Category Archives: Google LatLong Blog

News and notes by the Google Earth and Maps team

Google Earth, class is now in session

So much of what students learn in the classroom—from social studies to history, science and literature—relates to a geographic place on Earth. Recently, we announced a new version of Google Earth, and since then, educators have been telling us what a valuable tool Google Earth is for their students. They use the “I’m feeling lucky” feature to inspire writing exercises, do research exercises with Knowledge Cards, and explore satellite imagery and cloud strata with their students. Now, to make it even easier for teachers to use Google Earth in the classroom, we’ve created a new “Education” category in the Voyager section, which includes new stories—complete with classroom activities—from National Geographic Society, PBS Education, HHMI Biointeractive and Mission Blue.

The National Geographic Society stories take students on adventures following explorers through the Middle East, India, and coral reefs. To supplement the experience, National Geographic Society created idea for activities that highlight a range of geographical concepts, such as interpreting land forms and comparing map projections.

  • EarthVoyager_NationalGeographic2.png
    Join one leg of a 21,000-mile cultural journey with National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek in Africa.
  • EarthVoyager_NationalGeographic1.png
    Explore the last Pristine Seas with Dr. Enric Sala as he works to restore the health and productivity of our planet's oceans.
  • EarthVoyager_NationalGeographic3.png
    National Geographic Society created activities showing how Google Earth can be used in the classroom.

With PBS Education, classrooms can go back in time and track the paths of famous explorers, from Lewis and Clark to the Vikings. As students follow along, they, in turn, become modern-day explorers.

  • EarthVoyager_PBS1.png
    Trace the waterways of the American West with Lewis and Clark
  • EarthVoyager_PBS3.png
    Teachers using PBS Education’s Age of Encounters can ask students: How do you think these ships chose their ocean routes?
  • EarthVoyager_PBS4.png
    PBS Education’s Vikings teaches about the Vikings who were exploring the sea 500 years before Christopher Colombus

HHMI Biointeractive and Mission Blue created Voyager stories more geared towards science and math. With HHMI Biointeractive, students join “Scientists at Work” as they investigate important problems, from endangered coral reefs to the Ebola outbreak. And Mission Blue’s story teaches students about the unique oceanographic conditions of Costa Rica thermal dome. Short videos and questions embedded in the stories will help guide students with their own scientific research.

  • GoogleVoyager-ScientistsatWork.png
    Spanning Oregon to Mozambique, students can learn about science in the field with HHMI Biointeractive
  • GoogleVoyager-Fossils.png
    Students can learn how scientists measure mammal extinctions, using fossils spanning millions of years.
  • EarthVoyager_MissionBlue.png
    Explore  the Costa Rica Thermal Dome Hope Spot where you can follow marine biologists in the field tagging turtles, tracking sharks and more.

Educators everywhere can find classroom activities (created by teachers, for teachers) at our new Google Earth Education website, and easily share locations and stories directly to Google Classroom. In addition, this week Google Earth will become an Additional Service for Google for Education users, which can be managed by IT administrators through the Google Admin console.

Google Earth was built to inspire curious minds to explore, learn and care about our vast, fragile planet. With these updates, we’re excited to make it easier for the next generation to see the world from a new perspective.

Source: Google LatLong


Google Earth, class is now in session

So much of what students learn in the classroom—from social studies to history, science and literature—relates to a geographic place on Earth. Recently, we announced a new version of Google Earth, and since then, educators have been telling us what a valuable tool Google Earth is for their students. They use the “I’m feeling lucky” feature to inspire writing exercises, do research exercises with Knowledge Cards, and explore satellite imagery and cloud strata with their students. Now, to make it even easier for teachers to use Google Earth in the classroom, we’ve created a new “Education” category in the Voyager section, which includes new stories—complete with classroom activities—from National Geographic Society, PBS Education, HHMI Biointeractive and Mission Blue.

Edu-category600px.gif
Just click the new "Education" category on the Voyager homepage for new stories, complete with classroom activities for teachers

The National Geographic Society stories take students on adventures following explorers through the Middle East, India, and coral reefs. To supplement the experience, National Geographic Society created idea for activities that highlight a range of geographical concepts, such as interpreting land forms and comparing map projections.

  • EarthVoyager_NationalGeographic2.png
    Join one leg of a 21,000-mile cultural journey with National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek in Africa.
  • EarthVoyager_NationalGeographic1.png
    Explore the last Pristine Seas with Dr. Enric Sala as he works to restore the health and productivity of our planet's oceans.
  • EarthVoyager_NationalGeographic3.png
    National Geographic Society created activities showing how Google Earth can be used in the classroom.

