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August 07, 2008

New Layers and Photos for Google Earth

New icons/layers in Google EarthGoogle updated some layers last night for both Google Earth and Google Maps. The primary change found so far is in the Geographic Web layer folder in Google Earth. When Google announces the official list of changes, I will provide an update.

  • Panoramio - The Panoramio photo layer no longer has the blue circle icons which change to camera icons. Instead, there is a small square "photo" icon. The new smaller icon is less obtrusive when you zoom in close and therefore looks less cluttered in popular areas where there are lots of photos. Also, now the old camera icons are less likely to be confused with the StreetView icons. Not only have the icons changed, but also Google has added an additional 700,000 photos from the growing repository of uploaded photos at Panoramio (see blog post).

  • Wikipedia - The Wikipedia layer icon has been changed to the same icon used for Wikipedia in Google Maps (a white square with a "W" in it). And these icons are much smaller as well. Possibly too small. But, I'm glad they are being consistent between the two applications. I'm guessing an update to the database reflecting changes and additions at Wikipedia has also occurred as usual.

  • Places - There's a new Places sub-layer which is a new combination layer. It contains information on places combining a brief text overview and link to Wikipedia, and photos from Panoramio. This makes for an attractive and concise placemark description. But, there are some things I don't like about this new layer. First, because it uses a larger gray square icon which looks very similar to the new Panoramio layer. I wish that it was at least a different color to better distinguish it from the other icon. And, second, it seems somewhat redundant in some situations. You get combinations of Places, Panoramio, and Wikipedia icons all for the same place.

  • Too small! - I think the new icons are too small at some zoom levels. That, combined with the similarity of the new icons, makes it hard to both see the icons and distinguish the different types. In the screenshot thumbnail, you can barely see there are lots of icons. If you click on the thumbnail and see the full resolution screenshot, you can still have trouble seeing them. At least on my high resolution screen. Or maybe its just my aging eyes? I do think they should use larger icons when zoomed further out and convert to the smaller icons when clutter and image obscurity is more of an issue. They are already handling the clutter by presenting fewer icons at higher zoom levels.

  • China Road Maps - For the first time that I'm aware, Google has added street road maps for China. You can find them in Shanghai and Beijing in Google Maps (not in Google Earth yet). I'm sure Beijing was a priority in anticipation of the Olympics. Although, in China I think you're required to use China approved maps only, and Google has a different road map when used in that country.


    View Larger Map

Thanks to GEB readers Chris D. for the tip on the new GE layers, and Frederic for the tip on the China maps.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 03:21 AM | Comments (13)

August 06, 2008

Links: Joshua Slocum, Chemical Brothers, Other Links

I'm in London this week visiting with moderators of the Google Earth Community (GEC), and other bloggers like Keir Clarke of GoogleMapsMania, and Stefan Geens of OgleEarth. On Sunday I got to see parts of the Red Bull air race on the Thames. Met up with Keir and Barry Hunter of Nearby. Yesterday we got to visit the Google London offices (only they didn't let us bloggers wander around very much for some reason). I've been visiting many places in London I'd previously only visited through GE. Expect a post about the visit sometime after I get back. In the meantime, here are a few items of note:

  • Joshua Slocum - The classic 19th century book "Sailing Alone Around the World" is a favorite of sailors (or wannabes). Someone named 'osprey_lightning' at the GEC has finally posted a KML file showing the route of Spray (the name of the boat) as Joshua made the first solo circumnavigation. This is going to be one of my new favorite GE files. Thanks to 'danescombe' for the tip.

  • Chemical Brothers - The music group has made the news with a "global video project" centered around the theme of their new singled "Midnight Madness". They are having a contest to see who can make the most interesting video somehow using Google Earth. I'm wondering if Google is somehow involved, or if they are just attempting to ride the coattails of Google Earth popularity? I think its a cool idea - especially if you're trying to get the attention of the tech world.

  • Other links - Stefan at OgleEarth does a great job of rounding up a bunch of news I've not had time to write about myself. Definitely some noteworthy items there.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 03:52 AM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2008

Marriage Proposal in Street View!

