the top right corner of your screen, and the map will shift to match the direction you’re facing. Available on Android and iPhone
      • Try the one-handed zoom: If you've only got one hand free, you can still zoom into your map—just double tap the screen and swipe up or down to zoom in and out. Available on Android and iPhone
      • Quickly access Street View on the go: On your phone, long press somewhere on the map to drop a pin, search for a place, or select a location already shown. Tap the bar at the bottom of the screen and then tap again on the image with the 360 degree arrow in the bottom left hand corner to enter Street View mode. To take a look around your destination just swipe around the Street View image. Available on Android and iPhone
      Posted by Amanda Leicht Moore, Google Maps Product Manager]]>
      Searching within Navigation: Make quick pit stops without long detours. Search for places along your route without ever leaving navigation mode. Once in navigation mode, just tap the magnifying glass and then tap a category like “gas stations” and see real-time gas prices or “restaurants” to see dining options close to you. Tap “search for more places” to search for a venue outside the preset categories. And no matter what you search for, you’re alerted to how much detour time the stop will add to your trip. Available on iPhone and Android
      Offline Maps: Search for places, get directions, and turn-by-turn navigation even when you hit a dead zone. Before you leave and still have a wifi connection, just download the region you’ll be traveling within for an uninterrupted navigation experience once you hit the road. Available on Android and iPhone
      Real-time Traffic Alerts and Dynamic Rerouting: Google Maps gives you the best and fastest route based on current and historic traffic conditions. When you Input a destination, you get alerted about upcoming traffic conditions. And while on the road, Google Maps gives you a heads up if congestion lies ahead along with an estimate of how long the delay will be. You’ll also get suggestions for an alternative route (if a faster one is available) with an explanation for why it’s recommended. Available on Android and iPhone



      Toll and Ferry Notifications: Never get caught without exact change again. You’ll see a toll icon when your route includes toll roads and you’ll see a ferry icon if your route requires you to take a ferry. To avoid tolls and ferries completely, select “Route options” when you search for driving directions and check off the categories you want to avoid. Available on Android and iPhone

      Explore: Once you get to your destination, open Google Maps and tap “Explore food & drinks near you” at the bottom of the screen. Based on the time of day, you’ll see relevant lists of food and drink locations nearby. Available on Android and rolling out to iPhone users in the US, UK, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Spain now




      Now that you’ve got the scoop on road trip-friendly features, get familiar with some time-saving tips. Master these simple hacks and you’ll practically be a Google Maps ninja.
      • Shift into navigation mode faster: You can access navigation mode in Maps (turn-by-turn directions and dictation) by tapping and holding the car, bike, or walk icon in the bottom right corner of your phone screen. Available on Android and iPhone
      • Get oriented with one tap: Tap the compass in the top right corner of your screen, and the map will shift to match the direction you’re facing. Available on Android and iPhone
      • Try the one-handed zoom: If you've only got one hand free, you can still zoom into your map—just double tap the screen and swipe up or down to zoom in and out. Available on Android and iPhone
      • Quickly access Street View on the go: On your phone, long press somewhere on the map to drop a pin, search for a place, or select a location already shown. Tap the bar at the bottom of the screen and then tap again on the image with the 360 degree arrow in the bottom left hand corner to enter Street View mode. To take a look around your destination just swipe around the Street View image. Available on Android and iPhone
      Posted by Amanda Leicht Moore, Google Maps Product Manager ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/get-away-for-memorial-day-with-google-maps-road-trip-friendly-features-and-tips/feed/ 0       One Day in at Google I/O https://googledata.org/google-maps/one-day-in-at-google-io/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/one-day-in-at-google-io/#comments Thu, 19 May 2016 15:32:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d562a6f4092d53b35897ad37fee5dfca Posted by Ken Hoetmer, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs

      Day 1 done! We had a great first day at Google I/O—more than 800 developers visited our Geo sandbox to check out apps, play with 360 degree cameras and most importantly, chat with our engineers, product managers, and developer advocates about the apps they’re building.
      IMG_6610.JPG

      The Geo sandbox features Sugarbear, a 1959 PD-4104 General Motors Coach that measures 35’ long by 8’ wide with a diesel engine outfitted for biodiesel. Sugarbear made an epic trip across the USA after last year’s I/O and we’ve brought her back this year for more demo fun. You can engage with interactive maps experiences and check out customer applications inside the bus. Climb Yosemite's El Capitan, calculate your solar potential with Project Sunroof, and see how Nest and the Environmental Defense Fund use location data to make our lives better. Sugarbear also features Google Maps APIs customers Trucker Path, Zendrive, Postmates, GTX Corp and Vagabond.
      2016-05-18-1.jpg

      The Google I/O event shuttle buses are also being tracked and visualized in real time by an app we built using Firebase and Google Maps APIs. Within the Geo sandbox you can check out the app on the big screen and chat with the developers about how it works on the inside (hint: ask for Brett).

      Geo also hosted one session yesterday: Location and Proximity Superpowers: Eddystone + Google Beacon Platform and we have several additional sessions on Thursday and Friday, including Understand your Place in this world and Building geo services that scale.

      Finally, don’t forget about our office hours—scheduled for Thursday, May 19 at 4pm. We’ll be in the tent for an hour...bring your Maps and Location questions for our Product Managers and Developer Advocates.]]>       Posted by Ken Hoetmer, Product Manager, Google Maps APIs

      Day 1 done! We had a great first day at Google I/O—more than 800 developers visited our Geo sandbox to check out apps, play with 360 degree cameras and most importantly, chat with our engineers, product managers, and developer advocates about the apps they’re building.
      IMG_6610.JPG

      The Geo sandbox features Sugarbear, a 1959 PD-4104 General Motors Coach that measures 35’ long by 8’ wide with a diesel engine outfitted for biodiesel. Sugarbear made an epic trip across the USA after last year’s I/O and we’ve brought her back this year for more demo fun. You can engage with interactive maps experiences and check out customer applications inside the bus. Climb Yosemite's El Capitan, calculate your solar potential with Project Sunroof, and see how Nest and the Environmental Defense Fund use location data to make our lives better. Sugarbear also features Google Maps APIs customers Trucker Path, Zendrive, Postmates, GTX Corp and Vagabond.
      2016-05-18-1.jpg

      The Google I/O event shuttle buses are also being tracked and visualized in real time by an app we built using Firebase and Google Maps APIs. Within the Geo sandbox you can check out the app on the big screen and chat with the developers about how it works on the inside (hint: ask for Brett).

      Geo also hosted one session yesterday: Location and Proximity Superpowers: Eddystone + Google Beacon Platform and we have several additional sessions on Thursday and Friday, including Understand your Place in this world and Building geo services that scale.

      Finally, don’t forget about our office hours—scheduled for Thursday, May 19 at 4pm. We’ll be in the tent for an hour...bring your Maps and Location questions for our Product Managers and Developer Advocates.]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/one-day-in-at-google-io/feed/ 0       Google Maps APIs Sessions Set for Google I/O https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-maps-apis-sessions-set-for-google-io/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-maps-apis-sessions-set-for-google-io/#comments Tue, 17 May 2016 14:40:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=684b477325253362b9eb08c90b096273 Posted by Jac de Haan, Developer Marketing for the Google Maps APIs

      Google I/O starts in just 24 hours! We’re looking forward to three days of insightful developer conversations, amazing technology and great weather. This year, Google Maps APIs engineers, technical support engineers, product managers, ux-ers, technical writers and developer advocates are traveling from Sydney, New York and Seattle to spend time in the Geo sandbox and demonstrate the power of our APIs. We'll also hold Office Hours to answer your implementation questions.
      IMG_20160516_171414.jpg

      Here are three of our featured sessions for this year’s event:

      Understand your place in this world
      May 19, 9:00 AM
      Humans navigate a world made up of places with names, addresses and phone numbers—not lat/long coordinates. The Google Places API enables an app or website to present location data to users in a human-friendly fashion. In this session we’ll do a deep dive into how you can use the Places API to discover your environment. We’ll give detailed insights into how to use the APIs on web and mobile, show off some newly-released widgets, and take a look at how you can optimize for mobile device battery life. You’ll learn how the Places API can make all your apps— not just map-centric ones—smarter.

      Building geo services that scale
      May 19, 2:00 PM
      Not all map and geo applications run entirely on your mobile device. Perhaps you want to protect your keys or other API access data from reverse engineering by putting them in the cloud, or you have custom business logic that you run on your server that you don't want to distribute via mobile. To protect your keys and API access data you'll need to operate some kind of service. In this session you'll learn how to build that service on the Google Cloud Platform and consume it in a mobile application that uses the Google Maps APIs.