With PBS Education, classrooms can go back in time and track the paths of famous explorers, from Lewis and Clark to the Vikings. As students follow along, they, in turn, become modern-day explorers.

  • EarthVoyager_PBS1.png
    Trace the waterways of the American West with Lewis and Clark
  • EarthVoyager_PBS3.png
    Teachers using PBS Education’s Age of Encounters can ask students: How do you think these ships chose their ocean routes?
  • EarthVoyager_PBS4.png
    PBS Education’s Vikings teaches about the Vikings who were exploring the sea 500 years before Christopher Colombus

HHMI Biointeractive and Mission Blue created Voyager stories more geared towards science and math. With HHMI Biointeractive, students join “Scientists at Work” as they investigate important problems, from endangered coral reefs to the Ebola outbreak. And Mission Blue’s story teaches students about the unique oceanographic conditions of Costa Rica thermal dome. Short videos and questions embedded in the stories will help guide students with their own scientific research.

  • GoogleVoyager-ScientistsatWork.png
    Spanning Oregon to Mozambique, students can learn about science in the field with HHMI Biointeractive
  • GoogleVoyager-Fossils.png
    Students can learn how scientists measure mammal extinctions, using fossils spanning millions of years.
  • EarthVoyager_MissionBlue.png
    Explore  the Costa Rica Thermal Dome Hope Spot where you can follow marine biologists in the field tagging turtles, tracking sharks and more.

Educators everywhere can find classroom activities (created by teachers, for teachers) at our new Google Earth Education website, and easily share locations and stories directly to Google Classroom. In addition, this week Google Earth will become an Additional Service for Google for Education users, which can be managed by IT administrators through the Google Admin console.

Google Earth was built to inspire curious minds to explore, learn and care about our vast, fragile planet. With these updates, we’re excited to make it easier for the next generation to see the world from a new perspective.

Source: Google LatLong


Google Earth, class is now in session

So much of what students learn in the classroom—from social studies to history, science and literature—relates to a geographic place on Earth. Recently, we announced a new version of Google Earth, and since then, educators have been telling us what a valuable tool Google Earth is for their students. They use the “I’m feeling lucky” feature to inspire writing exercises, do research exercises with Knowledge Cards, and explore satellite imagery and cloud strata with their students. Now, to make it even easier for teachers to use Google Earth in the classroom, we’ve created a new “Education” category in the Voyager section, which includes new stories—complete with classroom activities—from National Geographic Society, PBS Education, HHMI Biointeractive and Mission Blue.

Edu-category600px.gif
Just click the new "Education" category on the Voyager homepage for new stories, complete with classroom activities for teachers

The National Geographic Society stories take students on adventures following explorers through the Middle East, India, and coral reefs. To supplement the experience, National Geographic Society created idea for activities that highlight a range of geographical concepts, such as interpreting land forms and comparing map projections.

  • EarthVoyager_NationalGeographic2.png
    Join one leg of a 21,000-mile cultural journey with National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek in Africa.
  • EarthVoyager_NationalGeographic1.png
    Explore the last Pristine Seas with Dr. Enric Sala as he works to restore the health and productivity of our planet's oceans.
  • EarthVoyager_NationalGeographic3.png
    National Geographic Society created activities showing how Google Earth can be used in the classroom.

With PBS Education, classrooms can go back in time and track the paths of famous explorers, from Lewis and Clark to the Vikings. As students follow along, they, in turn, become modern-day explorers.

  • EarthVoyager_PBS1.png
    Trace the waterways of the American West with Lewis and Clark
  • EarthVoyager_PBS3.png
    Teachers using PBS Education’s Age of Encounters can ask students: How do you think these ships chose their ocean routes?
  • EarthVoyager_PBS4.png
    PBS Education’s Vikings teaches about the Vikings who were exploring the sea 500 years before Christopher Colombus

HHMI Biointeractive and Mission Blue created Voyager stories more geared towards science and math. With HHMI Biointeractive, students join “Scientists at Work” as they investigate important problems, from endangered coral reefs to the Ebola outbreak. And Mission Blue’s story teaches students about the unique oceanographic conditions of Costa Rica thermal dome. Short videos and questions embedded in the stories will help guide students with their own scientific research.

  • GoogleVoyager-ScientistsatWork.png
    Spanning Oregon to Mozambique, students can learn about science in the field with HHMI Biointeractive
  • GoogleVoyager-Fossils.png
    Students can learn how scientists measure mammal extinctions, using fossils spanning millions of years.
  • EarthVoyager_MissionBlue.png
    Explore  the Costa Rica Thermal Dome Hope Spot where you can follow marine biologists in the field tagging turtles, tracking sharks and more.

