Google Earth update offers smoother graphics, Google+ integration

Google rolled out a new version of its Google Earth software, replacing the patchy, quilt-like mapping graphics with smoother, more cohesive graphics.

“The Google Earth globe is made from a mosaic of satellite and aerial photographs taken on different dates and under different lighting and weather conditions. Because of this variance, views of the Earth from high altitude can sometimes appear patchy,” wrote Google Earth Project Manager Peter Birch in a blog post yesterday.

The … Continue Reading

After 200M installs, Google Maps for mobile will soon be bigger than desktop

Google’s Marissa Mayer came prepared with some juicy mobile stats at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in New York City today.

She revealed that Google Maps on mobile devices has just recently surpassed 200 million installs, accounting for 40 percent of Maps’ usage. Mayer predicts that by June, mobile devices will account for the majority of Google Maps usage.

It certainly makes sense for mobile to dominate Google Maps usage. With pretty much every smartphone packing … Continue Reading

Bing replaces Google as default search engine on BlackBerry devices

At the BlackBerry World 2011 conference today in Orlando, Florida, today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that its Bing search engine will be replacing Google as the default search and maps provider on all of Research in Motion (RIM)’s BlackBerry devices.

The Bing search engine has been steadily gaining market share — it currently holds 27 percent of the search engine market compared to Google’s 67 percent — and this deal comes as a major … Continue Reading

Google Map Maker opens in the US to improve local mapping

Google has opened its Map Maker tool, which lets locals contribute mapping information to Google Maps, in the United States.

Map Maker has previously been open to 183 countries and regions around the world. But Google has presumably held off on introducing the tool to the US market — for which there is already a ton of data available in Google Maps — until it had thoroughly tested the add-on.

Using Map Maker, citizens can … Continue Reading

Microsoft brings cool Photosynth app to iPhone, but not Windows Phone

Microsoft’s innovative Photosynth technology, which can be used to create and share immersive 360-degree panoramic photos, landed on the iPhone today.

But Windows Phone 7 owners, arguably the users that Microsoft should be bending head over heels to please, are still waiting for their own Photosynth app.

Microsoft’s decision to prioritize iPhone development for Photosynth is indicative of a bigger problem that it’s facing with Windows Phone — is it better to deliver cool technology … Continue Reading

Find mobile data wherever you need it with Coverage for the iPhone/iPad

If you’ve ever gone on a road trip through the US, you know how maddening keeping track of mobile coverage areas can be. Enter “Coverage?”, an app that compiles data coverage maps across all major US cellular carriers.

Available for the iPhone and iPad ($1.99 on the iTunes Store), Coverage gives you the ability to plan out your trips with mobile data in mind. And since it downloads the map data to your device, you … Continue Reading

The Cartographer app brings gorgeous custom and offline maps to your iPhone

Mobile maps have never looked this good on the iPhone. The Cartographer is a new app ($3.99 on the iTunes Store) that brings support for custom Google Maps, as well as the ability to download maps for use offline, all in a slick vintage user interface.

It’s one of those rare apps that make you sit up and take notice at first, thanks to its unique design and emphasis on usability, but remains consistently useful … Continue Reading

Google Maps 5.0 for Android now available with 3D buildings, offline support

The latest version of Google Maps for Android is now available, and as we’ve reported previously, it brings some amazing features with it like 3D building support, dynamic map drawing and access to maps offline.

Google Maps 5.0 relies on vector graphics, instead of flat 2D maps, to load its map data. Vector files are smaller and more flexible than typical graphics files, both of which make a huge difference on mobile devices. Thanks to … Continue Reading

New Google Maps for Android to spark jealousy among iPhone owners

The next major Google Maps update for Android phones looks like it’ll blow the iPhone’s aging Google Maps app out of the water. New features include dramatically faster performance, 3D building rendering, and an offline mode.

Google Maps 5.0 for Android will offer “dynamic map drawing” with vector graphics, which are smaller and load more quickly than the flat 2-dimensional maps the app previously featured. Overall the map performance is much “snappier”, both Engadget and … Continue Reading

Google Earth 6 adds integrated Street View, 3D trees

This morning, Google released version 6 of its desktop-based 3D mapping tool, Google Earth. The update adds integrated Street View, 3D trees, and an easier way to access historical imagery.