       Streamlining developer experiences with the Google Maps APIs
      May 20, 9:00 AM
      The Google Maps APIs provide a seamless experience for developers of all levels. Some want to offer a map or navigation but don't want to build these things themselves; this can be achieved with just a few lines of code. Other developers prefer to integrate natively with off-the-shelf widgets. Finally, some developers want complete control over every aspect of the presentation. This session will highlight the Maps APIs representing the full gamut of the developer experiences, enabling you to get going immediately and scale as necessary. You'll see how widgets and services can be added over time with a suite of Maps APIs, services and libraries.

      We hope you’re able to attend at least one of these sessions to learn directly from Google Maps APIs experts. And, don’t forget to stop by the Geo sandbox to chat—just look for the big bus! If you’re not able to join us in person this year, you can always keep up with our activities via Twitter or G+.]]>       Posted by Jac de Haan, Developer Marketing for the Google Maps APIs

      Google I/O starts in just 24 hours! We’re looking forward to three days of insightful developer conversations, amazing technology and great weather. This year, Google Maps APIs engineers, technical support engineers, product managers, ux-ers, technical writers and developer advocates are traveling from Sydney, New York and Seattle to spend time in the Geo sandbox and demonstrate the power of our APIs. We'll also hold Office Hours to answer your implementation questions.
      IMG_20160516_171414.jpg

      Here are three of our featured sessions for this year’s event:

      Understand your place in this world
      May 19, 9:00 AM
      Humans navigate a world made up of places with names, addresses and phone numbers—not lat/long coordinates. The Google Places API enables an app or website to present location data to users in a human-friendly fashion. In this session we’ll do a deep dive into how you can use the Places API to discover your environment. We’ll give detailed insights into how to use the APIs on web and mobile, show off some newly-released widgets, and take a look at how you can optimize for mobile device battery life. You’ll learn how the Places API can make all your apps— not just map-centric ones—smarter.

      Building geo services that scale
      May 19, 2:00 PM
      Not all map and geo applications run entirely on your mobile device. Perhaps you want to protect your keys or other API access data from reverse engineering by putting them in the cloud, or you have custom business logic that you run on your server that you don't want to distribute via mobile. To protect your keys and API access data you'll need to operate some kind of service. In this session you'll learn how to build that service on the Google Cloud Platform and consume it in a mobile application that uses the Google Maps APIs.

       Streamlining developer experiences with the Google Maps APIs
      May 20, 9:00 AM
      The Google Maps APIs provide a seamless experience for developers of all levels. Some want to offer a map or navigation but don't want to build these things themselves; this can be achieved with just a few lines of code. Other developers prefer to integrate natively with off-the-shelf widgets. Finally, some developers want complete control over every aspect of the presentation. This session will highlight the Maps APIs representing the full gamut of the developer experiences, enabling you to get going immediately and scale as necessary. You'll see how widgets and services can be added over time with a suite of Maps APIs, services and libraries.

      We hope you’re able to attend at least one of these sessions to learn directly from Google Maps APIs experts. And, don’t forget to stop by the Geo sandbox to chat—just look for the big bus! If you’re not able to join us in person this year, you can always keep up with our activities via Twitter or G+.]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/google-maps-apis-sessions-set-for-google-io/feed/ 0       Get our API Release Notes automagically via RSS https://googledata.org/google-maps/get-our-api-release-notes-automagically-via-rss/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/get-our-api-release-notes-automagically-via-rss/#comments Thu, 12 May 2016 18:41:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=0fc091b1f0331abd1b88f8c5748eb8e7 Posted by Sarah Maddox, technical writer for the Google Maps APIs

      The Google Maps APIs team are keen to ensure that our customers and developer community has the most up to date and useful information about using our APIs. With that goal in mind, we’ve added RSS feeds to the Release Notes for all the Maps and Places APIs.

      Until now, if you wanted to see news about our releases, you’d need to visit individual API release notes pages periodically. We don't typically announce bug-fix or other small releases via the blog or social media but these are often critical for segments of our developer community.

      You can now subscribe to individual API feeds and receive updates automatically when release notes are published. We'll continue to publish all Release Notes on the website as well. Feeds available today:
      Google Maps Android API 
      Google Maps SDK for iOS 
      Google Maps JavaScript API 
      Google Maps Directions API 
      Google Maps Distance Matrix API 
      Google Places API for Android 
      Google Places API for iOS 
      Google Maps Android API Premium Plan 
      Google Maps SDK for iOS Premium Plan 

      I’ve been a technical writer at Google since 2013. I love my job because it gives me the opportunity to play with code and words, and to make them play nicely with each other. Maps are beautiful, and the docs help people weave stories around geography and places.
      Sarah-034-hallo_2.JPG

      I’ll be at I/O next week, so I hope to see you there at our Geo sandbox (just look for the bus). Happy mapping!]]>       Posted by Sarah Maddox, technical writer for the Google Maps APIs

      The Google Maps APIs team are keen to ensure that our customers and developer community has the most up to date and useful information about using our APIs. With that goal in mind, we’ve added RSS feeds to the Release Notes for all the Maps and Places APIs.

      Until now, if you wanted to see news about our releases, you’d need to visit individual API release notes pages periodically. We don't typically announce bug-fix or other small releases via the blog or social media but these are often critical for segments of our developer community.

      You can now subscribe to individual API feeds and receive updates automatically when release notes are published. We'll continue to publish all Release Notes on the website as well. Feeds available today:
      Google Maps Android API 
      Google Maps SDK for iOS 
      Google Maps JavaScript API 
      Google Maps Directions API 
      Google Maps Distance Matrix API 
      Google Places API for Android 
      Google Places API for iOS 
      Google Maps Android API Premium Plan 
      Google Maps SDK for iOS Premium Plan 

      I’ve been a technical writer at Google since 2013. I love my job because it gives me the opportunity to play with code and words, and to make them play nicely with each other. Maps are beautiful, and the docs help people weave stories around geography and places.
      Sarah-034-hallo_2.JPG

      I’ll be at I/O next week, so I hope to see you there at our Geo sandbox (just look for the bus). Happy mapping! ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/get-our-api-release-notes-automagically-via-rss/feed/ 0       Your trip to Argentina awaits in Street View https://googledata.org/google-earth/your-trip-to-argentina-awaits-in-street-view/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/your-trip-to-argentina-awaits-in-street-view/#comments Tue, 10 May 2016 03:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=1a356c58bdd3096672ba93720ccb3d4e Argentina’s most breathtaking national parks right from your Google Maps app for Android or iOS.

      Standing at the foot of breathtaking falls in the Parque Nacional Iguazú, you can almost feel the mist swirling around you. Not to be missed, the Iguazú waterfalls are one of the New7Wonders of Nature.


      No trip to Argentina is complete without gazing at the glorious Perito Moreno Glacier in the Los Glaciares National Park. The ice is 30 km in length and is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field—the world's third largest reserve of fresh water.


      This is only the tip of the iceberg (or should we say glacier?). Experience even more of Argentina in Street View in Google Maps in our Street View Gallery.

      Posted by Maite Iturria Arrospide, Program Manager for Google Maps]]>       Argentina’s most breathtaking national parks right from your Google Maps app for Android or iOS.

      Standing at the foot of breathtaking falls in the Parque Nacional Iguazú, you can almost feel the mist swirling around you. Not to be missed, the Iguazú waterfalls are one of the New7Wonders of Nature.


      No trip to Argentina is complete without gazing at the glorious Perito Moreno Glacier in the Los Glaciares National Park. The ice is 30 km in length and is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field—the world's third largest reserve of fresh water.


      This is only the tip of the iceberg (or should we say glacier?). Experience even more of Argentina in Street View in Google Maps in our Street View Gallery.

      Posted by Maite Iturria Arrospide, Program Manager for Google Maps]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/your-trip-to-argentina-awaits-in-street-view/feed/ 0       Get around Rio with indoor maps of 2016 Olympic venues https://googledata.org/google-earth/get-around-rio-with-indoor-maps-of-2016-olympic-venues/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/get-around-rio-with-indoor-maps-of-2016-olympic-venues/#comments Tue, 03 May 2016 19:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=f868bcc4461f73e7e6d2e788cf6356d5
      A few weeks ago we launched real-time transit in Rio de Janeiro. Now for the first time ever, you’ll be able to see indoor maps for 25 official indoor venues and enhanced outdoor maps of 12 official outdoor venues of the upcoming Olympic Games on Google Maps for desktop, Android and iOS.

