maps

Secret way to zoom in closer on Google Maps

In an effort to debunk a supposed Google Maps murder scene, Reddit user "xythrowawayy" shared a simple trick to zoom in closer than Google Maps allows. Google lets you zoom in only so far, but if you make a small tweak to a URL for a given location, you may be able to zoom in a level or two closer. Here's how it works:

First, find a spot on Google Maps and zoom in as far as the "+" button above the magnification slider on the left edge of the map allows. Be sure to stop … Read more

Google still wants Apple to use its maps, Eric Schmidt says

The Apple Maps fiasco may have died down, but Google still wants its mapping program to be default on iOS, said Google Chairman Eric Schmidt.

Schmidt, speaking today during an AllThingsD mobile conference, declined to say why Apple decided to go with its own mapping system rather than working with Google as it had in the past. But he said his company is still pushing Apple to use Google Maps as the primary navigation tool on iOS.

"We would still really like them to use our maps," Schmidt said. "It would be easy for them to take … Read more

Microsoft updates Windows 8 News, Maps, other apps

Microsoft has updated its various Bing apps for Windows 8 in a move designed to make them quicker to use and easier to customize.

The News app now lets you manage the different news categories that appear in the app. You can add or remove categories for world news, technology, politics, business, and entertainment, and sort the order in which they appear. You can also add a particular news source or RSS feed to your featured sources and to the Windows Start screen so that you can more quickly access their stories.

The News app's app bar has also … Read more

OzoneMap 0.5.4 Review

If you're sensitive to outdoor weather conditions, this app could literally be a lifesaver. OzoneMap maps hazardous ozone levels so you can anticipate dangerous weather before you're stuck in it. If this app worked in all cities and states, it'd be a must-have app for anyone with weak lungs or allergies. Since it's limited to a really small area, you probably won't be able to use it.

This mapping app uses Google Maps and data from ozone monitors in Houston, so it only gives data for the Houston region. For that area, you can see … Read more

Google Map Maker arrives in U.K.

Google has brought its Map Maker tool to the United Kingdom, letting ordinary people contribute mapping data to the widely used Google Maps service.

The company announced the move today on its Lat-Long blog and at an event at the famed World War II code-breaking site of Bletchley Park.

That means the public could help endow online maps with the same level of detail that's in the superb Ordnance Survey maps -- which seemingly document every footpath, Roman road, and hamlet in Old Blighty.

Google Maps has become a major force in modern computing as Google combines information on … Read more

Google Maps art magnifies our impact on Earth

Earth -- unlike perhaps any other planet out there -- provides a mostly hospitable home for humankind. Yet we seem to have opted for unsustainable growth instead of preservation.

At least that's the message in photographer David Thomas Smith's "Anthropocene" exhibition, which Smith describes as a visual examination of global landscapes transformed by the actions and activities of humanity. Each of the 12 prints in the collection derives from thousands of screenshots, which Smith captured from Google Maps and metamorphosed in Photoshop.… Read more

Apple aims to outdo Google's Street View

Apple may be eyeing its own "Street View" type navigation system and one that offers a key benefit over Google's version.

Published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple's "3D Position Tracking for Panoramic Imagery Navigation" patent filing describes a navigation technology that looks and works like Street View. The system would display a panoramic image of a certain location on your mobile device, allowing you to virtually move around the area.

Google's Street View forces you to swipe your finger or tap on a direction icon to journey along … Read more

Watch Google Maps come to life in poignant animation

Were you one of those kids who saw the silhouette of creatures in the clouds? You might enjoy director Patrick Jean's "Motorville," in which a California city, loosely based on Los Angeles, comes alive and treks across the world in search of oil.

Why oil? Jean says the city needs "oil in order to feed its body, made of streets, highways, and freeways." The director originally created the video for a television channel in the U.S., but the unnamed network supposedly declined the piece after seeing it, so Jean put it on Vimeo instead. … Read more

Razer Edge takes PC gaming to new level

CNET Update levels up:

The Razer Edge isn't your typical tablet. This Windows 8 PC gaming tablet is a unique hybrid device thanks to its various accessories. But for a high price, not every feature is high-end. Get a taste in the video above, or dive into the full review here.

Also in the tech news roundup:

- Google Maps updates with live transit data in NYC, D.C. and Salt Lake City.

- The Google Play Movies and TV app on Android shows actor info from videos you're watching. (Amazon is doing the same with its X-Ray feature.) … Read more

Google vows not to sue over certain patents for open source

Google today is "taking a stand on open source and patents," vowing not to sue anyone on specified patents unless first attacked.

The company, which today announced its Open Patent Non-Assertion Pledge, said to start with, it has identified 10 patents related to MapReduce, a model for processing large data sets. It has pledged not to sue any user, distributor, or developer of open-source software based on patents related to MapReduce.

Duane Valz, Google senior patent counsel, said in a blog post that Google wants to ensure open source software remains open:

"At Google we believe that … Read more