Calling all Aussie Mappers! Google Map Maker is now available in Australia

G’day mappers — at last it’s time to share the treasures of the Great Southern Land. Today, Google Map Maker opens its maps to Australia, so you can add your local knowledge to Google Maps for all the world to see.Help share Australia’s natural gems with tourists and locals alike by drawing the hiking trails through the Eucalypt forests of Tasmania or adding all the campsites surrounding Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Then, once you’re ready for...

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At your service: planned NYC subway changes now in Google Maps

Since first making New York City public transit directions available in Google Maps, we’ve been working to deliver you with the most accurate and useful information about subway, bus, commuter rail, and ferry service across the greater metro area. Starting today, we’ll also be showing planned service alerts for the city’s subways, which serve more than 1 billion riders each year.Have you ever arrived at a subway platform only to find that the train...

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Take a virtual walk in Downing Street

Following in the footsteps of The White House, we’re delighted to announce the iconic residence of the UK Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Downing Street, London, can now be seen in Street View. Google Maps users can take a virtual stroll along the street and stand in front of the famous front door to No.10, right at the heart of government.View Larger MapAs an added bonus, we were lucky enough to capture Larry, the Downing Street cat, relaxing in his favourite spot on the front porch. Since February 2011, Larry has held the official...

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Imagery Update: Explore your favorite places in high-resolution

In our continuing effort to build the most comprehensive and accurate view of the world, the Google Earth and Maps Imagery team just published another extensive catalog of new imagery. This week we have exciting new updates to both our high resolution aerial and satellite imagery and our 45° imagery.New high resolution aerial and satellite imagery:This week we published new high resolution aerial and satellite imagery for 25 cities and 72 countries/regions....

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A more accurate starting point in Google Maps

Maps users have told us that when they embark on a journey, they often want to start from their current location. That’s why today we’re making Google Maps more useful by automatically zooming into your city as the starting point for your search. Now you can dive right in and discover the local businesses, restaurants and attractions near you, without having to manually enter your location. Much easier and faster.We show the details of your starting...

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3D imagery now available on iPad and iPhone

Today, we’re happy to announce the availability of 3D imagery for Google Earth on the new iPad, iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. A map must be comprehensive and accurate no matter where you are or what device you use. We also believe maps can be useful in ways you might not have imagined. With today’s release of Google Earth for iOS you can literally fly through breathtaking 3D city landscapes and images and follow virtual tours of places you’ve never been...

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Forty years of our planet, from space

Today we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Landsat satellite program -- now the longest-running continuous acquisition of satellite images of the Earth's surface. Over the years, Landsat has collected petabytes of images offering an historic perspective on planetary change that can help scientists, independent researchers, and nations make informed economic and environmental policy decisions. We’re working with the USGS and Carnegie Mellon University,...

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A Hawkes eye view in Google Earth

While some children spend their youth fascinated by model cars and legos, I was always more interested in aerial photography. For years I amassed a collection of books capturing this unique perspective of the world, and it was obvious from looking through my personal library that British aerial photographer Jason Hawkes was a huge influence and hero of mine. Last year, Jason came to the Google office in London to give a Tech Talk, and I was finally...

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Maps for good: Google Earth Outreach Developer Grants 2012

In 2011, the Google Earth Outreach team awarded a first round of Developer Grants to organizations with outstanding mapping ideas. These grants support the technical development of maps and enable nonprofits to implement cutting-edge mapping technology to make an impact on the world. This year at Google I/O, we announced the 2012 Google Earth Outreach Developer Grants program in a session called “Maps for Good.” We were honored to have two developers speaking on behalf of organizations who were awarded a Developer Grant in 2011, including Jake...

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More detailed maps in parts of Europe, Africa and Asia

[Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog]Whether you’re travelling abroad or exploring your own city, the maps you carry with you should be comprehensive, accurate and easy to use. We're constantly making improvements to Google Maps to help you find and discover places that are meaningful to you no matter where you are. And today, we’re launching updated maps of Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lesotho, Macau, Portugal, San...

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Become an Antarctic explorer with panoramic imagery

(Cross posted to the Official Google Blog) In the winter of 1913, a British newspaper ran an advertisement to promote the latest imperial expedition to Antarctica, apparently placed by polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. It read, "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success." While the ad appears apocryphal, the dangerous nature of the journey to the South Pole is certainly not—as explorers like Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott...

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My Tracks 2.0

Back in 2009 we released My Tracks, an Android app that uses your phone’s GPS capabilities to visualize your location over time for sharing in Google Maps and Google Earth. We’ve used My Tracks to follow team HTC-Columbia during the Tour de France and trace the paths of our skiing adventures. A year after launch we open sourced the software and released the code to the world for developers to use in their own applications. Now, we’re happy to announce...

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Street View goes on a road trip through California's national parks

[Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog]One hot summer day in Yosemite National Park in Northern California, I sat under a tree along a lazy river in awe of the natural beauty around me. I looked out at the majestic granite mountains, the chirping birds and the rustling leaves, and thought about how they were the same that day as they had been thousands of years ago.View Larger MapPeople around the world can now appreciate the beauty and timelessness of the wilderness through Street View. We've recently added 360-degree panoramic imagery for...

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Google Maps for Africa gets better - walking directions launched!

(Cross Posted from Google Africa Blog) In 2010, we announced the availability of driving directions on Google Maps in many African countries. This is a feature that allows users to get driving direction information from one location to another (e.g from Kotoka International Airport to Hotel Novotel in Victoria Borg, Accra in Ghana)But of course not everyone drives or always needs to drive, so today we’re bringing walking directions for 44 African...

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Biking directions expands into Europe and Australia

Back in 2010 we added biking directions for users of Google Maps in the US and Canada. Helping cyclists navigate the bike trails throughout those countries proved hugely popular, so we’re wheelie excited to announce that starting today, we've also added extensive biking data to Google Maps for Austria, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United...

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Indoor Google Maps help you make your way through museums

(Cross posted to Official Google Blog) In the past, navigating through museums could be an art form in and of itself. But Google Maps for Android has got wayfinding inside your favorite museums down to a science. With indoor maps and walking directions for U.S. museums now available on your Android phone or tablet, you can plan your route from exhibit to exhibit, identifying points of interest along the way, including between floors.Today, we’ve...

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Inside Map Makerpedia

Less than a year ago, we launched the Map Makerpedia to bring together the collective knowledge and expertise of the Map Maker community into a Wiki-style guide. We recently rolled out an update to the site, which includes a more intuitive layout and revised templates. We’re thrilled to share these updates and a brief overview of the developments we’ve made over the past few months that have made it an invaluable resource for mappers across the globe.Map...

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Go indoors at locations across the United Kingdom

Given the current British weather, we seem to be spending a lot more of the summer than we’d hoped indoors. The thing about being indoors is that people often get lost - I’m not talking about in your own home, of course, but when you’re out and about, in train stations, museums, department stores and shopping centres.We’re happy to announce that today Google is launching indoor maps for Android devices in the UK. You’ll no longer need to feel clueless...

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