      Using indoor maps is easy. Just open Google Maps on your computer or mobile phone, search for a place that has indoor maps, zoom into the place, and click on it. At the bottom right side of the screen, choose among the floors and levels of the building. Points of interest like concessions, restrooms, information desks, and ATM machines are highlighted for easy identification.

      Whether planning to attend the Games or just daydreaming about an Olympic getaway, you can view indoor maps of the venues on Google Maps. Here’s a sneak peek:



      The opening ceremony will kick off the Games at the iconic Maracanã, where matches for one of the most popular events will take place—fútbol.


      The new Future Arena will house handball games. Eventually, it will be taken apart and repurposed to build four public schools.


      Golf is back at the Olympics after a 112-year hiatus. The competition will take place at the custom made 18-hole Olympic Golf Course.

      Not heading to the Olympics? Don’t worry. With more than 3 billion square feet of indoor maps globally, Google Maps can help you get around the venues you're visiting this summer—whether you're cheering on the athletes in Rio, or closer to home.

      Posted by Marcus Leal, Google Maps Product Manager, Latin America]]>
      A few weeks ago we launched real-time transit in Rio de Janeiro. Now for the first time ever, you’ll be able to see indoor maps for 25 official indoor venues and enhanced outdoor maps of 12 official outdoor venues of the upcoming Olympic Games on Google Maps for desktop, Android and iOS.

      Using indoor maps is easy. Just open Google Maps on your computer or mobile phone, search for a place that has indoor maps, zoom into the place, and click on it. At the bottom right side of the screen, choose among the floors and levels of the building. Points of interest like concessions, restrooms, information desks, and ATM machines are highlighted for easy identification.

      Whether planning to attend the Games or just daydreaming about an Olympic getaway, you can view indoor maps of the venues on Google Maps. Here’s a sneak peek:



      The opening ceremony will kick off the Games at the iconic Maracanã, where matches for one of the most popular events will take place—fútbol.


      The new Future Arena will house handball games. Eventually, it will be taken apart and repurposed to build four public schools.


      Golf is back at the Olympics after a 112-year hiatus. The competition will take place at the custom made 18-hole Olympic Golf Course.

      Not heading to the Olympics? Don’t worry. With more than 3 billion square feet of indoor maps globally, Google Maps can help you get around the venues you're visiting this summer—whether you're cheering on the athletes in Rio, or closer to home.

      Posted by Marcus Leal, Google Maps Product Manager, Latin America]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/get-around-rio-with-indoor-maps-of-2016-olympic-venues/feed/ 0       A Street View salute to travel and tourism in the US https://googledata.org/google-earth/a-street-view-salute-to-travel-and-tourism-in-the-us/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/a-street-view-salute-to-travel-and-tourism-in-the-us/#comments Tue, 03 May 2016 16:30:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=88329ddb891dfede732f28a880643897 National Travel and Tourism Week, Google Maps is releasing some new scenic Street View sights across the US collected with our partners in the Trekker Loan Program. In anticipation of the warm summer months ahead, discover and explore botanical gardens tours, historic boardwalks cruises and stunning city views all in your Google Maps app for Android and iOS.

      Beginning our tour in Texas, working with our partners at the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, you can take a summer dip in the pristine Hamilton Pool, a popular swimming hole for tourists and residents alike. Heading west to El Paso with our partners at Visit El Paso, you can take a breathtaking walk through Hueco Tanks State Park, where rock climbers and hikers delight in the winding trails through canyons filled with unique bird species and botanicals. And for those in Houston, a stroll through Hermann Park thanks to Houston Parks Board, provides a scenic getaway in the heart of the city where visitors can enjoy a bit of recreation and relaxation.


      Heading east, you’ll find Mississippi's scenic summer offerings from our partners at Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast. First you can enjoy the natural beauty of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, where the endangered sandhill cranes hail during their migration patterns. You can also enjoy the afternoon sun at the Pascagoula Beach Park and Recreation Area.


      End your tour in the northwest, where national parks are plentiful and the natural views will leave you breathless. In Oregon, with our partners at Travel Lane County, you can see the Heceta Head Lighthouse, the most photographed lighthouse on the West Coast. Then see if you can uncover the winding trail to Salt Creek Falls, Oregon’s second tallest waterfall.


      America’s unique history and beauty make it a great destination. To see more sites, explore our U.S. Highlights Gallery.

      Posted by Posted by Susan Cadrecha, Google Maps Communications Manager]]>       National Travel and Tourism Week, Google Maps is releasing some new scenic Street View sights across the US collected with our partners in the Trekker Loan Program. In anticipation of the warm summer months ahead, discover and explore botanical gardens tours, historic boardwalks cruises and stunning city views all in your Google Maps app for Android and iOS.

      Beginning our tour in Texas, working with our partners at the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, you can take a summer dip in the pristine Hamilton Pool, a popular swimming hole for tourists and residents alike. Heading west to El Paso with our partners at Visit El Paso, you can take a breathtaking walk through Hueco Tanks State Park, where rock climbers and hikers delight in the winding trails through canyons filled with unique bird species and botanicals. And for those in Houston, a stroll through Hermann Park thanks to Houston Parks Board, provides a scenic getaway in the heart of the city where visitors can enjoy a bit of recreation and relaxation.


      Heading east, you’ll find Mississippi's scenic summer offerings from our partners at Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast. First you can enjoy the natural beauty of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, where the endangered sandhill cranes hail during their migration patterns. You can also enjoy the afternoon sun at the Pascagoula Beach Park and Recreation Area.


      End your tour in the northwest, where national parks are plentiful and the natural views will leave you breathless. In Oregon, with our partners at Travel Lane County, you can see the Heceta Head Lighthouse, the most photographed lighthouse on the West Coast. Then see if you can uncover the winding trail to Salt Creek Falls, Oregon’s second tallest waterfall.


      America’s unique history and beauty make it a great destination. To see more sites, explore our U.S. Highlights Gallery.

      Posted by Posted by Susan Cadrecha, Google Maps Communications Manager]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/a-street-view-salute-to-travel-and-tourism-in-the-us/feed/ 0       Sydney Opera House sets sail on Street View https://googledata.org/google-earth/sydney-opera-house-sets-sail-on-street-view/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/sydney-opera-house-sets-sail-on-street-view/#comments Wed, 27 Apr 2016 01:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=82df4cf02099bf2bbe4ee33616f2d642 by millions of people each year, this architectural masterpiece can now be explored right from your Android or iPhone in Google Maps with the launch of the Sydney Opera House on Street View.

      With this new collection, you can stand on the steps of the Opera House and gaze at the white sails, look out at Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, or take in the hustle and bustle of Circular Quay in 360-degree panoramic imagery from wherever you are.

      Feel what it’s like to stand on the stage of the Concert Hall and look up at the acoustic clouds.


      And go behind-the-scenes to spaces rarely seen by the public, like the stage of the Joan Sutherland Theatre.


      Or see the impressive tapestry designed by the Sydney Opera House’s architect Jørn Utzon, which hangs in the room now named after him and overlooking Sydney Harbour.


      Today’s new Street View collection is part of the opening of the Sydney Opera House on the Google Cultural Institute. To access this imagery, search for Sydney Opera House in Google Maps for mobile (available for both Android and iOS), and select the Street View option to enter your own 360-degree tour. We hope you enjoy exploring this Heritage listed site with Street View.

      Posted by Cynthia Wei, Street View Program Manager Asia Pacific]]>       by millions of people each year, this architectural masterpiece can now be explored right from your Android or iPhone in Google Maps with the launch of the Sydney Opera House on Street View.

      With this new collection, you can stand on the steps of the Opera House and gaze at the white sails, look out at Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, or take in the hustle and bustle of Circular Quay in 360-degree panoramic imagery from wherever you are.

      Feel what it’s like to stand on the stage of the Concert Hall and look up at the acoustic clouds.


      And go behind-the-scenes to spaces rarely seen by the public, like the stage of the Joan Sutherland Theatre.


      Or see the impressive tapestry designed by the Sydney Opera House’s architect Jørn Utzon, which hangs in the room now named after him and overlooking Sydney Harbour.


      Today’s new Street View collection is part of the opening of the Sydney Opera House on the Google Cultural Institute. To access this imagery, search for Sydney Opera House in Google Maps for mobile (available for both Android and iOS), and select the Street View option to enter your own 360-degree tour. We hope you enjoy exploring this Heritage listed site with Street View.