Educators everywhere can find classroom activities (created by teachers, for teachers) at our new Google Earth Education website, and easily share locations and stories directly to Google Classroom. In addition, this week Google Earth will become an Additional Service for Google for Education users, which can be managed by IT administrators through the Google Admin console.

Google Earth was built to inspire curious minds to explore, learn and care about our vast, fragile planet. With these updates, we’re excited to make it easier for the next generation to see the world from a new perspective.

Source: Google LatLong


More Levels, and more way to contribute for Local Guides

Luis Duran, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is passionate about helping people with disabilities better navigate and explore his city. Kim Flowers, in Melbourne, Australia, believes everyone should think locally and prides herself on helping businesses in her community. Chioma James from Lagos, Nigeria, is working to ensure that victims of sexual crimes can easily find necessary resources like hospitals, police stations and counseling centers. All three of these individuals are Local Guides—people from around the world who help their communities by adding reviews, photos and updated location information to Google Maps.

Contributions

Since 2014, our Local Guides community has grown to more than 30 million contributors. Once you sign up to be a Local Guide, every contribution you make to Google Maps earns you points towards unlocking something new—like early access to new Google Maps features, exclusive contests, events and perks. Over the next few days we’re rolling out updates to the Local Guides program, including a new point system, new levels that unlock different kinds of perks, and new ways to earn points.

Thank you

Certain kinds of contributions that have a higher impact for Google Maps users—like being the first to add a place to the map or leaving a review—earn you more points. In addition, Local Guides now earn points for rating places and checking facts from other community members. All points earned are shown immediately after each contribution, and are visible in the “contribute” tab.

 Just like before, Local Guides Level 2 and above can enjoy early access to new product features, and get occasional perks from Google and local perks from partners. Starting today, in select countries, Local Guides Level 4-10 can redeem a free three-month Google Play Music subscription and 75 percent off rentals in the Google Play Movie store.

Pts V2 Level Up

We’ve added five new levels to Local Guides, bringing the total number from 5 to 10. For levels 4-10, we’ve designed unique badges, giving guides at higher levels a new way to be recognized for their contributions, and helping users quickly identify the Local Guides who contribute the most. These badges will appear next to each Local Guides’ profile picture in Google Maps.

Local Guides: New Points, Levels, Badging and Features

Around the world, Local Guides help people get around easier, navigate and explore with confidence, and support local businesses. We look forward to continuing to work with Local Guides to make the world and local communities more accessible to everyone.

Source: Google LatLong


More Levels, and more ways to contribute for Local Guides

Luis Duran, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is passionate about helping people with disabilities better navigate and explore his city. Kim Flowers, in Melbourne, Australia, believes everyone should think locally and prides herself on helping businesses in her community. Chioma James from Lagos, Nigeria, is working to ensure that victims of sexual crimes can easily find necessary resources like hospitals, police stations and counseling centers. All three of these individuals are Local Guides—people from around the world who help their communities by adding reviews, photos and updated location information to Google Maps.

Contributions

Since 2014, our Local Guides community has grown to more than 30 million contributors. Once you sign up to be a Local Guide, every contribution you make to Google Maps earns you points towards unlocking something new—like early access to new Google Maps features, exclusive contests, events and perks. Over the next few days we’re rolling out updates to the Local Guides program, including a new point system, new levels that unlock different kinds of perks, and new ways to earn points.

Thank you

Certain kinds of contributions that have a higher impact for Google Maps users—like being the first to add a place to the map or leaving a review—earn you more points. In addition, Local Guides now earn points for rating places and checking facts from other community members. All points earned are shown immediately after each contribution, and are visible in the “contribute” tab.

 Just like before, Local Guides Level 2 and above can enjoy early access to new product features, and get occasional perks from Google and local perks from partners. Starting today, in select countries, Local Guides Level 4-10 can redeem a free three-month Google Play Music subscription and 75 percent off a rental in the Google Play Movie store.

Pts V2 Level Up

We’ve added five new levels to Local Guides, bringing the total number from 5 to 10. For levels 4-10, we’ve designed unique badges, giving guides at higher levels a new way to be recognized for their contributions, and helping users quickly identify the Local Guides who contribute the most. These badges will appear next to each Local Guides’ profile picture in Google Maps.

Local Guides: New Points, Levels, Badging and Features

Around the world, Local Guides help people get around easier, navigate and explore with confidence, and support local businesses. We look forward to continuing to work with Local Guides to make the world and local communities more accessible to everyone.

