Mapping

SAN FRANCISCO--Google Maps began as roads and satellite photos. Now, through a project called Ground Truth, it's becoming an ever more sophisticated virtual mirror of the real world.

But how? Google engineers described their methods Wednesday at the Google I/O show, describing how they've moved from licensing satellite photos to building 3D version of the world that can be updated in minutes.

The answer might surprise close Google watchers accustomed to the company's heavily automated, algorithmic, computer-centric way of doing things. There's plenty of that, but it also takes lots of elbow grease, said Michael … Read more

Google has brought its Map Maker tool to the United Kingdom, letting ordinary people contribute mapping data to the widely used Google Maps service.

The company announced the move today on its Lat-Long blog and at an event at the famed World War II code-breaking site of Bletchley Park.

That means the public could help endow online maps with the same level of detail that's in the superb Ordnance Survey maps -- which seemingly document every footpath, Roman road, and hamlet in Old Blighty.

Google Maps has become a major force in modern computing as Google combines information on … Read more

Want to find out where every meteorite recorded since 2,300 B.C. has fallen on Earth? A new map will help you out.

Javier de la Torre, co-founder of software companies Vizzuality and CartoDB, has posted a heat map showing where the meteorites have fallen over the last several thousand years. According to The Verge, which first reported on the map and spoke with de la Torre, 34,513 individual impact points are recorded on the map.

De la Torre claims that it took him only 30 minutes to record the impacts. He used OpenStreetMap, a crowdsourced platform, for the map, and then input impact sites from data collected by the Meteorological Society.… Read more

You can now explore the Grand Canyon without even being there.

Thanks to Google Maps, panoramic images of the famed canyon went online today, displaying more than 75 miles worth of trails and surrounding roads.

Just by moving your mouse or swiping your finger, you can wend your way through any of the trails to marvel at some of the amazing images captured by the Google Maps team. One view guides you along the Blue Angel Trail, another takes you past the Colorado River, and a third pops you a couple of hours away to gaze at Meteor Crater.

The … Read more

Google Maps is coming to the Kia Sorento in the next few months.

The automaker announced today that the 2014 Kia Sorento, which is slated to hit the road in the first quarter of this year, will come with Google Maps integration, offering full mapping and driving directions from the search giant. In addition, points of interest will be made available from both Google Maps and Google Places.

Google Maps integration is possible via Kia's second-generation UVO telematics system built into Sorento, a midsize crossover SUV. In addition to incorporating Google Maps and Places information, UVO allows people to … Read more

Google's Street View application is making its way to the Nintendo Wii U starting next month.

Nintendo today announced the Street View app on its Twitter account. The company also posted a video on its Web page, showing Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata using the application with the GamePad.

Upon loading up Street View, users will be able to pan around its images by holding the GamePad and moving it around. Tapping on the display allows users to move back and forth. The Street View app can be used solely on the GamePad, but users can also look at the … Read more

Apple has won a patent for built-in mapping applications running on its mobile operating system.

Referred to as "Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for providing maps, directions, and location-based information," the patent, which was awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, describes -- as one might expect from the title -- the way in which maps, directions, and location-based information are displayed on a touch-screen-equipped device.

AppleInsider was first to discover the patent.

The focus of Apple's patent appears to be improving the experience of actually using a mapping application. Apple's … Read more

Google has revved up its mobile Maps Web app through the addition of Street View.

As of today, users who launch Google's Maps site on their mobile device can see and navigate a Street View angle of different spots around the world.

Enabling Street View requires just a tap.

After launching the Maps app, enter the city, landmark, or other destination that you want to see. The site highlights the location and its surrounding area. Tap on the person icon that appears in the lower right corner. If the location is Street View-enabled, a separate tab opens in your … Read more

Google Maps is getting a facelift in some parts of the world.

The search giant today announced that it has released new 45-degree imagery for 51 cities around the world, including 37 in the U.S. In one example, Google shows off its 45-degree view of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In another, The Forks in Winnipeg, Canada, are on display.

Google has chosen a host of rather surprising locations for its 45-degree view, including Billings, Mont.; Utica, N.Y.; and Lancaster, Calif. The company has also added more well-known locales, like Detroit.

Google also said that it has updated … Read more