      Posted by Cynthia Wei, Street View Program Manager Asia Pacific]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/sydney-opera-house-sets-sail-on-street-view/feed/ 0       How technology can help us become more sustainable https://googledata.org/google-earth/how-technology-can-help-us-become-more-sustainable-2/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/how-technology-can-help-us-become-more-sustainable-2/#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2016 14:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=8ee370f2cd3b3f5b26df7969a1faaaed understand our changing world and live more sustainably—whether it’s connecting people with public transit routes, or using the data that powers Google Earth to help you see if your roof is good for solar panels. In honor of Earth Day this month, we’ve gathered together some of the ways Google can help you reduce your everyday emissions and learn more about preserving our world.

      Monitoring forests and wildlife
      Google Earth satellite technology gives scientists and environmentalists a way to measure and visualize changes of the world on both land and water. This technology can have great impact on monitoring endangered animal populations around the world. For example, with the help of Global Forest Watch, powered by Google Earth Engine, scientists at the University of Minnesota are suggesting that wild tiger populations may rebound by 2022, due to the efforts to restore tiger habitats in key regions.

      Anyone can now view tiger conservation areas (in orange and yellow above) using Global Forest Watch

      Going solar
      Looking to generate clean energy savings with solar power on your home? Check out Project Sunroof, a solar calculator that estimates the impact and potential savings of installing solar on the roof of your home. Taking Google Earth imagery and overlaying annual sun exposure and weather patterns, Sunroof is able to assess viable roof space for solar panel installation, estimate the value of solar and savings based on local energy costs, and connect you with providers of solar panels in your area.

      As of this week, Sunroof expanded to 42 states across the U.S. (from 10 states in December), which makes imagery and data available for a solar analysis to 43 million rooftops. We’re also working with organizations like Sierra Club and their Ready for 100 campaign to help analyze the solar potential of cities across the US.


      Project Sunroof shows you the solar potential of your home and city, allowing you to realize its renewable potential. The image on the right shows how much sunshine Denver, CO residents can capture with solar.
      Measuring air pollutants
      For the past few years, Google Earth Outreach and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) have been working together to map methane leaks from natural gas pipelines under our streets. Since methane is a very potent greenhouse gas (GHG), even small leaks can add up to big emissions that can hurt our climate. By attaching methane analyzers to select Street View cars, we’ve driven more than 7,500 miles and have mapped 4,200+ leaks in 10 cities. What we found ranges from an average of one leak per mile (in Boston) to one leak every 200 miles (in Indianapolis), demonstrating the effectiveness of techniques like using plastic piping instead of steel for pipeline construction. We hope utilities can use this data to prioritize the replacement of gas mains and service lines (like New Jersey’s PSE&G announced last fall). We’re also partnering with Aclima to measure many more pollutants with Street View cars in California communities through this year.


      Anyone can explore the maps at www.edf.org/methanemaps

      Technology is crucial to increasing energy efficiency, raising climate change awareness, and sustainability efforts. To learn more about what you can do to help, take a moment to explore our Google Earth Outreach site, where these tools and more are described in depth.

      Posted by Rebecca Moore, Engineering Director, Google Earth, Earth Engine & Outreach]]>       understand our changing world and live more sustainably—whether it’s connecting people with public transit routes, or using the data that powers Google Earth to help you see if your roof is good for solar panels. In honor of Earth Day this month, we’ve gathered together some of the ways Google can help you reduce your everyday emissions and learn more about preserving our world.

      Monitoring forests and wildlife
      Google Earth satellite technology gives scientists and environmentalists a way to measure and visualize changes of the world on both land and water. This technology can have great impact on monitoring endangered animal populations around the world. For example, with the help of Global Forest Watch, powered by Google Earth Engine, scientists at the University of Minnesota are suggesting that wild tiger populations may rebound by 2022, due to the efforts to restore tiger habitats in key regions.

      Anyone can now view tiger conservation areas (in orange and yellow above) using Global Forest Watch

      Going solar
      Looking to generate clean energy savings with solar power on your home? Check out Project Sunroof, a solar calculator that estimates the impact and potential savings of installing solar on the roof of your home. Taking Google Earth imagery and overlaying annual sun exposure and weather patterns, Sunroof is able to assess viable roof space for solar panel installation, estimate the value of solar and savings based on local energy costs, and connect you with providers of solar panels in your area.

      As of this week, Sunroof expanded to 42 states across the U.S. (from 10 states in December), which makes imagery and data available for a solar analysis to 43 million rooftops. We’re also working with organizations like Sierra Club and their Ready for 100 campaign to help analyze the solar potential of cities across the US.


      Project Sunroof shows you the solar potential of your home and city, allowing you to realize its renewable potential. The image on the right shows how much sunshine Denver, CO residents can capture with solar.
      Measuring air pollutants
      For the past few years, Google Earth Outreach and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) have been working together to map methane leaks from natural gas pipelines under our streets. Since methane is a very potent greenhouse gas (GHG), even small leaks can add up to big emissions that can hurt our climate. By attaching methane analyzers to select Street View cars, we’ve driven more than 7,500 miles and have mapped 4,200+ leaks in 10 cities. What we found ranges from an average of one leak per mile (in Boston) to one leak every 200 miles (in Indianapolis), demonstrating the effectiveness of techniques like using plastic piping instead of steel for pipeline construction. We hope utilities can use this data to prioritize the replacement of gas mains and service lines (like New Jersey’s PSE&G announced last fall). We’re also partnering with Aclima to measure many more pollutants with Street View cars in California communities through this year.


      Anyone can explore the maps at www.edf.org/methanemaps

      Technology is crucial to increasing energy efficiency, raising climate change awareness, and sustainability efforts. To learn more about what you can do to help, take a moment to explore our Google Earth Outreach site, where these tools and more are described in depth.

      Posted by Rebecca Moore, Engineering Director, Google Earth, Earth Engine & Outreach]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/how-technology-can-help-us-become-more-sustainable-2/feed/ 0       Advanced marker animations and more with Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.13 https://googledata.org/google-maps/advanced-marker-animations-and-more-with-google-maps-sdk-for-ios-1-13/ https://googledata.org/google-maps/advanced-marker-animations-and-more-with-google-maps-sdk-for-ios-1-13/#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2016 17:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=7afc41f48555707424bfbcaaec0c0158 mapViewSnapshotReady event.

      Advanced marker animations and auto-refreshing of info windows

      Ever wanted to have rotating markers or use a grow and glow marker animation?

      With the Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.13, we have introduced an iconView property for marker icons, giving you the animation capabilities of a UIView. Because iconView accepts a UIView, you can have a hierarchy of standard UI controls defining your markers, each view having the standard set of animation capabilities. The iconView property supports animation of all animatable properties of UIView except frame and center. Take a look at our documentation to get started.

      We've also included the option to auto-refresh info windows, which is particularly useful if you want to use a static web page as info window content but it hasn’t downloaded by the time you create your info window. By using the new marker property tracksInfoWindowChanges, you can have the info window automatically refresh when the static web page loads.

      Frame rate up to 60 fps with graceful fallback

      You can now take advantage of a new enum, GMSFrameRate, which has three options: kGMSFrameRatePowerSave (15fps), kGMSFrameRateConservative (30fps), and the default kGMSFrameRateMaximum (60fps with 30fps fallback). In order to protect devices that don't handle 60fps well, we do a run-time device model check and the preferredFrameRate is silently downgraded to 30fps when necessary on older devices.

      Autocomplete widget styling

      In Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.12 we announced the iOS Places autocomplete widget. With the release of iOS 1.13, you can now add further custom styling to your autocomplete widget to create a consistent visual identity.

      To set widget UI element colors:

      1. Use the native iOS Appearance Proxy system when possible to globally style UI controls. The Places autocomplete widget will honor these settings.
      2. Use the new SDK methods on widget classes to set colors which the Appearance Proxy system doesn't support.

      Our documentation highlights which elements can be customized using the Appearance Proxy, and which can be customized by using the SDK methods.


      mapViewSnapshotReady event

      We heard your requests to provide a clear signal that all tiles have been rendered and the map has finished loading. In Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.11 we included start/finish events for map tile and Street View panorama rendering.

      In this release, we've added a mapViewSnapshotReady event that indicates that the map is stable (tiles loaded, labels rendered, camera idle) and overlay objects have been rendered. This is useful if you want to do a transition away from the map, but need a static image of the map in case you want to transition back. The mapViewSnapshotReady event will ensure that the static image will truly represent the state of the map.

      A big thank you to iOS developers for using the Google Maps SDK and submitting feedback via the issue tracker!

      Take a look at our release notes and update to Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.13 today.

       Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs
      ]]>       mapViewSnapshotReady event.