Source: Google LatLong


Finding the Qibla in augmented reality

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The Qibla Finder uses your phone camera to paint a clear blue line towards the Qibla

When people search for the Qibla—the direction Muslims turn to at prayer—they often look for a website or an app to point them in the right direction. Which explains why the word “compass” often pops up when we look at Qibla-related search results over the past five years.

It would be a lot easier to simply hold up your phone and have it tell you the right direction to pray towards. So we’re launching the Qibla Finder (g.co/QiblaFinder), a web app that uses the latest in augmented reality to paint a clear blue line within the imagery your phone camera sees, pointing you towards the Kaaba.

The service is available through your browser today and will be also be available long after Ramadan. Visit our Ramadan Hub (g.co/Ramadan) to find out more about the Qibla Finder and other features to help you observe the month.

Source: Google LatLong


Using machine learning to help people make smart decisions about solar energy

 A few years ago, when my family was first deciding whether or not to go solar, I remember driving around the neighborhood, looking at all the solar arrays on nearby rooftops. It made me realize: Wow, solar isn’t some futuristic concept, it’s already part of the fabric of my town! Seeing that others around me were already benefiting from solar helped me decide to do the same.

We want to make it easy for people to make informed decisions about whether to invest in solar. Project Sunroof already shows you solar potential and cost saving for more than 60 million individual homes. Today we’re adding a new feature, Project Sunroof Data Explorer, which shows a map of existing solar installations in neighborhoods throughout the United States. Now instead of driving street to street, it’s a little easier to see if houses around you and communities nearby have already gone solar.  
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Click on “existing arrays” in the upper right corner to see number of existing installations in your region

This feature combines machine learning with imagery from Google Maps and Google Earth to provide an estimate of how many houses in an area have solar. We started by taking in high-resolution imagery of rooftops and manually identifying solar installations. We then used that data as the initial training set for our algorithm. After many iterations, our machine learning algorithms can now automatically find and identify installations in the imagery (both photovoltaic panels, which produce electricity, and solar hot water heaters). Even for machines, practice makes perfect!

2

So far we’ve identified around 700,000 installations in the U.S. and over time, as we continue to train the algorithms and apply improvements, we will be able to find and show more installations. We hope that this new feature will provide policy makers, communities and individuals with more information to help make smarter decisions in their transition to cleaner power sources.

Source: Google LatLong


Using machine learning to help people make smart decisions about solar energy

 A few years ago, when my family was first deciding whether or not to go solar, I remember driving around the neighborhood, looking at all the solar arrays on nearby rooftops. It made me realize: Wow, solar isn’t some futuristic concept, it’s already part of the fabric of my town! Seeing that others around me were already benefiting from solar helped me decide to do the same.

We want to make it easy for people to make informed decisions about whether to invest in solar. Project Sunroof already shows you solar potential and cost saving for more than 60 million individual homes. Today we’re adding a new feature, Project Sunroof Data Explorer, which shows a map of existing solar installations in neighborhoods throughout the United States. Now instead of driving street to street, it’s a little easier to see if houses around you and communities nearby have already gone solar.
one
Click on “existing arrays” in the upper right corner to see number of existing installations in your region

This feature combines machine learning with imagery from Google Maps and Google Earth to provide an estimate of how many houses in an area have solar. We started by taking in high-resolution imagery of rooftops and manually identifying solar installations. We then used that data as the initial training set for our algorithm. After many iterations, our machine learning algorithms can now automatically find and identify installations in the imagery (both photovoltaic panels, which produce electricity, and solar hot water heaters). Even for machines, practice makes perfect!

2

So far we’ve identified around 700,000 installations in the U.S. and over time, as we continue to train the algorithms and apply improvements, we will be able to find and show more installations. We hope that this new feature will provide policy makers, communities and individuals with more information to help make smarter decisions in their transition to cleaner power sources.

Source: Google LatLong


Dive into World Oceans Day with Google Earth and Maps

This World Oceans Day, explore our oceans and learn from experts leading marine conservation efforts around the world with Street View and Google Earth.

We hope these stories and sights will inspire you to get involved and help protect our vast and fragile oceans. So jump on in, the water’s fine!Start your underwater adventure in Voyager. With the Ocean Agency, tour Raja Ampat, Indonesia’s rich marine center containing 76 percent of the world’s coral species and 36 percent of the world’s reef fish species—more than any other marine region in the world. Then head to the Gulf of California with Dr. Sylvia Earle to see leaping mobula rays and learn about efforts to combat shark finning. Finally, head south to swim alongside the playful sea lions of the Galápagos Islands, one of the most biodiverse and unique places on the planet.