The features, while not likely to matter in the short term to Google’s ad-driven revenues, signal the Web search giant’s intent to stay on the cutting edge of mapping technology as it expands into the potentially lucrative market for local, geographically targeted search.

Most notably, … Continue Reading

Trouble with China's iPhone 4: Crippled maps and curious search results

Users of Apple’s recently released Chinese iPhone 4 are in for a nasty surprise: Apparently, the phone comes equipped with ensored map data that complies with Chinese government propaganda, according to the site Ogle Earth.

The Chinese iPhone 4 Maps app depicts borders as the Chinese government would have it — for example, the Arunachal Pradesh region shows up as part of China, even though it’s actually administered by India today. If Chinese iPhone 4 … Continue Reading

WeePlaces adds Gowalla and Facebook to visualize check-ins

WeePlaces, a service which visually maps your check-ins on location-based services, has integrated with Gowalla and Facebook, giving users the ability to see where they’ve announced their location to friends across Foursquare, Gowalla, and Facebook Places.

Foursquare and Gowalla are the two most popular check-in services, while Facebook has recently entered the market with its Facebook Places. All three services have application programming interfaces which allow services like Weeplaces to pull data from them. Weeplaces … Continue Reading

Nike iPhone app keeps track of where, how fast you run

There was a time when going out for a run meant putting on some sneakers and leaving for a jog around the park. But if you need any indication of how far we’ve come, take a look at Nike’s latest Nike+ GPS app for the iPhone, released today on Apple’s App Store.

Using the iPhone’s GPS and accelerometer, the app lets you track not only your pace, distance, and calories when you go out for … Continue Reading

MobileBeat: Micello pushes forward with indoor maps

Micello is one of 20 promising startups included in the MobileBeat 2010 Startup Competition, and is in the running for one of two coveted Tesla Awards.

We’ve been covering the indoor map company Micello for months now — first with its iPhone app launch at DEMOfall 09, and then with its Valentine’s Day promotion. The company will be presenting at the MobileBeat 2010 conference in San Francisco this week, and it looks like it has … Continue Reading

MapQuest plays catch-up with redesign

MapQuest fell from it’s position as the number one mapping site early last year, pushed from its perch by Google’s Google Maps. And Google and Microsoft have been beating AOL-owned MapQuest to the punch in adding features to their services, like the ability to add photos to maps, which Google introduced a full two years before MapQuest did. Now, MapQuest is making a come-back play. It is launching a beta version of a major redesign, … Continue Reading

3D maps: you'll be able to walk around in them like in a virtual world

Online maps are extremely useful, but not very innovative in their present form, as most maps we use today merely mirror paper maps. The road map serves most of our everyday needs, but as more and more data with a location component to it is accumulated – geo-tagged photos, videos, or information from social networks like Facebook and Twitter – we’ll need to represent that data in a way that adds value without overwhelming users.… Continue Reading

Nokia acquires geographic information company MetaCarta

Online maps are extremely useful, but not very innovative in their present form, as most maps we use today merely mirror paper maps. The road map serves most of our everyday needs, but as more and more data with a location component to it is accumulated – geo-tagged photos, videos, or information from social networks like Facebook and Twitter – we’ll need to represent that data in a way that adds value without overwhelming users.… Continue Reading

Google adds layers to its mobile maps; multiple search capabilities

Online maps are extremely useful, but not very innovative in their present form, as most maps we use today merely mirror paper maps. The road map serves most of our everyday needs, but as more and more data with a location component to it is accumulated – geo-tagged photos, videos, or information from social networks like Facebook and Twitter – we’ll need to represent that data in a way that adds value without overwhelming users.… Continue Reading

MeetMe iPhone app solves pesky problem of finding a meeting point

Online maps are extremely useful, but not very innovative in their present form, as most maps we use today merely mirror paper maps. The road map serves most of our everyday needs, but as more and more data with a location component to it is accumulated – geo-tagged photos, videos, or information from social networks like Facebook and Twitter – we’ll need to represent that data in a way that adds value without overwhelming users.… Continue Reading