      Advanced marker animations and auto-refreshing of info windows

      Ever wanted to have rotating markers or use a grow and glow marker animation?

      With the Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.13, we have introduced an iconView property for marker icons, giving you the animation capabilities of a UIView. Because iconView accepts a UIView, you can have a hierarchy of standard UI controls defining your markers, each view having the standard set of animation capabilities. The iconView property supports animation of all animatable properties of UIView except frame and center. Take a look at our documentation to get started.

      We've also included the option to auto-refresh info windows, which is particularly useful if you want to use a static web page as info window content but it hasn’t downloaded by the time you create your info window. By using the new marker property tracksInfoWindowChanges, you can have the info window automatically refresh when the static web page loads.

      Frame rate up to 60 fps with graceful fallback

      You can now take advantage of a new enum, GMSFrameRate, which has three options: kGMSFrameRatePowerSave (15fps), kGMSFrameRateConservative (30fps), and the default kGMSFrameRateMaximum (60fps with 30fps fallback). In order to protect devices that don't handle 60fps well, we do a run-time device model check and the preferredFrameRate is silently downgraded to 30fps when necessary on older devices.

      Autocomplete widget styling

      In Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.12 we announced the iOS Places autocomplete widget. With the release of iOS 1.13, you can now add further custom styling to your autocomplete widget to create a consistent visual identity.

      To set widget UI element colors:

      1. Use the native iOS Appearance Proxy system when possible to globally style UI controls. The Places autocomplete widget will honor these settings.
      2. Use the new SDK methods on widget classes to set colors which the Appearance Proxy system doesn't support.

      Our documentation highlights which elements can be customized using the Appearance Proxy, and which can be customized by using the SDK methods.


      mapViewSnapshotReady event

      We heard your requests to provide a clear signal that all tiles have been rendered and the map has finished loading. In Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.11 we included start/finish events for map tile and Street View panorama rendering.

      In this release, we've added a mapViewSnapshotReady event that indicates that the map is stable (tiles loaded, labels rendered, camera idle) and overlay objects have been rendered. This is useful if you want to do a transition away from the map, but need a static image of the map in case you want to transition back. The mapViewSnapshotReady event will ensure that the static image will truly represent the state of the map.

      A big thank you to iOS developers for using the Google Maps SDK and submitting feedback via the issue tracker!

      Take a look at our release notes and update to Google Maps SDK for iOS 1.13 today.

       Posted by Megan Boundey, Product Manager, Google Maps Mobile APIs
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-maps/advanced-marker-animations-and-more-with-google-maps-sdk-for-ios-1-13/feed/ 0       Explore the wonders of Thailand with Street View https://googledata.org/google-earth/explore-the-wonders-of-thailand-with-street-view/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/explore-the-wonders-of-thailand-with-street-view/#comments Tue, 29 Mar 2016 01:03:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=4b8ce8edb1b9032f9b9fbdc05baeb30d
      Nestled in northern Thailand, Sukhothai Historical Park was once the capital of ancient Siam. Sukhothai means “dawn of happiness”, and now you too can explore this happy place from the palm of your hand with Google Maps. Today, the park joins over 150 new places and national treasures that are now available in 360-degree panoramic imagery on Google Street View.

      From ancient temples, to tropical beaches, to strawberry plantations and rice terraces, this new Street View collection showcases the beauty and diversity of The Kingdom. Our intrepid trekker walked 500 kilometers with a heavy backpack across the length and breadth of the country to capture images of places like this:
      Trekking around the Chai Watthanaram Temple at Ayutthaya Historical Park in Central Thailand
      Temple visits are a must for any visitor to Thailand.
      Now you can wander virtually through the ruins of the Chai Watthanaram Temple and pay your virtual respects to Buddha peaking out from behind ancient tree roots at the Ayutthaya Historical Park. See ancient Khmer ruins at Phanom Rung National Park, or get up close to the intricate Buddhist and Hindu sculptures at the The Sanctuary of Truth — a temple made entirely of wood, just outside Bangkok.

      You can also explore the Chinese architecture of the Viharn Sien Chinese Cultural and Religion Museum.


      Or take a whirlwind tour around Thailand’s most famous monuments and architectural attractions all in one place at Ancient Siam. Dubbed the world's largest outdoor museum, the park is shaped like Thailand and is home to monuments of The Old Market Town and The Pavilion of the Enlightened.

      For good fortune, why not head over to the Erawan Museum just outside the capital? There you’ll find a giant Erawan statue, a mythological three-headed elephant, filled with antiquities and artifacts.


      Our trekker also found some real elephants on his travels, too. As well as bringing the 'retirement home' for elephants to Street View, we also had a chance to say hi to this big feller while capturing the Thai Thani Art & Culture Village in Eastern Thailand.
      Trekker says hi to the elephants at the Thai Thani Art & Culture Village
      For something a little cooler, head north to Chiang Mai where you can see mist rolling over the 2000 Tea Plantation and the Ban Nor Lae Village Strawberry Fields.


      Those strawberry fields really do feel like forever when you’re carrying the trekker:

      No trip to Thailand is complete without a tour of The Kingdom’s stunning southern beaches. You can laze around Koh Samui’s white stretches of sand, take in the lagoons, cliffs and islets of Hin Ta Hin Yai and Koh Nang Yuan, or find a quiet grotto to watch the boats go by. There’s no shortage of inspiration for your next diving or beach get away.
      Taking in the views at Koh Nang Yuan

      Whether you continue your journey in Google Maps or are inspired to visit in person, we invite you to enjoy exploring the wonders of Thailand. We hope that visiting The Kingdom with Google Maps (available on iOS and Android) will inspire a deeper appreciation for the beauty and history of this beautiful country.

      Posted by Cynthia Wei, Program Manager, Google Street View
      ]]>
      Nestled in northern Thailand, Sukhothai Historical Park was once the capital of ancient Siam. Sukhothai means “dawn of happiness”, and now you too can explore this happy place from the palm of your hand with Google Maps. Today, the park joins over 150 new places and national treasures that are now available in 360-degree panoramic imagery on Google Street View.

      From ancient temples, to tropical beaches, to strawberry plantations and rice terraces, this new Street View collection showcases the beauty and diversity of The Kingdom. Our intrepid trekker walked 500 kilometers with a heavy backpack across the length and breadth of the country to capture images of places like this:
      Trekking around the Chai Watthanaram Temple at Ayutthaya Historical Park in Central Thailand
      Temple visits are a must for any visitor to Thailand.
      Now you can wander virtually through the ruins of the Chai Watthanaram Temple and pay your virtual respects to Buddha peaking out from behind ancient tree roots at the Ayutthaya Historical Park. See ancient Khmer ruins at Phanom Rung National Park, or get up close to the intricate Buddhist and Hindu sculptures at the The Sanctuary of Truth — a temple made entirely of wood, just outside Bangkok.

      You can also explore the Chinese architecture of the Viharn Sien Chinese Cultural and Religion Museum.


      Or take a whirlwind tour around Thailand’s most famous monuments and architectural attractions all in one place at Ancient Siam. Dubbed the world's largest outdoor museum, the park is shaped like Thailand and is home to monuments of The Old Market Town and The Pavilion of the Enlightened.

      For good fortune, why not head over to the Erawan Museum just outside the capital? There you’ll find a giant Erawan statue, a mythological three-headed elephant, filled with antiquities and artifacts.


      Our trekker also found some real elephants on his travels, too. As well as bringing the 'retirement home' for elephants to Street View, we also had a chance to say hi to this big feller while capturing the Thai Thani Art & Culture Village in Eastern Thailand.
      Trekker says hi to the elephants at the Thai Thani Art & Culture Village
      For something a little cooler, head north to Chiang Mai where you can see mist rolling over the 2000 Tea Plantation and the Ban Nor Lae Village Strawberry Fields.


      Those strawberry fields really do feel like forever when you’re carrying the trekker:

      No trip to Thailand is complete without a tour of The Kingdom’s stunning southern beaches. You can laze around Koh Samui’s white stretches of sand, take in the lagoons, cliffs and islets of Hin Ta Hin Yai and Koh Nang Yuan, or find a quiet grotto to watch the boats go by. There’s no shortage of inspiration for your next diving or beach get away.
      Taking in the views at Koh Nang Yuan

      Whether you continue your journey in Google Maps or are inspired to visit in person, we invite you to enjoy exploring the wonders of Thailand. We hope that visiting The Kingdom with Google Maps (available on iOS and Android) will inspire a deeper appreciation for the beauty and history of this beautiful country.