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Once you’ve gotten your sea legs in Voyager, sail on over to Street View for even more beautiful blues. Go tete-a-tete with turtles in the Great Barrier Reef off Heron Island, Australia, snorkel through colorful coral in DA Bai Shah, Taiwan, and enroll yourself in a school of fish in Bali.

We hope these stories and sights will inspire you to get involved and help protect our vast and fragile oceans. So jump on in, the water’s fine!

Photo credit for header image of Raja Ampat: Jayne Jenkins

Source: Google LatLong


Experience the songlines of Uluṟu with Google Maps Street View and Story Spheres

In the heart of Australia’s red center lies the UNESCO World Heritage site, Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. It is deeply sacred to the Aṉangu people, who have lived there for more than 30,000 years. It’s also home to a wide range of species—21 mammals, 73 reptiles, 178 birds—and Australia’s most iconic natural landmark, Uluṟu.

Starting today, people across the world will be able to visit Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park on Street View, walk on the desert sand and enjoy the vibrant hues of the rock—from ochre to rust to wild plum and charcoal.

Tjuta National Park-StreetView.png

Standing 348 m (1,142 ft) high, and with a total circumference of 9.4 km (5.8 mi), the immense scale, colors and contours of Uluṟu stir a sense of reverence. While visually and geologically extraordinary, the physical features of Uluṟu hold a deeper meaning for its traditional owners. For Aṉangu, the land carries sacred “songlines”—creation stories about the journeys, battles and adventures of their ancestral beings.

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Traditional Owner of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Reggie Uluru

All aspects of Aṉangu life are governed by Tjukurpa, the knowledge which guides relationships, values and behavior. At the core of Tjukurpa law is a deep respect for the land. Aṉangu believe that if they look after the land, it will look after them. These teachings are passed down from generation to generation through stories, songs and inma (ceremony).

‘’Sometimes visitors come here and they see a beautiful place, but they don't understand the Tjukurpa, the culture and the law and the knowledge and the history that this place holds…. It’s the living keeper of our culture,” says Sammy Wilson, Aṉangu traditional owner of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. “We want to teach those visitors about the Aṉangu understanding of this place.”

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Traditional owner, Sammy Wilson, sharing Tjukurpa stories with Miranda Schooneveldt, Parks Australia

Over the past two years, we collaborated with Aṉangu Traditional Owners of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Parks Australia and the Northern Territory Government to capture the park for Street View according to Tjukurpa law. The Street View journey ventures to the vista of Talinguṟu Nyakunytjaku, the winding trail of the Kuniya Walk, the cool respite of Kapi Muṯitjulu (waterhole) and ancient art at Kulpi Muṯitjulu (Family Cave). It invites you to zoom in on the curves, crevices and textures of Uluṟu—and gaze up at its glowing gradient of color.

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Lindsey Dixon, of Northern Territory Tourism, captured the Street View content at Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park in accordance with Tjukurpa law

Since 2007, Google has mapped imagery of unique locations across 83 countries, including heritage monuments, touristic sites, museums, national parks and transit locations across the globe.  In the case of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Tjukurpa warranted a more nuanced approach.  For Aṉangu, there is no distinction between the physical and metaphysical, or the animate and inanimate. People, earth, plants and animals are inextricably connected. This means that Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park could never be truly represented or understood (virtually or otherwise) without the presence and voices of its people.

We knew we had to bring these cultural and spiritual dimensions to the Street View experience. So we used the Story Spheres platform to add immersive audio stories and songs of Aṉangu traditional owners to the 360° Street View imagery. The result is an interactive, audio-visual guided tour, narrated by Sammy Wilson and with song and music by Traditional Owner and Aṉangu Elder, Reggie Uluru.

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Because Tjukurpa teachings are traditionally handed down through an ancient oral tradition, Aṉangu stories, songs and ceremonies are largely unrecorded. The generosity of traditional owners has made a rare and revered piece of culture available to, and archived for, the world.

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Traditional owner, Sammy Wilson, sharing Tjukurpa stories with Miranda Schooneveldt, Parks Australia

Together with our partners, we’re privileged to help celebrate and preserve Aṉangu culture through technology. We hope this model will lead to stronger partnerships with indigenous communities across Australia—to share more sacred sites and instill greater value and respect for the land.

Get a behind-the-scenes view of the Google Maps Street View and Story Spheres project in our video.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | Google Maps Street View Launch

Source: Google LatLong