Oh, deer: Street View and road safety reminders

Gathering the imagery for Street View requires quite a bit of driving; as such, we take safety very seriously. Unfortunately, accidents do happen -- as some people have noticed, one of our Street View cars hit a deer while driving on a rural road in upstate New York. Due to several user requests using the "Report a concern" tool, these images are no longer available in Street View. 

The driver was understandably upset, and promptly stopped to alert the local police and the Street View team at Google. The deer was able to move and had left the area by the time the police arrived. The police explained to our driver that, sadly, this was not an uncommon occurrence in the region -- the New York State Department of Transportation estimates that 60,000-70,000 deer collisions happen per year in New York alone -- and no police report needed to be filed. 

Because this is on our minds, we want to take the opportunity to share some reminders on how to avoid an accident and what to do should you find yourself in such a situation. Robert Sinclair from AAA New York suggests the following tips for drivers:

• Pay extra attention during pre-dawn and dusk hours.
  
• Slow down. If a deer runs in front of your vehicle, driving at or below the speed limit reduces the likelihood of serious injury to yourself and your passengers.
  
• Buckle up. Your odds of walking away from a collision with a deer improve dramatically if you and all your passengers are wearing seat belts.
  
• Use your high beams (when no oncoming cars are present) and watch for the reflection of deer eyes and silhouettes on the shoulders of roads.

If you won't be able to avoid colliding with a deer:

• Don't swerve.  Few drivers die or are seriously injured in direct collisions with deer.  The greater risk is from veering into oncoming traffic, a tree, or off the road.
  
• Brake until the last fraction of a second before impact, then let off your brakes.  This will cause the front of your car to rise, increasing the odds that the struck deer will pass underneath your car, rather than be lifted into your windshield.
• If you do strike a deer, do not try to touch it or move it yourself.  Despite your kind intentions, an injured deer might panic and harm you. Contact police or other authorities for assistance.

We're sad that this accident occurred and we consider ourselves fortunate that our driver was not injured.

Posted by Wendy Wang, Street View Operations Manager

Vancouver in 3D

Growing up in Vancouver during its mushrooming period, which began in the mid-'80s, I witnessed a small city's downtown core give way to a cosmopolitan urban center (or "centre," as we write) of glass towers. Approaching the peninsular downtown, encased by rugged mountains and the Pacific, any local still feels awe at its newfound density and how much it's grown.

Yesterday, more than 1400 buildings in Vancouver became visible in Google Earth's "3D Buildings" layer. With the 2010 Winter Olympics just a year away, I'm especially excited that you can now get a richer sense of Vancouver's distinctive splendor, which marries advanced urban development with a dramatic coastal landscape. You can see places like Moishe Safdie's colosseum-like Library Square, the waterfront Canada Place (with its "Five Sails"), and Olympic venues such as the domed B.C. Place stadium. 

I think you'll see why this city is routinely voted one of the world's most livable:

To those seeing Vancouver for the first time, I hope you'll realize it's a city worth visiting (I'd suggest in the summer, when it rains less). To the other Vancouverites, I hope this rich, rain-free view of your home makes you appreciate it even more.

Posted by Tamara Micner, Canada Communications Team

Test drive the new Transit site

Our team has been on a roll adding more and more transit agencies to Google Maps, so we thought it was about time we update our landing page too. Now when you visit maps.google.com/transit, you'll find a heatmap representation with pins that indicate where we can offer you full schedule routing. Just try it out and zoom into your region and gradually discover more information about the local Transit coverage! The site also lists some of our most recent additions, tells you how to get transit directions on your mobile phone, and provides information on how agencies can join. 

We hope the new page helps you to even better understand in which regions we can offer you public transportation in cooperation with the local public transportation agency. Of course, we still show "Public Transit" as an alternative to driving directions when we have a local partnership, so even those who don't visit this new site can still discover the public transit options that are available to them. And don't forget about the new Transit Layer, which visually shows transit routes in more than 50 cities around the world; we're working to make the Transit Layer a part of this new site as well. 

