GeoGuessr - Where in the World are You?

In the pre-internet era we often had to resort to inventing our own games. Some of my favorites involved guessing countries based only on their flags (world maps were great for that), or naming countries with names starting with a specific letter. Sure... after a few game sessions we would run out of countries and we'd have to move on to other themes... but I still hold fond memories of those games.

Now, thanks to Google Maps and street view, we can have a much broader game board spanning the entire world and that will put your geolocation detective mind to work. In GeoGuessr you're dropped somewhere around the world, and you'll have to figure out where on a world map. The further you are from the correct spot the less points you get, and you have five rounds to go.

In the end, you'll get your score and a link you can use to challenge your friends to see if they can do any better than you for the exact same spots. Feel like having a go? Then try and see if you can do better than my - almost - 12,000 points! ;)

Google Street Views Dives Underwater

Maybe it's a coincidence that Apple just abandoned Google Maps and Street View on their new iOS6, and that some of it's router even sugest you swim across water; but the important part is that Google's Street View is getting better and better and after taking us through some amazing natural Parks, it takes us under the ocean surface.

It's impossible to explore these oceanic street view landscapes and not bring back some old and fond memories of Capt. Jacques Costeau documentaries that amazed us when we were younger. The sheer magic of the underwater world - a world that we often forget is far larger than the "above water" surface of our planet - and that remains as misterious as ever.

I wonder how Costeau would feel knowing that this deep blue world is now within reach of the entire world, and that anyone can dive into the great coral reef without even leaving their home...

California's National Parks on Google Streeview

As if Google's Streeview wasn't enough already to suck us in and invite us to travel the streets of citites all around the world, and even taking us in into museums and stores, it's now about to become even more addictive to people in love for the great outdoors.

Yep, Google Streetview has taken a trip through California's national parks.

Redwood National Park
Yosemite National Park
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Park

Places most of us would love to see in person, but... while that doesn't happen... at least you can have a virtual tour and visit it from the confort of your own home! :)

Navigon brings Streetview to its iOS Navigation App

If you were worried about the upcoming iOS 6 and saying goodbye to Google Maps, which many would surely miss - particularly the quite convenient street view - then you might like to hear that there seems to be a way to fix that.

Although one will expect Google to eventually launch an official Google Maps App (even possibly with navigation, just like on the Android version) for the iPhone and iOS6, if you can't wait for it you can head out to Navigon's navigation app that in its latest update introduces - you might know what - Google streetview imagery.

And in case you had already bought Navigon to serve as your official iOS offline navigation App, then you'll like to hear that you'll be receiving this update free of charge. So... it seems that choosing this App when you considered all other GPS apps might have been the best thing you ever did. :)

World Wonders on Google Streetview

If you thought you already spent too much time perusing Google Streetview... prepare to spend even more thanks to Google's World Wonders Project.

A project that puts 132 historical and cultural sites spread across the world right there within our grasp, inside our browser window. If you ever wondered how it would be to roam across Stonehenge, the archaeological areas of Pompeii or visit the ancient Kyoto temples, now you can have a taste without having to spend a fortune in airline tickets.

As you'd might imagine, in most of these places you wouldn't be able to drive a streetview car to capture these images, so... Google just called the streetview trikes into action.

Surely worth a lengthy visit: www.google.com/worldwonders.

Naked Man in Car Trunk in Streetview

One can never expect what to find when it starts strolling around Google Maps Streeview... But in Germany one such odd case has been causing quite a stir: an image shows an apparently naked man inside a car trunk (in a convertible, which would make it even less roomier than you'd might expect. :)

Google has quickly pulled the image, but the buzz will never stop to spread across the internet. What would the man be doing, stuck in a car trunk next to a dog sleeping on the floor?

My take is that he's probably wearing shorts and simply cleaning up his car trunk - or messing around with the cabriolet retractable roof system. A simple explanation that wouldn't please anyone hoping for a more sordid/adventurous explanation - like that trunk beeing a time portal into another dimension - but... take your pick. Any guess is as good as mine... :)

SeaView Offers a Underwater Street View

You've probably spent more than a couple of minutes travelling through the streets of cities around the world through Google Street View eyes. But what if you weren't restricted to streets, or even the surface of our planet? What if you could dive beneath the oceans' surface and have a peek at amazing views of Australia's Great Barrier Reef?

