Alright, everyone, settle down. I know the Google Maps Navigation stuff is pretty amazing, but let’s not write off the traditional GPS makers just yet. They’re not going anywhere for a while. Your parents and friends will see to that.
Hopefully the sudden market loss that companies like Garmin and TomTom saw yesterday will wake the companies up and see that they are doing it wrong. They are in the habit of producing 78 different versions of the same GPS. Each model steps you up $20 and adds another feature. It’s a ridiculous business plan and totally opposite what successful companies are doing.
But it’s true. Google dropped a bombshell on GPS makers yesterday with its free navigation tool that trumps almost anything currently available. The Android 2.0 app is about as robust as you can get thanks to the always connected Android OS and almighty Google. You can simply say “Where is the Best Buy in Flint, MI” and it will take you there. All this is free from the “do no evil” company, Google.
Google Maps is the best BlackBerry mapping solution I’ve found and it just got a whole lot cooler. The Layers function will overlay different information sets on the the current map few. For instance, you can overlay a location-aware Wikipedia screen. Or Latitude. Or even make your own favorite locations and travel itinerary in a function called My Maps. You really should watch the demo video to see it in action. It’s killer. Update your BlackBerry at m.google.com/maps.
The free ride is over, ladies. Go ahead and fire up the Google Maps Apps for your iPhone (or iPhone touch), and you may well run into something you’ve avoided for so, so long: an ad. That’s right: Google Maps now shows advertisements. Things fall apart.
This has been a very exciting year for things-that-could-kill-us. First it was the economy that could kill us all; then it was those Somali pirates who posed a threat to our very way of life; and now we all should fear swine flu. Why should we fear la grippe porcine? Well, it seems to be spreading around the world pretty swiftly, and it’s doing a pretty thorough job of wreaking havoc in Mexico. So, here’s a map!
On top of the offline Gmail app that Vic Gundotra demoed, he also demoed the Palm Pre running an HTML5 version of Google Maps. You’ll have to watch the video to get the gist, but Gundotra said that the Pre was “arguably one of my most favorite devices.”
Woohoo! I just sent my Storm to Matt, so I can’t verify this, but I’m sure it’s legit. The latest update to Google Maps for BlackBerrys, 3.0.2, is now compatible with the Storm’s GPS. In case you haven’t updated in a while this latest round includes Latitude, too. Now go get it!
I’ve been cruising around my neighborhood in the updated Street View today and have already found a few interesting items. For instance, as you see above, the stretch of northbound I-5 above Eastlake is now a terrifying corridor of colorful static. I haven’t driven that stretch in a few weeks so I guess it’s possible, but I should have noticed it when I was out there at the Lo-Fi last Saturday.
What other glitches mar the face of the Emerald City? Read More
Google has rolled out an update to Google Maps, and has expanded Street View to include many new locations including my home town of Seattle! That makes it exciting to me, and obviously it’s exciting for everyone else on the internet because now there are miles and miles of new streets to investigate for hilarity, strange occurrences, and of course yourself. I’ve already scoured half of my routine locations looking for that familiar face, but no dice.
The new interface works okay; you drop “Peg-man” wherever you want to be and it puts you directly into street view. You can drag him and it provides a preview and droppable areas. Problem is, if you scroll away in the little corner map, there’s no way to grab Peg-man again; you have to scroll back and pick him up or expand the map again. I expect we’ll be seeing a few tweaks in the coming weeks.
Update: Oops, Seattle was added a couple weeks ago. Well, if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s new to you!
Google launched its own satellite, the GeoEye1, last month and this here is its first photo. It’s a shot of Kutzton University in Pennsylvania.
The GeoEye1 satellite will serve a number of clients, including the U.S. government (and Google itself). Naturally, the government will be able to access higher resolution images than you and I. That said, the new images that you and I will have access to on Google Maps and Google Earth will be of “much higher quality” than what we’re used to.
What’s Google’s stock at right now? I wouldn’t be surprised if this type of lavish spending slows down in the next few months.
Am I the only chump that wonders why Google isn’t in more GPS units? I have found that the Google Maps on my Blackberry works far better for general searches ’round town, than my GPS so I find the fact that BMW is adding Google Maps-powered system to the 1 and 3 Series encouraging. This means that the service is working its way down market, previously being offered only in the 5, 6 and 7 series and might be installed in more models soon. The service, dubbed BMW’s MyInfo, works with the big, blue G to provide users with business and address info. Now if only the Bavarian techs can partner with the Mountain View nerds and get us Google Maps Street View like the mobile app now has.