Posted by Raphael Leiteritz , Product Manager

EarthSurfer code available

We recently previewed EarthSurfer, an application written by engineer David Oster that allows you to "surf" any region on the Earth's surface using a Nintendo Wii Balance Board and the Google Earth API.  As promised, I wanted to let you know that the EarthSurfer open source code is now available for download.

We are always excited to see clever ways to interact with Google Earth.  The DFKI research lab in Germany developed a similar way to interact with Google Earth using a Wii Balance Board while others have experimented with a steering board, Wiimote, floor pads, a multi-touch monitor, and a vector pad. Check them out!

Posted by Jason Toff, Associate Product Marketing Manger

Plan a trip to NYC with help from Google

On the Official Google Blog you can read New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's words about an exciting partnership between NYC and Google.  The partnership is one of the most ambitious projects to leverage our APIs for Google Maps and Google Earth, and it delights us that we've helped New York City develop such a useful and compelling way to explore the city.

New York City's new website -- nycgo.com -- helps you find hotels, restaurants, and things to do in New York.  Most web pages embed Google Maps that can be expanded to see placemarks on a map.  The site also uses KML layers to include a set of featured maps that suggest restaurants and bars, discounts, and various kinds of tours.  Each placemark on a map can be clicked on and then sent to a phone so that you can get directions using Google Maps for mobile.

The brand new Official NYC Information Center at 810 7th Avenue is a remarkable experience for those looking to learn more about New York City.  It's one of the most exciting real-world implementations of our Maps and Earth APIs that I have ever seen. When you walk into the Information Center, you pick up a puck that you then place on an interactive map table.  Up pops a wheel that lets you select restaurants, attractions, Broadway shows, and more.  You save places to the puck and then walk to the back of the hall, where you set the puck back down at a station.  A gigantic video wall then shows you a Google Earth tour of the places you saved to the puck.  The 3D model of New York City looks amazing!
 
Check out nycgo.com and the Official NYC Information Center in this video:
 


Posted by Ryan Pollock, Product Marketing Manager

Satellite image of DC on Inauguration Day

We just received a spectacular overhead shot of the National Mall during the Inauguration from our satellite imagery partner GeoEye.  This gorgeous satellite view of the ceremony was taken at  11:19am (Eastern) by the GeoEye-1 satellite as it passed overhead. To see this amazing image download this KML and open it up in Google Earth -- here is a preview of what you'll see:

A big thanks to GeoEye for capturing this momentous event! 

Posted by Jacob Schonberg, Associate Product Manager

Inaugural mashups

The day has finally arrived! In a few hours, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. Although massive crowds are expected to gather in Washington, most people won't be able to experience the event in person and instead will rely on television coverage and online sources (but at least you'll be staying warm!). Fortunately, there are many sites using the Google Maps API to map photos, videos, news and accounts of this historic day, making it easier for you to follow the day's events:

CNN.com - Your view of history
CNN.com has pulled together a great map using the Google Maps API for Flash which is currently mapping iReports ("personal accounts and stories from the inauguration in Washington"). Click red "CNN" branded map markers to reveal CNN photos and videos from the Inaugural weekend and throughout the day. CNN has also made use of Google Maps to chronicle Obama and Biden's Whistle Stop Tour from Philadelphia to DC.

Oprah.com - On-the-Scene Updates from Washington D.C.

Oprah's producers and journalist Lisa Ling are in D.C. to meet people and visit the inauguration hotspots. They have made use of Google Maps to plot their adventures and map streaming videos from their interviews with the big celebs and ordinary folks alike. Click "Start watching exclusive, around-the-clock videos from Washington, D.C.!" to launch the Google Maps view.