Google decided to take some new Street View images at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California. This time they must have let the employees know, as there are many Googlers lining the street. They must have given advance warning, because some people came prepared.

One Googler named Michael Weiss-Malik, a member of the Google Geo team that dos Google Maps/Earth, actually decided to make a wedding proposal in Street View. He put up a sign which you can see here:


View Larger Map

He also has a web site called MarryMeLeslie.com which describes why he did it, and why it's called "2.0". If you turn your view to the left or right, you can see the line of Googlers down the street. Move your view down the street to get a look at all the interesting things they decided to show. You can also view these with the Street View layer inside Google Earth for a more immersive experience.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 07:01 AM | Comments (7)

August 04, 2008

New Street Views in Australia and Japan in Google Earth and Maps

Sydney in Street View in Google EarthGoogle has pushed out new Street View imagery for more new countries. Last month they introduced Street Views in France - specifically for the routes of the Tour de France. Now they've added extensive imagery for Australia and some areas of Japan! As with the July update, the new Street View imagery is available in either Google Maps or Google Earth. With Google Earth, just turn on the Street View layer and zoom into either Australia or Japan. As you get closer, you'll see more and more gold colored camera placemarks. Click on a placemark to see the Street View image for that location. Click on the image to be flown inside the image - Google Earth lets you experience the Street Views as if you are inside a spherical photo using the PhotoViewer feature. You can also check out the new Street Views with Google Maps for Australia and Japan.

via DigitalEarthBlog. From a hotel in London.

UPDATE: Here's the official Google announcement on the new Street Views. The update also includes 30 new cities in the US including New Orleans, El Paso, Savannah, Colorado Springs, and more.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 05:12 PM | Comments (6)

July 31, 2008

Follow a Book, Check Aeronautical Charts in Google Earth Plugin

A couple of new applications of the new Google Earth API plugin have caught my attention. The Google Earth plugin lets you run a special version of Google Earth in a browser, but works on Windows only at the moment and is supported on Internet Explorer and Mozilla/Firefox browsers (see more details about it). Mac and Linux version will hopefully be released soon.

Here are the two new Earth plugin applications I found interesting:

  1. Follow a Book - A new book by Clyde W. Ford called "Precious Cargo" is being promoted with online map information at his web site which point out locations described in the book. Clyde has developed a mapping interface, which he calls OnScene (note: Windows only, and you need to install both Virtual Earth and the GE API plugin if you haven't already), which lets you view the maps of the book in either Virtual Earth or the Google Earth plugin. The author chose to support both 3D plugins because in some locations one or the other maps has better imagery or 3D building data. Look for the "Location Index" on the right at the OnScene site. I found it a little annoying that after viewing a few of the placemarks, you are forced to register with his site if you want to continue. But, I have to admire the application of the technology, and the entrepreneurial intent to capitalize on a book, and add geospatial context to a story, in an innovative new way.

  2. Check Aeronautical Charts - 'Forkboy2' (whose real name is Matt Fox) has posted a new Earth API application showing a super-overlay composite of aeronautical charts of the US . As you zoom in, the charts become clearer so you can see the details which pilots use to understand the terrain and navigational information related to flying. There are also options below for 3D airspace models and Terminal Aera charts. The same file is available as a KML for viewing in the normal Google Earth from Matt's web site Google Earth Library

See also the easy to use Earth API application called EarthSwoop which GearthHacks and GEB developed together. EarthSwoop lets you view and share places on the Earth. Check out the Beijing Olympics for example.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 08:30 AM | Comments (4)