What do you get when you combine an iPhone, Nike, Google Map support, and fancy graphs? Way to many distractions from your workout.
We digress but per a French website, the upcoming Nike+ is going to sport all that and probabaly a few more nifty features. The most innovative addition though has to be Google Map support ’cause it adds demensions to this app. Just think, a runner could plan out new routes and follow them to a T. There could be greater timing to track your workout progression. Come to think of it, when you combine the iPhone, Nike, Google Map support, and fancy graphs, you get one hell of a workout buddy – plus, one that can carry a tune.
Got a spare Mustang laying around? Wanna tear up San Fran, Bullitt style? Seero.com will help. The site plays back the film in one window, while tracking McQueens iconic route via Google Maps in another. Keep in mind, the producers used two heavily modified 390 CID V8 Mustangs to jump those hills so your ’stang might not survive the run. Plus, one of those cars were scraped after the scene. King of Cool not your thing? Burt Reynolds’ Smokey and the Bandit chase is on the site too but because of the clunky site, we can’t figure out how to link to it. Sorry
On a side note, the Seero is designed to broadcast actually driving. Great example is Alex Royevading Oklahoma police and clips from Gumball 3000.
There are two hazards to owning a BlackBerry in Manhattan, at least for me. I ignore friends and potential ex’s by constantly being on BB Messenger, checking e-mails, being on Facebook or playing BrickBreaker. The other factor is doing all of those things while walking along the streets. It’s not safe. Not one bit.
Well, Google has made life a tad bit simpler by adding voice search to Google Maps for the BlackBerry. Oh, this is lame. It’s only for the stupid Pearls (8110, 8120, 8130). Weak sauce. Enjoy, Pearl owners.
By now you’re all familiar with the Palm Centro, so I’ll save all of you from having to read through a list of specs again. Today, Palm announced that an unlocked GSM version of the dainty smartphone is available on the Palm site for $299. Available for free beginning tomorrow for Palm Centro owners is Google Maps for mobile with My Location, which basically approximates your location on the map when you fire it up.
Google Maps has a neat feature that will help you find driving directions or more notably public transit directions. It works quite well, but what if you don’t like either option?
Some people have started a petition to Google to include the feature to get “bike there” directions, and we think it’s a good idea.
Does Google listen to petitions like this? We don’t know but Google likes to be green and likes to “Do No Evil”, so getting it on their radar couldn’t hurt.
If previous Google Maps Street View complaints have seemed somewhat frivolous and paranoid, this latest one might be enough to change your mind. The Smoking Gun is reporting that a home not far from the Pittsburgh home Nicholas told us about a few days ago has been thoroughly documented in true Street View form.
Tonight, Xmas Eve, we will have a full moon, Mars will be at its brightest in years, and clear skies over most of the nation. But if you need more help finding Santa tonight, NORAD has teamed up with Google Maps to give you a real-time, Flash-based Santa tracking application.
If I get elf crap in my stocking again this year, I’m going pagan.
Photos taken for the European version of Google Street Views will soon have people’s faces and license plates pixelated out, like so many innocent non-suspects on your favorite episode of COPS.
The same privacy protection may come to the US version as well, although Google has made no formal announcement yet other than to say that it’s "thinking about it." Might as well just do it, Google. Better safe than pantless, am I right?
The Onion, America’s finest news source, is good. Google Maps, Earth’s finest online map software, is good. Put the two together and you get Our Dumb World, a new series from the satire specialists depicting our silly planet in a bold, ne’er before seen light.
We learn many things with Our Dumb World. For example, Spain didn’t cede control of the New World because it went bankrupt and England passed it by in terms of trade, technology or any of that. Nope, they just got tired and took too many siestas.
Each week The Onion will put the spotlight on one country, really highlighting its dumbness. This week is France, the only country on Earth, and one that really knows how to party.
Good news. Google maps is now available as a standalone, non-java program for Windows Mobile devices. No more midlet business.
It’s faster and easier to use than Live Search, in my opinion (although with fewer bells and whistles like movie times, etc.) and features real-time traffic, favorites, GPS locating, map or satellite imagery, contact lookup, and more.
It takes up a little under a megabyte of space and can be downloaded by going to www.google.com/gmm from your Windows Mobile device or you can click the link below for more info.
Alright, everyone, settle down. I know the Google Maps Navigation stuff is pretty amazing, but let’s not write off the traditional GPS makers just yet. They’re not going anywhere for a while. Your parents and friends will see to that.
