Tag: Google Maps
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…
Top ten tech advancements in Olympic coverage
One of the three themes of the Beijing Olympics is to make it a “High-tech Olympics.” But how will this benefit the viewing public? Here are the top ten innovations that will improve coverage.
1. HD coverage
For the first time, the Olympics will be available in HD. In fact, the entire event is being produced in HD, although obviously you will only get the full effect of this if you have an HD-ready TV. Visit this page if you’re still unsure about HDTV, or if you’re looking to enter the HD world in time for the Olympics, check out this rather neat HANNSpree 19-inch HDTV, which is perfect as a smart TV for the bedroom – after all, the time difference means that some events will be on whilst you would usually be tucked up in bed…
Google wants to bring Street View maps to UK, raises privacy concerns
Google would like to bring Street View maps to the UK, according to an enthusiastic spokesperson at the company, but their keenness has been overshadowed by privacy concerns…
Google Earth adds a closer look at the ecological problems facing the planet
Ever the philanthropist, Google has launched a new programme to help save the planet. Google Earth Outreach…