July 30, 2008

Brand New Beijing Olympics Satellite Imagery in Google Earth

Beijing 2008 Olympics Venues in Google EarthGoogle has quietly slipped in brand new satellite imagery taken by Geoeye which was taken on July 19th, 2008 showing the Beijing Olympics venues. I've been expecting Google to do some new imagery in anticipation for the Olympics - just like they did for the Torino Olympics two years ago. A GEB reader let me know the imagery had been updated within the last day (Thanks Stephen!). Keep a close watch on the area. I wouldn't be surprised if more 3D models of the new facilities and other photos started appearing at the 2008 venues. [UPDATE: GEB reader 'Pablenko' pointed out that Google has made lots of GE 3D models for the Olympics which you can see in the 3DWarehouse here.] Just enter "Beijing" in the "Fly to" search field in Google Earth, and search north about 10 km (6 miles) to see the new stadiums and other facilities. It's an amazing transformation compared to imagery showing the area before it was completed last fall. The Google Maps imagery is still showing the older imagery, look at it quick though as it may be updated soon is also now updated (August 1) with the new imagery.

You can get a tour of some of the key locations at the Beijing Olympic venues through EarthSwoop (if you're on Windows), which uses the Google Earth API plugin.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 05:13 PM | Comments (6)

Headed to London, Three Year Anniversary

Red Bull London in Google EarthFor the last three years, Google has brought together the dedicated folks who have been involved with moderating the Google Earth Community forums. Moderating the forums is a huge job as there are over 1 million registered members in the forums, and millions of anonymous readers of the posts. The moderators help make sure people post things in the right forums, do not violate the rules of the forums, and, most importantly, they help answer the many thousands of questions people ask about using Google Earth, the data, or anything at all that is related to content in Google Earth. The tradition has been set that each summer the meeting is held in a different location. Last year was Washington, DC. But, this year the meeting will be next week in London!

I've been invited to the meeting as well, and am looking forward to my first real visit to London (although I feel like I've already been there thanks to Google Earth). In fact, my wife and I are going out a few days early to see some sights. And, I was excited to find out that the Red Bull Air Race will be held this weekend, which I plan to watch on Sunday. Speaking of the air race, check out the 3D animation of Red Bull in London completely in Google Earth done by Joe Wade.

I'm also looking forward to meeting in person several long-time GEB readers while I'm in town. If you fall in that category, make sure you drop me an E-mail (or leave a comment here). Maybe we can set up a time. With a little help from Google Earth, I'm personally hoping to see a variety of sights (many written about in GEB) and visualized with Google Earth during the last three years. Google Earth Blog officially began posting on August 1st, 2005. And after over 1500 posts, I deserve a break. Time to go celebrate in London!

Posted by FrankTaylor at 09:10 AM | Comments (3)

July 29, 2008

Panoramio News: Contest, Look Around Applications

Photo contest winner from PanoramioIn my opinion, one of the best moves Google has made to enhance the Google Earth experience is the ability to visualize the contributions of photography taken around the world in geo-spatial context. The fastest way to start seeing photos in Google Earth is to turn on the Panoramio layer which is found under the Geographic Web layer folder. Here you will find millions of photos taken all over the world and viewable in Google Earth by simply clicking the photo icons. Click on the photos to visit Panoramio's site and click it again to see bigger versions of the photos. Google acquired Panoramio a year ago, and it has proved to be a real asset in my opinion.

Speaking of nice photos, Panoramio has been running contests for the best photos uploaded, and they have just announced the winners from the May contest. Click on the photos to see a map of where each photo was taken.

Recently, Panoramio began experimenting with generating "look around" views for popular spots with lots of photos. They use a computer algorithm to compare all the photos and figure out how each one fits together (sort of like a 3D jigsaw puzzle).

Google has apparently been adding look around views as quickly as enough photos are available for a single location. For example, one of the founders of Panoramio, Eduardo Manchón recently took a bunch of photos from some popular sights in the Azores. And, already there are now Panoramio look around views available (see for example Vista do Rei on São Miguel island). What this means is that you can go to your favorite place, and take lots of photos (you don't have to use a tripod, and you can zoom in and out for your photos as well). Upload and geolocate your photos with Panoramio, and it will automatically create a "look around" view of that location. According to Eduardo, the more photos you upload, the better chance the algorithms will choose your site for "look around".

