maps

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 showed a completely overhauled Google Maps service and Web interface today at I/O 2013. The site is receiving changes and updates on the front and back end to make it easier for user to navigate and developers to work with.

The most obvious changes are the visual updates and redesigned elements, featuring a Google Now-inspired "cards" aesthetic, deeper integration of the Google+ social network for recommendations, and a reshuffling of how users interact with the site and how information is presented to them.

Before you start spamming your browser's refresh button over at maps.google.… Read more

Google says it has rebuilt Google Maps for the Web with a new version that's more immersive and social.

The new version takes a page from Google's mobile efforts by putting the search box inside the map and making use of cards -- Google's take on interactive information widgets.

"It's simple and powerful. The map is the user interface," Google's Bernhard Seefeld told attendees at the company's annual developers conference, where the new Web service was unveiled.

When users click on locations, information about those areas appears on cards. Information can include … Read more

Google Maps for mobile is getting some new tricks.

Coming to an updated version of the service for Android and iOS is deeper integration with reviews company Zagat (which Google acquired), built-in offers from participating businesses, an "explore" feature, and dynamic re-routing during navigation if there are accidents in the way.

Google also said it's built a standalone Maps app for tablets, which it plans to launch this summer.

The changes were unveiled during the company's keynote at I/O, Google's annual developers conference in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Alongside the preview, Google introduced a … Read more

Google is giving Maps a major overhaul, promising a "tailored map for every search," according to a sign-up page that inadvertently went live ahead of its official launch at Google's developer conference, I/O.

Spotted by Droid Life, the pages give a taste of the new features the Big G is adding to its cartographic service. "The new Google Maps draws you a tailored map for every search and click you make," the page promises. "So whatever you're trying to find or wherever you're trying to go, you'll always have a … Read more

"Are you still jumping out of windows in expensive clothes?" asks Tom Waits in his song, "Who are you?"

It would be beyond surprising to see Google fling more of its hardware out of low-flying dirigibles, strapped to wingsuits and courageous stuntmen, at this year's Google I/O, which begins on Wednesday.

But make no mistake: Google knows exactly "who" it is, and it's taking the confidence earned from a year of solid hits and few misses, and a strong first quarter of 2013, to define the parameters that it wants other … Read more

The latest version of Google's Maps software for Apple's iOS includes an undocumented feature that dims the screen between navigation instructions in order to save the battery, but instead it's driving users batty.

The feature was designed to save battery life between navigation directions, something that can be very useful during long trips when an iPhone is not plugged into a power source. In fact, Google quietly added the feature inside of an update nine weeks ago after users complained that the initial version of the software was slurping up too much juice on road trips.

Users … Read more