Augmented Reality has mostly found its niche as a way to bring virtual characters to life through a mobile device. But a Japanese developer has found a more clever use. Crossfader’s AR-MAPS app syncs Apple or Google Maps to a live video feed from your iPhone’s camera, so you can visualize how you’re oriented, and easily locate destinations. More »
This is the real political map of the United States of America after the presidential election. A fascinating view, much different from the maps you saw that night, which showed an artificial, binary divide. But these maps demonstrate that there is not such a huge gap between rural and urban America. More »
Nokia revealed their new mapping service dubbed HERE, which is aiming to take on the likes of Google and Microsoft, both of which have respectable mapping services. Nokia’s HERE is essentially just a rebrand of their current mapping solution, but it now includes more features and improved maps and 3D views.
The company launched an iOS app of HERE Maps, and they even partnered with Mozilla to bring integrated HERE maps to the Firefox OS. The mobile web version of HERE on the Firefox OS is expected to be released sometime next year. Nokia also demonstrated an Android app and announced plans for a HERE SDK for Android coming in early 2013.
To improve the mapping service even more, Nokia acquired 3D mapping company earthmine to bring advanced 3D imagery to HERE in order to take on Google’s Street View service. earthmine has been around since 2006, so the company’s expertise and experience will no doubt help Nokia achieve its goals of a better map service.
You can start using the new service now, since Nokia has launched the website HERE.net. Zooming in and moving around can be a little rough at times, but Nokia seems to be committed to wanting to improve the service over the next couple of years in order to make it a true contender against Google Maps and Bing Maps.
Nokia unveils HERE mapping service to take on Google Maps is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Google wants you to think locally with its new Map Maker update featuring neighborhoods and an Activity Stream to track mapping changes. The site now launches into My Neighborhood mode, suggesting places you’ve rated or searched on Google Maps and allowing you to add and edit your own haunts. From there, a list of your changes (or those of other users) can be viewed in the left-hand pane and filtered by review, date or category. You can also see additions anywhere in your current map view by panning, zooming or searching and even help other users out by reviewing pending edits. If you’re ready to channel your inner cartographer, check the source.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Updated Google Map Maker accents neighborhoods, shows changes in Activity Stream originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Yandex, a Russian Internet company that operates that largest search engine in Russia, has released a basic maps service for Europe and the U.S. The new maps services is powered by Navteq, a Chicago-based provider of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data, and it can be viewed through maps.yandex.com. For now, no links to the Maps section from Yandex’s homepage is accessible. Yet Yandex says that the service is now up and running. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google Maps for Android updated, Google Maps 5.5 for Android released,
We’ve known for quite a while now that Google was working on their own Google Maps app for iOS. We’ve seen leaked screenshots, and we’ve even heard rumors that the app is expected to arrive within the end of the year. However, according to multiple sources working closely with Google, the app will have a tough time getting past Apple’s approval wall.
The sources say that Google is “not optimistic” about Apple approving a dedicated Google Maps app for iOS, and the company does not have high hopes that the app will ever get approved. Obviously, the sources say that the app is in development and should be ready soon, but that’s only if in “the unlikely event” that Apple will approve the app.
Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 6, released in September, and it resulted in the ousting of Google Maps in favor of the company’s own in-house mapping solution. Right off the bat, diehard Google Maps fans were disappointed, but the feelings became worse as numerous complaints about Apple Maps made their way around.
Not to a lot of users’ surprise, Apple left out a few specific maps apps when they featured a handful of mapping solutions in the iTunes App Store a few weeks ago. Apple left out any maps app that used the Google Maps API, so we definitely feel that Apple won’t take it lightly when they see a Google Maps iOS app show up in their approval queue at some point in the future, so don’t hold your breath quite yet.
[via The Guardian]
Google Maps for iOS approval not likely, claim sources is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
The latest update for Google’s efforts to index of IRL mapping information is focused on your computer. Google Earth 7 for your desktop is finally ready to match the Android and iOS versions, with support for its 3D renderings in 25 cities, and “tour guide” feature that drags you through 11,000 locations around the world, no passport or Frommer’s required. This update for PCs comes alongside the addition of 3D imagery for Avignon, France; Austin, Texas; Munich, Germany; Phoenix, Arizona; and Mannheim, Germany, which all apply to both the desktop and mobile editions. Hit the source link for more information or head to the Google Earth website to check it out yourself, who knows, you might find a pyramid.
Filed under: GPS, Software, Google
Google Earth 7 update brings 3D imagery, tour guide features to your PC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 10:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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During the whole fiasco with Apple Maps, it was suggested that one of the reasons Apple decided to drop Google Maps and release their own solution early was due to a couple of reasons, one of them being that Google had reportedly refused to include voice guided turn-by-turn navigation in their iOS update. It’s not really that big of deal if Apple could offer a replacement or an alternative, which they did, although unfortunately it seems that Australia is still left out of the loop.
It turns out that Australia was supposed to get turn-by-turn navigation this month, but according to Apple’s website, this particular feature will not be making its way down under until sometime in November, although no specific dates were given. Heading on over to Apple’s website, it seems that Australia is the only country that has yet to receive this feature, while 52 others have already received it. This probably won’t sit well with Australians as there have been complaints in the past over how Apple products in Australia are more expensive than other countries in the world, despite Australia’s currency being stronger than the US.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: China reportedly looking to police “illegal maps” on mobile devices, Google’s Eric Schmidt believes that Apple should have kept Google Maps,
In an effort to raise awareness of missing children and assist in their safe return, Google has partnered up with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to bring AMBER Alerts to Google Search and Google Maps on both mobile and desktop devices. It will also provide data about new cases through Google’s Public Alerts platform.
AMBER Alert notifications will be shown for your local area based off of relevant web search content, and they will constantly be updated as new information becomes available. These alerts will include details such as a description of the missing child and information about the vehicle of the abductor if known.
Google’s Phil Coakley says in a blog post that “by increasing the availability of these alerts through [Google’s] services, [they] hope that more people will assist in the search for children featured in AMBER Alerts and that the rates of safe recovery will rise.” The service will use Google’s Public Alerts service, which currently shows emergency updates concerning weather, public safety, and earthquakes from the National Weather Service and the US Geological Survey. AMBER Alerts will be added to that list.
The service is only available in the US, but Google is working with Missing Children Europe and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection to hopefully bring similar services to more countries around the world. Google says that they’ll “keep exploring different ways to improve child protection through innovative technologies,” so this could only be the beginning for Google as far as AMBER Alerts are concerned, and we could see more features from them about the service.
Google adds AMBER Alerts to Search and Maps is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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