Once you can generate these look around views, it would seem to me Google could use the data to calculate the position and focal length of each photo and thereby generate Photo Overlays for Google Earth automatically. I guess someone would have to first generate (from a look around set) one photo's correct position in 3D space, then the rest of the positions could be generated algorithmically. Right now, it is hard to manually place photos in their exact 3D position.

Adding location to your photos is called "geotagging" and the coordinates are added directly to the image file's EXIF data (along with time of photo, shutter speed, focal length, etc.). There are many ways to geotag your photos, including using Google Earth and Picasa, or you can use many tools with Google Maps. Panoramio also lets you geotag photos if you upload them one by one. If your photos are already geotag, you can just upload the photos and Panoramio will pick up the positions from the EXIF data.

By the way, there are other really cool panoramic photos you can see in Google Earth like the Gigapxl layer, the Gigapan layer - both found under the Gallery layer folder. For other excellent panoramic photos (with options to view in Google Earth), check out 360Cities.net, or Worldwide Panoramas.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 08:45 AM | Comments (3)

July 28, 2008

More Add-ons for Google Earth Flight Simulator

GPS Chartplotter in Google Earth Flight SimulatorBarry Hunter posted some fun stuff this past weekend for Google Earth's built-in flight simulator. (If you weren't aware Google Earth has a built-in flight simulator, then read this - you'll be amazed!) Barry started with a post at his Nearby blog implementing an ability to give a destination where you want to fly, and he returns a network link which shows a "GPS arrow" in the lower right guiding you while flying to that destination. Simply use his GPS arrow tool, and follow the instructions (you can enter airport designators instead of coordinates). Start flying the GE flight simulator and turn on or off the GPS arrow as you desire (Note: you can bring up the GE sidebar by typing CTRL-ALT-B). It's really handy for helping guide you to a destination. Naturally, I looked at it and wished for full chart plotting capability. So, I dropped Barry a comment, and a short while later he had come up with a solution! He used the Google Maps static API to show a new Maps view every five seconds as an overlay to show your current position. Brilliant! One little problem is that the Static API only allows a limited number of views per day. So, if a lot of people use this it's likely to reach the cap. But, maybe Google will think this is cool enough to make it a built-in feature to Google Earth's flight simulator. Barry also allows you to set different zoom levels for the map. Try Nearby's Google Earth flight simulator chart plotter here . A lot of people seem to get lost while flying the flight simulator, so maybe these tools will help.

Other useful add-ons/information for Google Earth's flight simulator:

Posted by FrankTaylor at 07:57 AM | Comments (0)

Links: Talks, boat slips, Trails.com, Featured

  • Talks - Last week the GeoWeb conference was held in Vancouver. I had wanted to go, but other summer trips conflicted. Looks like there were some good talks and exhibits. Michael Jones (Chief Technology Advocate at Google and one of the founders that developed Google Earth), gave another keynote this year (link to last year's talk). Spatial Sustain has a good summary of Michael's talk this year, and you can watch the first 10 minutes of the talk here. Also, I recommend watching Peter Batty's talk on the future of location based social networking. He shows some excellent time-based Google Earth visualizations from his whereyougonnabe social network. You can see excerpts from other talks from GeoWeb here.

  • Boat slips - Since I'm into boating, I had to mention this one. Got an E-mail from the folks at DockMarket.net who have recently launched an online marketplace to do location-based adverts for boat slips. You can either look for boat slips, or post your own slip. There are only a few slips so far, but he's making good use of mapping. Not only can you search for slips with Google Maps, but there's also a Google Earth network link to check out the slips.

  • Trails.com - This site has been around for quite some time for helping folks find and share good hiking trails. They have quite an archive of available trail information and in order to fully use it, you need a subscription. Trails.com has just announced they have added social networking elements to their site. And yes, they do make use of Google Earth - you just have to have a subscription (or join the 14 day trial) to see it.

  • Featured - EarthSwoop is featured on the Google Earth API code page. And the Thematic Mapping Engine is the featured guest blogger at the Google Geo Developers Blog.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 07:30 AM | Comments (3)



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