Hasta La Gadget!

You might remember Google’s unveiling this spring of the Street View Trekker, a seeming cross between a backpack and Van de Graaff generator that lets the mapping team produce 360-degree imagery where even trikes dare not tread. The portable camera ball is just going on its first trip, and Google has chosen the most natural destination for a novice tourist — the Grand Canyon, of course. Staffers with Trekkers are currently walking trails along the South Rim of the canyon to provide both eye-level points of reference for wayward hikers as well as some breathtaking, controllable panoramas for those who can’t (or won’t) make it to Arizona. Once the photos make it to Street View sometime in the undefined near future, it’ll be that much easier to turn down Aunt Matilda’s 3-hour vacation slideshow.

Filed under: GPS, Internet, Google

Google Trekker goes to the Grand Canyon, takes Street View souvenirs back home originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In its never-ending quest to dominate the global mapping scene, Google has just rolled out a new pair of APIs designed to help organizations build their own location-enabled applications. The first is Google Maps Tracks API, which gives developers the ability to concoct apps that can store, display and analyze GPS data on a map. In other words, those in need of a geofencing program — fleet managers and the like — need look no further. Secondly, there’s the Google Maps Geolocation API, which “enables an application or device to determine its own location without the use of GPS by looking up the locations of nearby WiFi access points and cell towers.” It’s pretty clear that enterprises are the target here, but it seems like only a matter of time before consumer-facing location apps tap into ’em. After all, the world needs more indoor mall apps. Fact.

Filed under: GPS, Google

Google introduces Maps Tracks and Geolocation APIs, awaits your next location-enabled application originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola isn’t going to escape as cleanly as it would like from Microsoft’s patent lawsuit campaign. Microsoft has sued Motorola once more in Germany, only this time it’s waging a more direct fight against Motorola’s owner Google. The lawsuit claims that Motorola devices violate a patent for taking map information from one set and overlaying it with data from another — a technique that describes Google Maps, not to mention virtually every internet-connected mapping system we know. Details aren’t yet available for the devices allegedly at risk, but the accusation would make it harder for Google, Motorola or both to simply code around the problem if they lose. No doubt Microsoft is counting on just that obstacle to have the RAZR maker fall in line with everyone else and take a license just for using Android.

Update: As patent case analyst Florian Mueller notes from his first-hand account, Microsoft quietly filed the lawsuit in April and received its first court hearing today. That’s not the biggest news, however: Microsoft amended the lawsuit to include Google itself. While that’s virtually necessary under German law to get the testimony Microsoft wants, it also means a rare (if not unique) instance of Microsoft attacking Google directly in court, rather than fighting proxy battles through Android hardware partners.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Mobile, Microsoft, Google

Microsoft sues Motorola in Germany again, claims Google Maps violates patent (update: Google involved) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indian Railways has just made it a little easier for rail travelers with a new web app called RailRadar, which uses Google Maps to track trains on a real-time basis. This is certainly welcome on one of the largest rail networks in the world — it operates more than 10,000 trains everyday — though the service is only available on 6,500 trains for now. To find out where your train is, simply search for its name or number and RailRadar will spot it for you. You can also find trains by entering the name of the station. Blue highlights indicate trains that are on time while red means it’s behind schedule. If you click on a train, it’ll show its entire route from start to finish. The logical next step would be for this to be on smartphones like how it is in Japan, though we’re not sure if that’s in the cards just yet.

[Thanks, dil]

Filed under: Transportation, Internet

Indian Railways launches RailRadar, lets you track trains via Google Maps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 02:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google’s mapping offerings are getting a little bit better this week. The software giant’s announced the addition of a slew of high-res aerial and satellite images for 17 cities and 112 countries / regions — it’s a long list, so your best bet is accessing the source link below to check out all of the offerings. Google’s also adding 45-degree imagery in Maps for a total of 51 cities — 37 in the US and 14 outside — letting you check out the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the buildings of Madison, Wisconsin from an all new angle. Forget the plane tickets — all you need for your next vacation is a browser and an overactive imagination.

Filed under: GPS, Software

Google offers up more high-res places in Maps / Earth, intros additional 45-degree imagery originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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