      Posted by Cynthia Wei, Program Manager, Google Street View
      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/explore-the-wonders-of-thailand-with-street-view/feed/ 0       Ayubowan Sri Lanka! https://googledata.org/google-earth/ayubowan-sri-lanka/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/ayubowan-sri-lanka/#comments Tue, 22 Mar 2016 03:37:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=38bb27a7adf0513c48b53a0083afa9a8

      When the explorer Marco Polo visited Sri Lanka in 1265, he described it as “the finest island of its size in all the world.” Tourists from around the world agree, as it’s become an increasingly popular travel destination, especially for those who want to explore the country’s rich history and natural beauty. Now even more people around the world will be able to discover some of the jewels that this fine island has to offer — minus the treacherous sea voyage — with Street View.

      From the hustle and bustle of downtown Colombo, to the cool tea plantation hills, and onwards to the sandy white beaches, Sri Lanka is as beautiful as it is diverse. To capture this imagery, we drove close to 50,000 kilometers across every state and province so that you can virtually explore this beautiful landscape from coast to coast.

      Start your tour — perhaps with a cup of Ceylon tea in hand — on the winding Beragala-Hali Ela Highway. Home to many of the world’s best brews, you’ll be able to see people growing, picking and packing tea among the lush rolling hills along the way.

      The Bergala tea estates on the Beragala-Hali Ela Highway

      For even more majestic jungle and some mountain views, take a tour along the country’s first modern highway — the Colombo-Kandy road. Starting in Sri Lanka’s biggest city, you will journey through some spectacular scenery as you head inland to Kandy where you can see the relic of the tooth of Buddha.

      You’ll see hills, jungle and many a three-wheeler on the Colombo-Kandy road

      You can then take virtual leap across the island to the Kandy-Jaffna highway, which heads out to the coast and down to the Elephant Pass Causeway. While you may not see any elephants, this stretch of road connecting North and South Sri Lanka gives you a 360 degree view of the Indian Ocean on either side of the road.

      The Elephant Pass Causeway is surrounded by the Indian Ocean

      While you’re on the coast why not check out Arugum Bay? This popular surfing spot in the country’s southeast is renowned for its amazing point break. If you prefer spending time on the sand rather than on a board, the sleepy little fishing village of Point Pedro on the northern tip of the island has some pristine beaches to explore.

      Point Pedro is home to many remote beaches

      Once you’ve taken in Sri Lanka’s natural beauty, you might be ready to take in some culture. Head north to Anuradhapura, and catch a glimpse of the ancient Ruwanwelisaya Stupa. Believed to have been visited by the Buddha himself, it was built in 140 B.C. and today remains one of the world’s tallest monuments, standing at over 100 meters.

       The ancient Ruwanwelisaya Stupa peaks out from behind the trees

      Why not complete your tour by heading back to Colombo where you can see Old Parliament House. Built during the British colonial era, it is home to the first democratic parliament, and the Independence Memorial Hall which commemorates Sri Lanka’s independence from British rule 1948.

      Street View cars parked at the Independence Avenue

      We hope that visiting Sri Lanka with Google Maps (available on iOS and Android) will inspire a deeper appreciation for the beauty and history of this beautiful country. Whether you continue your journey in Google Maps or are inspired to visit in person, we invite you to enjoy the Land of Lions.

      Posted by Nishant Nair, Program Manager, APAC Street View Operations

      ]]>

      When the explorer Marco Polo visited Sri Lanka in 1265, he described it as “the finest island of its size in all the world.” Tourists from around the world agree, as it’s become an increasingly popular travel destination, especially for those who want to explore the country’s rich history and natural beauty. Now even more people around the world will be able to discover some of the jewels that this fine island has to offer — minus the treacherous sea voyage — with Street View.

      From the hustle and bustle of downtown Colombo, to the cool tea plantation hills, and onwards to the sandy white beaches, Sri Lanka is as beautiful as it is diverse. To capture this imagery, we drove close to 50,000 kilometers across every state and province so that you can virtually explore this beautiful landscape from coast to coast.

      Start your tour — perhaps with a cup of Ceylon tea in hand — on the winding Beragala-Hali Ela Highway. Home to many of the world’s best brews, you’ll be able to see people growing, picking and packing tea among the lush rolling hills along the way.

      The Bergala tea estates on the Beragala-Hali Ela Highway

      For even more majestic jungle and some mountain views, take a tour along the country’s first modern highway — the Colombo-Kandy road. Starting in Sri Lanka’s biggest city, you will journey through some spectacular scenery as you head inland to Kandy where you can see the relic of the tooth of Buddha.

      You’ll see hills, jungle and many a three-wheeler on the Colombo-Kandy road

      You can then take virtual leap across the island to the Kandy-Jaffna highway, which heads out to the coast and down to the Elephant Pass Causeway. While you may not see any elephants, this stretch of road connecting North and South Sri Lanka gives you a 360 degree view of the Indian Ocean on either side of the road.

      The Elephant Pass Causeway is surrounded by the Indian Ocean

      While you’re on the coast why not check out Arugum Bay? This popular surfing spot in the country’s southeast is renowned for its amazing point break. If you prefer spending time on the sand rather than on a board, the sleepy little fishing village of Point Pedro on the northern tip of the island has some pristine beaches to explore.

      Point Pedro is home to many remote beaches

      Once you’ve taken in Sri Lanka’s natural beauty, you might be ready to take in some culture. Head north to Anuradhapura, and catch a glimpse of the ancient Ruwanwelisaya Stupa. Believed to have been visited by the Buddha himself, it was built in 140 B.C. and today remains one of the world’s tallest monuments, standing at over 100 meters.

       The ancient Ruwanwelisaya Stupa peaks out from behind the trees

      Why not complete your tour by heading back to Colombo where you can see Old Parliament House. Built during the British colonial era, it is home to the first democratic parliament, and the Independence Memorial Hall which commemorates Sri Lanka’s independence from British rule 1948.

      Street View cars parked at the Independence Avenue

      We hope that visiting Sri Lanka with Google Maps (available on iOS and Android) will inspire a deeper appreciation for the beauty and history of this beautiful country. Whether you continue your journey in Google Maps or are inspired to visit in person, we invite you to enjoy the Land of Lions.

      Posted by Nishant Nair, Program Manager, APAC Street View Operations

      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/ayubowan-sri-lanka/feed/ 0       Home Sweet Treehouse https://googledata.org/google-earth/home-sweet-treehouse/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/home-sweet-treehouse/#comments Fri, 18 Mar 2016 15:45:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=2d9771560957d1392fb8c8b49c837727
      There are many benefits to saving your home and work addresses in Google Maps. You can use the new driving mode for one-tap access to driving directions from your home screen. If you use public transportation to commute, you can stop guessing when the train will arrive with quick access to real-time transportation information.

      Home and work are not the only places you can label in Google Maps. For example, if you look up the best route to avoid traffic on your way to your kid’s school, or to see when the next bus is coming to get to your friend’s house for your favorite sitcom every Thursday, or the gym on Mondays and Wednesdays, you can now label these places for quick access to directions, traffic conditions, best routes and more.

      To save home and work addresses and other destinations, just make sure you’re signed into your Google account. Then visit the Your Places tab or type an address, then label it. Once setup, you can just type "home", "work" or "gym" in the search bar to get directions and navigate quickly and easily from wherever you are.

      What’s your dream home? If you’re a prince or princess, your castle awaits you.







       Posted By: Beth Findley, Software Engineer Google Map]]>
      There are many benefits to saving your home and work addresses in Google Maps. You can use the new driving mode for one-tap access to driving directions from your home screen. If you use public transportation to commute, you can stop guessing when the train will arrive with quick access to real-time transportation information.

      Home and work are not the only places you can label in Google Maps. For example, if you look up the best route to avoid traffic on your way to your kid’s school, or to see when the next bus is coming to get to your friend’s house for your favorite sitcom every Thursday, or the gym on Mondays and Wednesdays, you can now label these places for quick access to directions, traffic conditions, best routes and more.

      To save home and work addresses and other destinations, just make sure you’re signed into your Google account. Then visit the Your Places tab or type an address, then label it. Once setup, you can just type "home", "work" or "gym" in the search bar to get directions and navigate quickly and easily from wherever you are.

      What’s your dream home? If you’re a prince or princess, your castle awaits you.







       Posted By: Beth Findley, Software Engineer Google Map]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/home-sweet-treehouse/feed/ 0       Your car has arrived on iOS and Android: More ways to get around with Google Maps https://googledata.org/google-earth/your-car-has-arrived-more-ways-to-get-around-with-google-maps/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/your-car-has-arrived-more-ways-to-get-around-with-google-maps/#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2016 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=827fccc245f3f6dec70d8f2db6e9e701
      In addition to our existing global ride service partner Uber, with this update we've added new providers across five countries: 99Taxis in Brazil, Ola Cabs in India, Hailo in the UK and Spain, mytaxi in Germany and Spain, and Gett in the UK.


