Where in the World with Google Maps

Find the Landmark

This is fun. Try to see how quickly you can find specific landmarks in this Google Maps mash-up called Find the Landmark. The game tests both your geography and history skills as well as how quickly you can utilize the Google Maps, pan, zoom and centering functions! :)

At the start of the game you are given a landmark which you need to find somewhere in the world. To make a guess you just need to click on the map. If you are incorrect you are told by how many kilometres your guess is wrong. Then for each further guess you are told if you are getting hotter and colder.

Don't take too long making your guesses though as you are playing against the clock. Find the landmark in the shortest time and you will be immortalised in the Find the Landmark high-score table!

A Photo Map of the Boulder Fire

Boulder Fire Aerial Photographs


The Denver Post have created a Google Map of aerial photographs of homes destroyed in the recent Boulder Fire. Staff photographer Joe Amon flew over sections of the Fourmile Canyon Fire area and took photographs of as many of the homes as he could.

The map shows the approximate locations for each of the images. If you click on any of the map markers you can view the photographs directly from the map. The Denver Post has also provided a gallery for the images.

In a nice touch the paper will provide copies of the images to any of the home owners who saw their houses destroyed in the fire.

Instant Search for Google Maps

Google Maps - From 0 to Instant

This week Google released Instant Search. Instant search shows results as you type. It is a faster way to search as your results nearly always appear before you have finished typing. Feross Aboukhadijeh has created a Google Map that also responds to instant search.

As you type into a search bar the application will recommend locations based on what you are typing and centre the map on that location. The recommended locations appear beside the search box. The map will nearly always centre on your desired location before you have actually typed in the entire name of the location.

The application also provides instant driving directions. If you type in a request for 'Location A to Location B' you will receive instant driving directions. The route changes and updates as you type in your locations.

Hat-tip: www.microformats.dk

Vacant Property Map of New York

Vacant NYC

New York charity Picture the Homeless is using the Usahidi report mapping system to help identify the city's vacant properties.

Picture the Homeless claim that the city spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year on providing shelter to the homeless whilst perfectly good property languishes in the hands of private landlords and city agencies. The charity want New Yorkers to use Vacant NYC to map the property going to waste in their neighborhoods.

It is possible to report a vacant lot or property by e-mail, text message, by Twitter or by filling in a short form. All reports submitted will be added to the Vacant NYC Google Map. By plotting the vacant properties of New York Picture the Homeless hope to prove that there is enough property going to waste to make a real difference in the NYC housing market.

Via: ReadWriteWeb

Looking Forward to Fall

With Labor Day behind us, the summer is officially over for those of us in the United States. No need to fret, though. Autumn brings us many wonderful events - two of my favorites being baseball pennant races and, of course, Halloween. Our latest batch of imagery updates just happens to include a few places that capture the essence of the upcoming season and are getting me excited about all the great times to be had in the months ahead. Check out the images below:

corn maze in Petaluma, California

pumpkin patch in Petaluma, California

giant Louisville Slugger in Louisville, Kentucky

High Resolution Aerial Updates:
USA: Santa Rosa, Spokane, El Paso, Waco, Houston, Richmond, Louisville, Dover (DE), Perquimans County (NC), Pasquotank County (NC), Cass County (MO)
Poland: Warsaw, Lublin, Chelm, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Opole, Wroclaw, Swidnica, Walbrzych, Zielona Gora, Leszno, Torun
Sweden: Malmo, Nybro, Ulricehamn, Linkoping, Amal, Karlskoga, Kumla, Nynashamn
Spain: Euskadi, Basque Country
Mexico: Merida, Playa del Carmen

Countries receiving High Resolution Satellite Updates:
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Cuba, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Senegal, Guinea-Bussau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Madagascar, Lesotho, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia, Syria, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kyrgzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, China, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, The Philippines, Korea, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Figi

Countries receiving Medium Resolution Satellite Updates:
Canada, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, China, Thailand

These updates are currently only available in Google Earth, but they'll also be in Google Maps soon. To get a complete picture of where we updated imagery, download this KML for viewing in Google Earth.