Well, now you can thanks to this SeaView project. A project that uses a underwater scooter equipped with 360º panoramic cameras that allow us to "be there" even when comfortable sitting on our sofa halfway around the world.

I can even imagine that someday, in the not so distant future, we might even get the chance to have robotic underwater scooters that we can remotely control and give us real-time views of underwater landscapes. :)



[via newscientist]

Microsoft Street Slide

From Microsoft's Research Labs, I present you Street Slide.

No matter how nice Google's Street View looks, it's always a bit awkward to navigate around, jumping from "spot" to "spot".

With this Street Slide, you can effortlessly slide through the streets... and it looks really good too! :)

Streetview Car on Streetview

Looks like Google doesn't take its own privacy seriously. ;)

Here's a Google Streetview car cought by another Google Streetview car. :)

This happend in Lisbon, Portugal. :)

Simple Guide Tool - Streetview sharing

If you ever thought how cool it would be if you could share an interactive streetview/google maps session with some friends, I present you: Simple Guide Tool.

This site allows you to quickly and easily create a shared map/streetview room, with real time chat, so that you can show your friends exactly how to get there. Really amazing! :)

Google Introduces Streeview Smart Navigation

Streetview in Google Maps is getting better and better. Now it has 3D mapping of its surrounding, allowing you to quickly navigate and zoom around in a much easier way.

Better see a demo video (or trying it out yourself! :)

Google Streetview goes where no car has gone before

While Google Streetview cars are driving up and down in Portugal it seems Google is preparing to take its Google Streetview to places no car has ever been before.

At least, that's what these streetview high-tech trikes seem to indicate.

Considering there are lot of places and streets you're unable to visit by car, I think this may be actually true and not a fake. What do you think?

Google Streetview with Panoramio

If you haven't noticed it yet (I just saw it now) Google has added a nice feature to its Streetview in Google Maps.

You can now see user photos from Panoramio.

The video explains it better than I do.

Google Updates Streetview

Ok, this isn't exactly new, but in case you missed it...

Although quite useful, a lot of people still had a hard time using the streetview feature of Google Maps (and don't get me started on how awkward it is to use it on the iPhone.) That's why Google recentely revamped their streetview interface.

Now, the streetview "pegman" is always conveniently (and logically) placed at the highest zoom level location.

You can either zoom to it, or drag it around as usual. While dragging, you're now also offered a small preview of streetview whenever you hover a place for a few seconds.


You can also thank the mixed map/streetview mode, which comes in handy to learn where you have to turn when following directions.

You'll also like to hear (or not) that streetview coverage has been greatly expanded, and now covers most of the US.

How to Use Streetview on iPhone 2.2

And, to make it easeir for everyone who - like me - went crazy trying to find how to use Streetview in the latest 2.2 firmware update for the iPhone, here it is:

1. You first need to drop a pin somewhere in the map
2. Then you can drag it to the street you want
   
3. To access streetview (if available) you need to click on that icon on the left on the pin's description
   

It's not hard after you know it, but I wasn't the only one wondering how to get there.

Besides, it's not that "user-friendly" to first have to drop a pin in order to access streetview, nor to drag it around hoping to find a streetviewable street.

But, let's wait for some more reactions from people around the globe and see how Apple reacts to it.

iPhone 2.2 with Streetview

The latest beta 2 version of iPhone's upcoming firmware update 2.2 has revealed some new interesting features in the Maps section.

You'll finally be able to use Streetview:

As well as have walking directions and bus information.

As for the much needed copy-paste... it remains to be seen if version 2.2 will finally implement it.

Google is Watching

Google is watching Google is watching Google is watching Google is...

Google Streetview Van caught itself in a mirror

Made me think of those ancient "video effects", of a camera video feedback when you point your camera at a TV showing it's own output; and you can see the TV on a TV on a TV...
Though this Google Van isn't quite as cool.