      If you have a provider’s app installed and tap on the ride service tab, you’ll be able to see fare estimates and pick up times if a car is available near you. Select a service, and we’ll take you directly to their app for you to book your ride with one tap. When it makes sense, we’ll also show ride service availability when viewing the map in walking and transit directions, and multiple ride services options for each provider—where they exist. For example, if you’re using Uber, starting today, we’ll now show uberX, uberXL and UberBLACK for an easy and quick comparison.


      UPDATED 3/24/16: The feature is now available on both Android and iOS. So next time you’re looking to move around a city, open Google Maps on your phone to figure out your fastest mode of transport to get where you’re headed.

      Posted by Holger Flier, Software Engineer

      ]]>
      In addition to our existing global ride service partner Uber, with this update we've added new providers across five countries: 99Taxis in Brazil, Ola Cabs in India, Hailo in the UK and Spain, mytaxi in Germany and Spain, and Gett in the UK.


      If you have a provider’s app installed and tap on the ride service tab, you’ll be able to see fare estimates and pick up times if a car is available near you. Select a service, and we’ll take you directly to their app for you to book your ride with one tap. When it makes sense, we’ll also show ride service availability when viewing the map in walking and transit directions, and multiple ride services options for each provider—where they exist. For example, if you’re using Uber, starting today, we’ll now show uberX, uberXL and UberBLACK for an easy and quick comparison.


      UPDATED 3/24/16: The feature is now available on both Android and iOS. So next time you’re looking to move around a city, open Google Maps on your phone to figure out your fastest mode of transport to get where you’re headed.

      Posted by Holger Flier, Software Engineer

      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/your-car-has-arrived-more-ways-to-get-around-with-google-maps/feed/ 0       The Mzansi Experience: Discover South Africa on Google Maps https://googledata.org/google-earth/the-mzansi-experience-discover-south-africa-on-google-maps/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/the-mzansi-experience-discover-south-africa-on-google-maps/#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2016 09:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=e2aebda46521223d0d47a31e4299374f South Africa awaits you in Google Maps.

      South Africa is known for its unique array of wildlife. Visiting Kruger National Park in Google Maps, you can see some of its majestic creatures as if you were there in real life. Catch a glimpse of a rhinoceros grazing the plains, an elephant enjoying a grassy snack, and a herd of buffalo charging against the wind. You may even spot a leopard, who often remain elusive to tourists and locals alike.


      Climbing atop Table Mountain, even on a cloudy day, gives you a breathtaking view of where civilization and nature collide in Cape Town. Feeling like you’re on top of the world has never been so easy as it is at Jonkershoek Nature Reserve in the Western Cape.


      For the beach bums out there, South Africa is a must. With Street View, you can watch the waves break at Sandy Bay, gaze at the clear blue sky and water at Clifton Beach, go parasailing at Sunset Beach or just take a long walk along Durban’s Golden Mile.


      This South African Street View tour is just a taste of these vast plains. We hope that visiting South Africa with Google Maps (available on iOS and Android) will inspire a deeper appreciation for the country, its wildlife and show the beauty of the African continent. Whether you continue your journey in Google Maps or in person, we invite you to enjoy the views and landscapes of the Rainbow Nation.

      Posted by Sven Tresp, Street View Special Collections Program Manager]]>       South Africa awaits you in Google Maps.

      South Africa is known for its unique array of wildlife. Visiting Kruger National Park in Google Maps, you can see some of its majestic creatures as if you were there in real life. Catch a glimpse of a rhinoceros grazing the plains, an elephant enjoying a grassy snack, and a herd of buffalo charging against the wind. You may even spot a leopard, who often remain elusive to tourists and locals alike.


      Climbing atop Table Mountain, even on a cloudy day, gives you a breathtaking view of where civilization and nature collide in Cape Town. Feeling like you’re on top of the world has never been so easy as it is at Jonkershoek Nature Reserve in the Western Cape.


      For the beach bums out there, South Africa is a must. With Street View, you can watch the waves break at Sandy Bay, gaze at the clear blue sky and water at Clifton Beach, go parasailing at Sunset Beach or just take a long walk along Durban’s Golden Mile.


      This South African Street View tour is just a taste of these vast plains. We hope that visiting South Africa with Google Maps (available on iOS and Android) will inspire a deeper appreciation for the country, its wildlife and show the beauty of the African continent. Whether you continue your journey in Google Maps or in person, we invite you to enjoy the views and landscapes of the Rainbow Nation.

      Posted by Sven Tresp, Street View Special Collections Program Manager]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/the-mzansi-experience-discover-south-africa-on-google-maps/feed/ 0       Tōhoku in pictures: Five years after the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami https://googledata.org/google-earth/tohoku-in-pictures-five-years-after-the-great-east-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/tohoku-in-pictures-five-years-after-the-great-east-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami/#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2016 01:05:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a9cae0a20e360ecafb7e9bf70c4df52f This week marks the fifth anniversary of the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. The most powerful quake recorded in Japan’s history, it devastated coastal areas across northeastern parts of the country. For the last five years, Google Maps has been capturing 360-degree, panoramic imagery of these areas with Street View cameras, as well as aerial photographs. These snapshots show what has changed in the aftermath of the disaster—and what hasn’t.

      You can now see updated Street View imagery from 59 cities, 19 towns and 4 villages from the Ibaraki, Iwate, Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, which was collected between June 2015 and January 2016. Part of the “Great East Japan Earthquake Digital Archive Project," this is the third Street View imagery update since the disaster.

      By using Street View technology to record, exhibit and archive the damage, we hope to give people—both those who used to live there, and those who have never been—a way to see and understand the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami. It may also give future generations a vivid way to understand and remember what happened.



      One of the areas most affected by the disaster was Fukushima prefecture. Naraha in Fukushima was an evacuation zone until September of last year, but is now being rebuilt and repopulated. The people of Naraha wanted to capture this rebuilding process, so they borrowed the Street View Trekker as part of the Trekker loan program so they could show the world what Naraha looks like today and share their hopes for the future.

      In addition to the updated Street View imagery, we also have satellite and aerial imagery of the coast stretching from Hachinohe to Iwaki from before and after the disaster. As this timelapse with scenes from the Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures shows, the road to recovery is a long one.




      Miyako was one of the areas most devastated by the tsunami, with waters reaching at least 37.9 meters above sea level. As this timelapse shows, the seaside town was filled with homes and businesses before the earthquake struck in 2011. Everything was swept away by the tsunami. Clearing the rubble from the disaster took years; today, most of the new houses are being built on top of the mountain, not by the sea, in case of a future tsunami.
      View of Miyako from 2009 to 2016
      You can see all this imagery, as well as Street View images of these areas from before the disaster on the Google Maps "Memories for the Future" page.

      Posted by Wakaba Ohkura, Google Street View Program Manager

      ]]>       This week marks the fifth anniversary of the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. The most powerful quake recorded in Japan’s history, it devastated coastal areas across northeastern parts of the country. For the last five years, Google Maps has been capturing 360-degree, panoramic imagery of these areas with Street View cameras, as well as aerial photographs. These snapshots show what has changed in the aftermath of the disaster—and what hasn’t.

      You can now see updated Street View imagery from 59 cities, 19 towns and 4 villages from the Ibaraki, Iwate, Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, which was collected between June 2015 and January 2016. Part of the “Great East Japan Earthquake Digital Archive Project," this is the third Street View imagery update since the disaster.

      By using Street View technology to record, exhibit and archive the damage, we hope to give people—both those who used to live there, and those who have never been—a way to see and understand the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami. It may also give future generations a vivid way to understand and remember what happened.



      One of the areas most affected by the disaster was Fukushima prefecture. Naraha in Fukushima was an evacuation zone until September of last year, but is now being rebuilt and repopulated. The people of Naraha wanted to capture this rebuilding process, so they borrowed the Street View Trekker as part of the Trekker loan program so they could show the world what Naraha looks like today and share their hopes for the future.

      In addition to the updated Street View imagery, we also have satellite and aerial imagery of the coast stretching from Hachinohe to Iwaki from before and after the disaster. As this timelapse with scenes from the Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures shows, the road to recovery is a long one.




