Tag: Google Maps
Friday review: Justbought.it
Here’s a site that has great potential. Justbought.it combines everything that’s regarded as cool on the web at the moment: Google Maps, social shopping and Twitter/Twitpics. Or according to the blurb, “it’s a location based social shopping that allows you to share photos/tweets.” On paper it sounds like a winning combination, a vertitable internet supergroup especially if you trust other people’s recommendations when it comes to buying stuff (I don’t). Just one problem. It’s very difficult to get excited about it – yet.
Google Maps adds real estate option
Google has added real estate search to Google Maps in Australia and New Zealand. Properties for sale or rent can be viewed on the existing maps with additional photos and details available with a click of the mouse.
Private users’ listings are added via sites such as homehound and myhome and there are also estate-agent based listings available as well.
House-hunters input the area they are interested in and advance options such as type of properties, price range, floor area range, number of bedrooms, bathrooms and parking spaces.
The system was developed by workers at Google’s Sydney office and it is expected that the service will be expanded to the US first and then the rest of the globe.
With many individuals already using Google Map’s streetview to look around areas and particular streets that they are interested in, the move to include real-estate listings is a logical one.
(via The Age)
Google unleash pedal power trikes to map more
Continuing with it’s relentless campaign of digitization, Google this week unleashed a fleet of “Google trikes.” The camera-laden bikes are designed to access those parts of the undulating European expanses that the google car can’t.
The first places to get the “Google trike” treatment will be three landmarks chosen by the public in a scheme with VisitBritain, if the current tests on the streets of Geneo go to plan.
Justin Reid from VisitBritain said: ‘The new trike will enable us to showcase even more of Britain’s wonderful destinations and we look forward to some great ideas from the public.’
The trike, which weighs a mighty 18 stone or two Theo Walcotts, will be hauled across Europe by ultra-fit Google cyclers.
“Depending on what the public vote for, users will be able to virtually tour castles or monuments before visiting – or check out which side of a football stadium they need to be on before leaving the house,” said a Google spokesman.
But as google oil their trikes chains ready to send them out, whiffs of a backlash were begining to perculate, as angry villagers in Broughton, Cambrighshire blocked a google car from entering their affulent village. The angry mob chased the car with pitch forks and torches – no they didn’t really, but they probably wanted to.
Google Street View launches in the UK & Netherlands
Late last night Google Street View UK & Netherlands went live. Sneaky old Google for keeping that one quiet. Fortunately, there were a few sharp eyed peeps out there who spotted ground level street views of cities in the UK including:
Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Coventry, Derby, Leeds, Liverpool, London…
Google Maps for Mobile gets an update – with friend tracking!
There’s probably something wrong with the fact that I get little buzzes of excitement when mobile apps that I use get an update. This morning’s Google Maps for Mobile update was even buzzier than normal, though, because it introduced a new feature that people have been clamoring for for some time.
The new version of Google Maps for Mobile features a service called Latitude, which uses the GPS in your phone to track your location, and the location of your friends, much like Yahoo’s Fire Eagle service. You can see exactly where your pals are hiding out, and there’s plenty of built-in privacy control too.
Dick Cheney's house gets uncensored on Google Earth
Former American Vice President, Dick Cheney, was a big fan of secret surveillance and monitoring, but wasn’t so keen on having aerial images of his house beamed all over the world, so it used to be pixellated out at very low resolution on Google Maps. With the new administration, however, Joe Biden has moved in and suddenly the house has become viewable again.
The change happened on Google Earth on January 18th, and rolled out to Google Maps on the 22nd. Google’s official line? They didn’t do anything – the images were displayed unaltered from the source – in this case, the U.S. Geological Survey. I’m inclined to believe them, though it’s interesting that the White House remained in full view the whole time. For before and after pics, click over the jump.
Apple releases iPhone firmware 2.2: better maps, Mail, Safari, podcasts, call quality
I realise that this is fairly irrelevant news if you don’t own an iPhone, but for die-hard Apple handset fans, the big news of the day is that firmware version 2.2 is finally here and ready to download.
As usual, it’s a fairly hefty download, so beef up your broadband connection for the 246MB ride.
Once done, you’ll get some nifty new features. How useful they are depends on how you use the iPhone, of course…
TD Tips: Where do I go out in the evening? – Top reviews, guides & listings websites
It’s all been a bit cash heavy in the last few weeks with the TD Tips for best mobile phone deals and expensive, stylish laptops. So, this week we bring you some blissfully wonga-free websites to tell you what’s worth doing in, around and nowhere near town at all. I can’t guarantee you won’t spend money when you get wherever you choose to go, but I can promise you five good ways of searching for what to do with your spare time.
So without any further ado, here are our tips for the top reviews, guides & listings websites…
Google goes mega-high-resolution on Google Maps with the GeoEye-1 satellite
Above you can see the first image taken by the GeoEye-1, Google’s very own satellite. They don’t own it outright – they share it with the American National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which collects and analyses geographical data for national security purposes…
Google Maps for Mobile gets Street View and walking directions
Google has updated its Maps for Mobile service, bringing 3D Street View to Java-enabled phones, as well as offering walking directions to any destination.
It has also included more information on destinations, including the ability to read reviews of a business.
This addition makes Maps a much more useful service where, arguably, you need it the most — on the move. Walking directions are great in the inner city where driving just isn’t practical, and when London has been fully “Street View-ised” we should be able to enjoy the same 3D views as those in lager US cities do…