WashingtonPost.com - TimeSpace: Inauguration
The Inauguration Day version of WashingtonPost.com's innovative news mapping platform will geocode real-time photos, video and blog posts. The Washington Post's Steven King explains that this involves "more than 30 photographers and videographers in the field using Sprint modems with the ATP Photo logging devices to transmit geocoded images and video back to the downtown newsroom where a team of photo editors will be selecting the best images from each location and publishing them in as close to real-time as possible. A team of 40+ reporters will be deployed through out the city providing information that will be compiled and delivered into TimeSpace with location specific information."

The Wall Street Journal - The Journal Guide to the Obama Inauguration

The Wall Street Journal's Google Map showcases a full inaugural guide to events and other things to explore in the District. Check out "Jan. 20" and "Parade Route" for details on the parade, and other events taking place following the ceremonies. More photos and content can be found below the map view.

Posted by Mike Pegg, Product Marketing Manager

Virtually experience the Inauguration

Earlier today, we posted some tips about how to use Google Maps to be prepared for tomorrow's Inauguration. Well, for those who aren't able to take in the historic event in person, our own 3D data specialist Nathan Kohrmann put together an amazing model of the Inauguration venue -- the US Capitol Building. 

Visit the Google 3D Warehouse where a full scale replica of the 2009 Inaugural Stage is ready to be explored... complete with Barack Obama taking the oath!  With Google Earth installed, click "Download Model" to instantly import the stage into a fantastic 3D view, then let the fun begin.  Zoom in close to where Barack Obama is standing on the stage to take in the exact view he has or swoop down to the National Mall to see what millions of other spectators are watching. 

News.com.au has also put together a great Street View "walking tour" of the Inaugural Parade route, which is another great way to feel like you're a part of the festivities no matter where you are.

Posted by Elaine Filadelfo, Lat Long Blog Team

Helpful maps for the Inauguration

There is most definitely a buzz in the air.  Hundreds of thousands of people are streaming into Washington D.C. to see Barack Obama sworn in as America's 44th President.  If you're lucky enough to be in D.C., you'll need some help to get your bearings and map out your inaugural adventures.  Google Maps can help, every step of the way.

There are a few things you should do before you set out.  First, be sure to install Google Maps for mobile on your mobile device so you can use My Location to pinpoint your current location while on foot and track your progress on the map, making you have less stress about getting lost.  If you're driving toward the epicenter of activities either today or tomorrow check live traffic conditions before you set out by clicking on the "Traffic" button on Google Maps or take a look at Trafficland to map streaming video camera views.  Closer to the action, this Google My Map (embedded below) has been created by DC radio station WTOP and can help you with bridge, road and freeway closures:  

View Larger Map

Google Maps can also be used to plot walking directions, and if you're going to be using public transit, check out Metro's interactive map or this mapplet.  You can use Street View to preview the areas to get a better idea of where you're heading. Street View can be especially useful for finding very specific meeting points for you and your friends, since most areas will be flooded with people -- browse the area to find the exact spot to fnd each other, like "next to the fire hydrant at the southeast corner of 7th and E Street".

 

The Wall Street Journal has a helpful map for Inaugural events taking place day by day, as well as must-see D.C. attractions to take in. You can find some more helpful (and fun) maps here, and I'll be back tomorrow with another roundup of sites that will help you prepare for the parade and also take in the historic event over the web and of course... on a map!  

Posted by Mike Pegg, Product Marketing Manager

Share questions & answers in the Google Earth Help Forum

Earlier this week, we told you about the new Help Forum for Google Maps. Well the Google Maps enthusiasts aren't the only ones who will benefit from the new and improved help system: we're also unveiling the Google Earth Help Forum!

Just like the Google Maps help forum, our new forum should make it easier for you to find answers, share resources with others, and have your participation acknowledged. You can read more about the changes in Wednesday's announcement, or simply head over to the new and improved Help Forum to see for yourself. 

We really appreciate all the great discussions in our old Group, and we encourage you to check out the new Google Earth Help Forum!

