Google Maps!
Google Maps will help you find business listings, directions and so much more! Using "street view", you will see incredible street level images to help you find these business listings! The maps directions will help you find your way. You will discover some useful information through different views and layers like terrain, elevation and satellite views.
The googlemaps also include the Google Earth plug-in, which allows you to see the area as it really looks from space. Pretty cool!
Googlemaps
Google Earth
If you zoom the map all the way out, and pan around, you will have a complete world map. I don't know about you, but this is really impressive to me.
World Map
Saved Routes on Your Mobile Phone
If you have a Google Android phone, you can access saved routes on your phone. You just click on the layers icon in the upper toolbar and choose your saved custom map. If you don't have one of these Android devices, you can still get to your saved maps by going to maps.google.com by using your phones browser.
Android Phone - Samsung Galaxy S3
Android
Now you can share your favorite places by using your mobile phone, computer, or tablet pc.
Tablet PC
Zoom Functionality
Double left-click on a PC to zoom in and double right-click to zoom out. (On a mac or macbook pro, Ctrl + double-click) Or you can use your mouse wheel to zoom in or out.
Macbook Pro
TomTom Users
TomTom is the world's largest navigation solutions provider. By clicking on the "Send to GPS" button, Maps allows TomTom users to search for business addresses and transfer them from the Maps website to their TomTom device. When the device is connected to the Internet via TomTom HOME, the free software app TomTom offers its customers, the information is transferred to the TomTom device. Drivers can save it as a "favorite" on the device for later use, as well as view the location on the map of the TomTom device or navigate to their new destination.
TomTom
Science News
According to Popular Science News, over 13 thousand miles of British cycle lanes now appear on Maps (Google). These will be useful for 2012 Olympic ticket holders who have been advised to find alternative transportation to the event other than car or public transportation. The US and Canada have had these maps since 2010.
Science News
Maps Help You Find Your Way Through Museums
Smithsonian Museums
Google Maps for Android has made finding your way around your favorite museums a breeze! With indoor maps and walking directions for US museums, you can find your way from exhibit to exhibit, even between floors. There are over 10,000 indoor maps including 17 Smithsonian museums, as reported by NBC12 (a Virginia news station), the American Museum of Natural History, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Cincinnati Museum Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Museum of Natural History and the de Young Museum in San Francisco.
National Museum of Natural History
Virginia News
Teaching Geography, History, Earth Science and More
I want to see children learning in a way that inspires them. It's important that our children think globally and see how we are all connected. We would like them to become global citizens. StrataLogica and the Google Earth and Maps APIs are showing students a different way to see the world. They can experience their own virtual field trips, embed photos and videos, see street views of historical sites, zoom in imagery, and in a matter of seconds, fly to any location.
To learn more, visit StrataLogica.com, if you're an educator interested in teaching geography, history, and earth science.
Earth Science
The iPhone and Siri
The iPhone has Siri and it uses your voice to do what you want. Just use your regular voice and Siri will help you find directions and figure out which app you need. Using Location Services, it looks up where you are, where you live, and where you work. It will then give you the best options and information for your current location. It will tell you where to get food and how to get there, plus much, much more. This device is really COOL to have with you!
Siri
Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG)
GOOG
The Apple iPad
With the built in app Maps, you get Google Maps right on your iPad. Type in "coffee" and the Maps app gives you directions on how to get there by foot, public transit or car. It will even give you alternative routes in case you get caught in traffic.
iPad
You can choose your view: satellite view or map view. These will show you where you are or where you are heading. You can even use a hybrid of both views. There are street level images also to look at!
You can even use other apps like email, right from Maps!
Lord of the Rings Online
Lotro
The Lord of the Rings Online (lotro) game, that is a free download, uses Google Maps for its Interactive Map. You can find it under "Lorebook". It is just one of the free video games you may find online.
Free Video Games
Viewing Google Maps in a Different Language
Google Maps displays place names in the local language of each country. You can search for some major cities and locations in a number of different languages even though you can't change the language of the place names.
Art Museums
Art Museums, Le Louvre
Street view takes you inside Art museums around the world! To explore these museums through Streetview in Google Maps, visit maps.google.com/museums, and to view high-resolution artwork and find out more about the museums, look for the Art Project at www.googlearthproject.com.
Street View
Streetview
Relive Your Hiking Trip in Google Earth
Using Google Earth inside of Google Maps, you can import existing GPS data as a “track.” Connect your GPS to your computer and from the tools menu, click on GPS. Also, you can download your GPS data from your GPS onto your computer as a GPX (.gpx), .nmea or .log file and then open it from the file menu or drag it into Google Earth. The data will display in the 3D view. You should see your icon move through time, if you move the time-slider.
My Tracks is available on Android cell phones with GPS. To install My Tracks, visit Android Market on your mobile phone or computer.
Android Market
Aerial Maps
Aerial Maps
Google Aerial maps can be seen from Google Maps and Google Earth. One example of how they are made is from photos taken by balloons by some activists after the Gulf Oil Spill happened. They have also done this with other sites that have been contaminated like a map of the Gowanus Canal Superfund site in Brooklyn, New York.
Google Aerial Maps
Satellite Imagery
With satellite imagery, you can view a satellite image of your desired location that you can pan and zoom or a satellite image with superimposed map data.
Satellite Imagery
KML Files
If you use Google Earth, you are probably familiar with KML files. they are used to store geographic information like placemarks, lines and shapes. You can share your KML files with other people who may not have Google Earth installed by importing them into My Maps. The file will be stored online and can be viewed with any computer with a web browser.
Safe Drinking Water
Safe Drinking Water
Charity Water is a non-profit organization working to bring safe drinking water to millions of people in developing countries. They use Google Maps at http://www.charitywater.org/projects/map/ to show people where their completed projects are so that people who donate money to them can have proof of where that money gets spent.
Charity Water
Android Apps
Of all the Android apps out there, the Google Maps for Android app can download maps for off-line use. With this feature, all you have to do is download a map once. It only gives you a basic map but the street names will be there. As device storage is quickly becoming easier to come by than wireless data, SD cards can be upgraded for an inexpensive price. So, if you're in a remote hiking area, you'll still have your map.
Android Apps
The Android Marketplace, the storefront for Android apps, Google Music, Google Books, and Google's movie streaming service will all be together under a single Web destination: Google Play. You should be able to get all your Android applications here.
Android Marketplace
Android Applications
Google Maps 3D
Google Maps 3D
Google MapsGL uses new technology called Web-based Graphics Library (WebGL). WebGL adds 3D graphics to your browser without additional software. To have Google Maps 3D, your computer has to have the system requirements.
If you're backpacking across Europe or hiking in a very remote area, now you can use these tools along with Google Maps to help you stay found and to find your way around. I travel a lot and it is good to know that I can use these Google Maps and devices to help me find what I'm looking for!
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.