      Miyako was one of the areas most devastated by the tsunami, with waters reaching at least 37.9 meters above sea level. As this timelapse shows, the seaside town was filled with homes and businesses before the earthquake struck in 2011. Everything was swept away by the tsunami. Clearing the rubble from the disaster took years; today, most of the new houses are being built on top of the mountain, not by the sea, in case of a future tsunami.
      View of Miyako from 2009 to 2016
      You can see all this imagery, as well as Street View images of these areas from before the disaster on the Google Maps "Memories for the Future" page.

      Posted by Wakaba Ohkura, Google Street View Program Manager

      ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/tohoku-in-pictures-five-years-after-the-great-east-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami/feed/ 0       The Last Great Race in Street View https://googledata.org/google-earth/the-last-great-race-in-street-view/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/the-last-great-race-in-street-view/#comments Thu, 03 Mar 2016 15:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=4d4a3570e76d8778b2144b75956dd02d west coast city of Nome. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race requires the sled drivers or “mushers” to safely guide their dogs across the wilderness of Alaska through steep mountainous terrain, extremes of weather, and days of sleep deprivation. A British reporter covering the 1978 Iditarod tagged it “The Last Great Race on Earth.”


      The Iditarod Trail is a National Historic trail that evolved as busy winter highway as people flocked to Alaska during the gold rush of the 1890s and 1900s. During the months that ocean access to western communities was frozen, dog sleds delivered groceries, mail, and even the preacher. On their return trip, they hauled gold and furs all the way to Anchorage or Fairbanks. On some days more than a hundred sleds headed over the Alaska Range, traveling 50 or more miles a day. Like the stagecoaches of the Old West, the mushers would stop at roadhouses along the route to rest and feed the dogs, and themselves.

      At the checkpoint the musher’s first responsibility is to make sure his sled team is fed and rested. Straw is used to provide insulation from the cold ground and special wraps help keep the dogs warm.

      Despite the long history of mushing in Alaska, the development of snow machines in the 1960s removed its role as a major mode of transportation, and it became primarily a recreational activity. The Iditarod Race evolved as a way to save both sled dog culture and the heritage of the Iditarod Trail. Competitors and their dog sled teams travel from checkpoint to checkpoint, just like the freight sleds did in years past. And just like those times, it’s not always an easy ride—the terrain and variable weather conditions present real challenges for the mushers, which the Google Trekker camera discovered for itself during the 2015 Iditarod.

      The Google Street View Trekker wanders free near the Galena checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail

      Due to unseasonably warm weather conditions over Anchorage and the Alaska Range, the route of the 2015 race was switched to begin in Fairbanks, Alaska. At the traditional “ceremonial start” (held in Anchorage), a special sled #80 driven by Dean Osmar, the 1984 Iditarod Champion, towed a second sled with a Googler wearing the trekker. The slushy conditions led to an 11-mile adventure complete with frozen puddles, cheering spectators, crashes, pink flamingos and a man-sized penguin. Sometimes our mission to map the whole world is harder than it looks!

      Learning from this experience, we later successfully navigated the first 60-mile leg of the official 2015 route. Now you can follow our mushing adventures in Anchorage and Fairbanks, explore the rural Alaska communities of Galena, Unalakleet and Nome, and see the race checkpoints and finish line—all in Google Street View. This cold-weather adventure is literally at your fingertips directly from your mobile device when you download the Google Map for Mobile app on iOS and Android. And if you’re in the area in person, you can also explore and navigate to other popular spots across Anchorage and Fairbanks. Hike!

      Posted by John Bailey, Program Manager for Google Geo Education]]>       west coast city of Nome. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race requires the sled drivers or “mushers” to safely guide their dogs across the wilderness of Alaska through steep mountainous terrain, extremes of weather, and days of sleep deprivation. A British reporter covering the 1978 Iditarod tagged it “The Last Great Race on Earth.”


      The Iditarod Trail is a National Historic trail that evolved as busy winter highway as people flocked to Alaska during the gold rush of the 1890s and 1900s. During the months that ocean access to western communities was frozen, dog sleds delivered groceries, mail, and even the preacher. On their return trip, they hauled gold and furs all the way to Anchorage or Fairbanks. On some days more than a hundred sleds headed over the Alaska Range, traveling 50 or more miles a day. Like the stagecoaches of the Old West, the mushers would stop at roadhouses along the route to rest and feed the dogs, and themselves.

      At the checkpoint the musher’s first responsibility is to make sure his sled team is fed and rested. Straw is used to provide insulation from the cold ground and special wraps help keep the dogs warm.

      Despite the long history of mushing in Alaska, the development of snow machines in the 1960s removed its role as a major mode of transportation, and it became primarily a recreational activity. The Iditarod Race evolved as a way to save both sled dog culture and the heritage of the Iditarod Trail. Competitors and their dog sled teams travel from checkpoint to checkpoint, just like the freight sleds did in years past. And just like those times, it’s not always an easy ride—the terrain and variable weather conditions present real challenges for the mushers, which the Google Trekker camera discovered for itself during the 2015 Iditarod.

      The Google Street View Trekker wanders free near the Galena checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail

      Due to unseasonably warm weather conditions over Anchorage and the Alaska Range, the route of the 2015 race was switched to begin in Fairbanks, Alaska. At the traditional “ceremonial start” (held in Anchorage), a special sled #80 driven by Dean Osmar, the 1984 Iditarod Champion, towed a second sled with a Googler wearing the trekker. The slushy conditions led to an 11-mile adventure complete with frozen puddles, cheering spectators, crashes, pink flamingos and a man-sized penguin. Sometimes our mission to map the whole world is harder than it looks!

      Learning from this experience, we later successfully navigated the first 60-mile leg of the official 2015 route. Now you can follow our mushing adventures in Anchorage and Fairbanks, explore the rural Alaska communities of Galena, Unalakleet and Nome, and see the race checkpoints and finish line—all in Google Street View. This cold-weather adventure is literally at your fingertips directly from your mobile device when you download the Google Map for Mobile app on iOS and Android. And if you’re in the area in person, you can also explore and navigate to other popular spots across Anchorage and Fairbanks. Hike!

      Posted by John Bailey, Program Manager for Google Geo Education]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/the-last-great-race-in-street-view/feed/ 0       Easily add pit stops to your trips – all over the world, on Android and iPhone https://googledata.org/google-earth/easily-add-pit-stops-to-your-trips-all-over-the-world-on-android-and-iphone/ https://googledata.org/google-earth/easily-add-pit-stops-to-your-trips-all-over-the-world-on-android-and-iphone/#comments Mon, 29 Feb 2016 14:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=b1e756473b9eb0a6b17cc6c8688fa5c1
      That changed last October with an update to Google Maps for Android that lets you add detours to your route, without ever leaving navigation mode. And starting today, this feature will start rolling out on iOS as well, in any country where we offer navigation—more than 100 worldwide. So no matter where you’re from, where you are, or whether you use Android or iPhone, making a pit stop is now a breeze. Here’s how it works on the iPhone:


      When you're in navigation mode, simply tap the magnifying glass at the top right corner of the screen to see a menu of helpful options for places you might need to stop at, like gas stations, grocery stores, or restaurants. If the drop-down options aren’t what you need, you can tap the search icon or use voice commands to search by specific name or category to find what you’re looking for. Search results include ratings and the estimated amount of time the detour will add to your trip, so you can choose the one that’s best for you.

      Whether you're running an errand in your own backyard or roadtripping through a foreign land, Google Maps helps you get where you’re going, even if you have to make some stops along the way.

      Posted by: Aditya Dhanrajani, Google Maps Product Manager ]]>
      That changed last October with an update to Google Maps for Android that lets you add detours to your route, without ever leaving navigation mode. And starting today, this feature will start rolling out on iOS as well, in any country where we offer navigation—more than 100 worldwide. So no matter where you’re from, where you are, or whether you use Android or iPhone, making a pit stop is now a breeze. Here’s how it works on the iPhone:


      When you're in navigation mode, simply tap the magnifying glass at the top right corner of the screen to see a menu of helpful options for places you might need to stop at, like gas stations, grocery stores, or restaurants. If the drop-down options aren’t what you need, you can tap the search icon or use voice commands to search by specific name or category to find what you’re looking for. Search results include ratings and the estimated amount of time the detour will add to your trip, so you can choose the one that’s best for you.

      Whether you're running an errand in your own backyard or roadtripping through a foreign land, Google Maps helps you get where you’re going, even if you have to make some stops along the way.

      Posted by: Aditya Dhanrajani, Google Maps Product Manager ]]>       https://googledata.org/google-earth/easily-add-pit-stops-to-your-trips-all-over-the-world-on-android-and-iphone/feed/ 0