Posted by Sandhya Vora, Google Earth Support Team

Don't let history pass you by

Back in November we launched the Ancient Rome in 3D Curriculum Competition alongside a brand-new Google Earth layer highlighting the historic city in breathtaking detail.

Whether you're putting the finishing touches on your submission or have yet to explore the new layer, you still have some time! Just be sure to register and upload your files no later than Monday, February 9th.

Bona Fortuna!

Posted by Anna Bishop, Google Earth Education Team

A new place to find help

Our Google Map Help Group now has a new home! You may have already heard of (or tried out) the new Google Help Forums. Today, our Google Maps Help Group will be moving to this new platform.

The help forum is still an area for users to come together to discuss and share their knowledge of Google Maps and the Local Business Center - only now it has a new look. It's integrated with our help center, which makes it even easier to jump into the forum while you're browsing the help center. You can search for content across both the forum and help center articles as well.

There are a lot of new features that make the forum an effective resource for users. You can vote on which responses you think answer a particular question, and even mark a response as a "best answer" to a question that you've asked. The new system will also recognize contributions from helpful posters.

If you haven't checked out our help forum before, now is a great time to come take a look. Post a question if you have one, or take a few minutes to answer one of your fellow Google Maps users. You can find us at Google Maps Help Forum.

Posted by Adam Hughes, Online Operations Sr. Strategist

New ways to get around with the Transit Layer

I'm pleased to announce the launch of the Transit Layer on Google Maps in more than 50 cities around the world making it easier for citizens and tourists around the globe to access public transportation line information in their cities.

To switch on the layer go to the More button and select the Transit tab:

If you want to book a hotel or make a restaurant reservation you can switch on the Transit Layer and look for the public transport line nearest to the location. If you want to travel from A to B you can quickly familiarize yourself with the public transport network and find out which lines to use and where to change.

The Transit Layer is a part of Google Transit. Whereas the main Google Transit product has the goal to provide full schedule information and routing, the objective of the Transit Layer is to overlay lines visually on Google Maps. Think of a virtual metro map on top of Google Maps -- even when we don't have itinerary planning available, we want you to be able to see public transit options that are available. Our goal is to be able to offer transit information as an alternative to driving directions wherever possible.

Let's say you plan a visit to London. For a long time you wanted to visit Tate Modern, but how do you get there? Simple! You do a search for Tate Modern on Google Maps, and then click on "More" and activate "Transit". Now you can see nearby Tube stations and which lines serve them. You can even click on a station and get passing lines highlighted. For agencies that are a part of Google Transit, you can also find schedule data and itineraries.

The full list of cities is Belo Horizonte, Berlin, Bordeaux, Brasilia, Cairo, Capetown, Caracas, Chicago, Copenhagen, Dallas, Dortmund, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Ekaterinburg, Essen, Frankfurt, Genoa, Guadalajara, Hamburg, Helsinki, Johannesburg, Kazan, Köln, Lille, Lisbon, London, Lyon, Madrid, Marseille, Medellin, Mexico City, Monterrey, Montreal, Munich, Naples, Nizhniy Novgorod, Oslo, Paris, Perth, Portland, Porto, Porto Alegre, Prague, Pretoria, Recife, Rennes, Rio de Janeiro, Samara, San Francisco, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Tunis, Vienna, Warsaw.

Posted by Raphael Leiteritz, Product Manager

Explore the masterpieces of the Prado Museum up close with Google Earth

Today Google launches the Prado layer in Google Earth allowing you to explore highly detailed photographic images of fourteen of the Prado Museum's masterpieces. The Prado Museum in Madrid is one of Spain's most visited destinations and via the Google Earth layer you can view and learn about its most famous paintings such as The Maids of Honor (Las Meninas) or The Three Graces (Las Tres Gracias)

The Prado Museum has become the first art gallery in the world to provide access to and navigation of its collection in Google Earth.  Using Google Earth, art historians, students and tourists everywhere can zoom in on and explore the finer details of the artist's brushwork that can be easily missed at first glance.