Responding to the fires in San Bruno

Like many friends in the Bay Area and across the country, I’ve been stunned by the images of raging fires in San Bruno. Nearly 40 structures have been destroyed and 120 damaged, with several fatalities and multiple injuries after the explosion of a gas line. More than 100 people have been evacuated to nearby shelters.

This disaster strikes close to home; our YouTube offices are about two miles away from the main gas explosion. We’re thankful that no Google employee was hurt, but remain concerned for the well-being of our neighbors in the area.

We are donating an initial amount of $50,000 to the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter to help with relief efforts. We’re directing Googlers to the local blood drives today and will be hosting blood drives in our San Bruno, Mountain View and San Francisco offices early next week.

We’ve created this map to show the location of the explosion and highlight nearby shelters and resources. The map is open for collaboration and welcomes additional useful information. We encourage you to embed it in your website or blog. We are also exploring the possibility of obtaining updated imagery of the area to help responders visualize the scope of the disaster.


View San Bruno Gas Explosion in a larger map

Our hearts go out to our neighbors who have been affected by the explosion. We thank the firefighters and first responders who have been working tirelessly to contain the fires and help the residents of San Bruno. You can donate to help here.

Posted by Laszlo Bock, VP of People Operations

Visualise Danish Datasets on Google Maps

eXplorer

eXplorer is a new tool developed by Linköping University to help visualise Danish data sets. The tool is very similar to Google Labs' Public Data Explorer in that it allows the use to visualise data with Google Maps and view a time-line animation of the data.

It is possible to visualise a number of economic datasets with eXplorer. Once you have selected a dataset from the right-hand sidebar you can view the data on a Google Map and in a number of chart formats.

If you press the play button below the chart you can view an animation of the data over time. The data is also displayed on the map with a choropleth layer. It is possible to click on any of the shaded areas on the map to see the corresponding data highlighted on the chart.

Via: microformats.dk

Beautiful new 3D buildings in Las Vegas

Our friends at CyberCity 3D are at it again -- they've just posted some new 3D buildings in Las Vegas and they look great!

CC3D created these "deluxe" 3D Las Vegas buildings (actually resorts) for Team Vision Virtual as part of TVV's plan to build out 3D destination travel sites for 10 cities/regions over the next 18 months. TVV and CC3D teamed up earlier this year to build the impressive 3DHawaii site, so a Vegas version of that site could be pretty neat. Team Vision is the "first-mover" in this space and CyberCity 3D is the production partner as well as a content partner with Google.

CyberCity even built a nice tour to guide you through the city. You can download the tour, 

Create Your Own Google Maps Envelope

Map Envelope

Here is a great way to create your very own personalised envelope, featuring a Google Maps satellite view of your own choosing. Teevio was so inspired by Beste Miray's Map Envelope that they have developed an application that can create a printable map envelope.

The application allows the user to choose their own location and use the Google Maps satellite view of that location as the design of their personal envelope. Once you have selected your location you can write a message. Your message will then be displayed in a Google Maps marker and information window.

Once you have selected your location and written your message you can preview and print your very own personalised Google Maps envelope.

Walking Directions for Android

Google Maps for mobile 4.5 on Android has launched with Walking Navigation, a GPS navigation system for walkers.

To use Walking Navigation choose the 'Walking' option from the Navigation icon in the updated Google Maps. Walking Navigation has a few changes that help when you’re on your feet. Whilst you are walking your phone will vibrate when you need to make a turn.



The map rotates with you as you turn the phone so you can use it like a virtual compass with satellite imagery to look ahead or help pick out landmarks along the way.

Street View Update
There is also an update to Street View in Google Maps for Android. Google have added some smart new navigation aids to move around whilst in Street View. You can quickly navigate Street View by dragging Pegman from the corner and highlighting where you want to go with a lightly shaded 'pancake' on roads or a rectangle on buildings. Let go of the screen when highlighting the front of a building, and you’ll fly there and turn to face it. 




To use Walking Navigation and the new Street View navigation aides you need to visit the Android Market and update Google Maps and Street View on Google Maps.

Via: Walk this way - Official Google Mobile Blog