The paintings have been photographed in very high resolution and contain as many as 14,000 million pixels (14 gigapixels). With this high level resolution you are able to see fine details such as the tiny bee on a flower in The Three Graces (Las Tres Gracias), delicate tears on the faces of the figures in The Descent from the Cross (El Descendimiento ) and complex figures in The Garden of Earthly Delights (El Jardin de las Delicias)

The Google Earth Prado layer also includes 3D models which allow you to fly around the Prado buildings to experience the museum as if you were actually there.

To view the layer, select 3D buildings from the left panel and type 'Prado' in the 'fly to' search box.  You will then be transported to the Prado Museum in 3D where you can click on an icon to view the masterpieces. 

Posted by Clara Rivera Rodriguez, Google Spain

Flying Through Google Earth at Macworld

This year for Macworld I decided to create a program that allows people to "surf" any region on the Earth's surface using a Nintendo Wii Balance Board and the Google Earth API.  To do this, I used the Google Earth Browser Plug-in with a Javascript API.  The Wii Balance Board transmits the your movements to the Earth Surfer application using Bluetooth and allows you to maneuver a virtual milktruck by shifting your balance as if you were on a surfboard.

Check out the following video to see it in action:


While it's fun to use Earth Surfer, I really wrote it to inspire others to write their own programs. It's all open source using the Apache License, so you can use the code in your own programs, even commercial ones.

It is based on Thatcher Ulrich's terrific Javascript Monster Milktruck demo, which is an open source program on a webpage. I wrapped it as a Macintosh application program so I could add Objective-C.  Objective-C uses the Macintosh Bluetooth support to decode the Bluetooth packets from the Wii Balance Board. The Balance Board support is my work. I based that on DarwiinRemote, open source decoders for the Wii Remote.

Earth Surfer and its source code will be available next week on the Google Mac Developer Playground.

Posted by David Phillip Oster, a Google Earth iPhone engineer

Google Street View helps find kidnapped Mass. child

[Cross-posted with the Public Policy Blog]

An interesting first (at least as far as we're aware): Google's Street View imagery was used by police officers to help successfully locate a kidnapped child in rural Virginia.  Nine year old Natalie Maltais, from Athol, Massachusetts, was found safely at a motel on Tuesday.  You can read more in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

View Larger Map

Posted by Pablo Chavez, Senior Policy Counsel

Geotagging blog posts

As part of the Lat Long blog team, I'm naturally a big fan of both maps and blogs. Recently, the Blogger team launched a feature that combines both of these -- geotagging for your blog posts.

When you use Blogger in draft, you'll see an option below the post editor to "add location". If you know the exact location, you can simply enter the address, city, or zip code; if you're blogging about the view from the top of a mountain you just hiked or don't have a precise location, you can browse the map or turn on satellite mode and put a marker at the right spot (and the reverse geocoder will label the location for you). The geotag will appear below your published post as a link, which will open up Google Maps. The location will also be included in your blog's RSS and Atom feeds using GeoRSS.

Read more about geotagging on the Blogger in draft blog.

Posted by Elaine Filadelfo, Lat Long Blog Team

Building a bridge in Google Earth

More than 250,000 vehicles a day zip past the largest construction project in California history. That project – the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge – is now on Google Earth, the first time a construction project has been featured. You'll be able to do things on Google Earth's Bay Bridge that would get you arrested in real life – like climbing to the top of the Self-Anchored Suspension Span's single tower, which offers breathtaking views of the Bay Area. To view the model, turn on the 3D Buildings layer in Google Earth.

The bridge is scheduled to be completed in 2013, so visitors are getting a sneak peak of this new Bay Area landmark. The solid sections of the bridge are already complete, while the transparent sections are under construction, and we will continue to update the model as the construction progresses. Now you can be among the first to "drive" across the new bridge and see a world class icon come to life.

Posted by Bart Ney, Public Information Officer, California Department of Transportatiaon