turtlethink.com » Maps http://turtlethink.com turtles like technology Mon, 24 May 2010 20:56:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Google Latitude: Seeing Where Your Friends are in Real Time http://turtlethink.com/2009/02/google-latitude-seeing-where-your-friends-are-in-real-time/ http://turtlethink.com/2009/02/google-latitude-seeing-where-your-friends-are-in-real-time/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:08:52 +0000 Mark Kizelshteyn http://turtlethink.com/?p=601 Social Networking meets Location Based Service : Latitude.

Latitude, built on the Google Maps API, allows you to share your location with friends while also seeing their location — all in real time, without a manual update.

google_latitude

The mobile application is currently not available on the iPhone and is only supported by Google’s Android as well as Blackberry, Symbian S60 and Windows Mobile.

Will this product take hold? Well, privacy is essentially becoming ephemeral. Between Latitude and Facebook, your “friends” will know a bit too much about you (every minute of the day) — but that is not the underlying concern as they are your “friends.”

But, this information in the wrong hands is a stalkers dream come true. We need to be weary of these services. I completely support their release into the market, however, this (along with numerous other social networking services) is not something that can be passively installed. One needs to be conscious of what information they are sharing with not only their friends, but the world. I foresee a bit of resistance with the adoption of Google’s new service.

Would you use it?

[Via PSFK]

]]> http://turtlethink.com/2009/02/google-latitude-seeing-where-your-friends-are-in-real-time/feed/ 4 Google marches forward in taking over the world http://turtlethink.com/2008/12/google-marches-forward-in-taking-over-the-world/ http://turtlethink.com/2008/12/google-marches-forward-in-taking-over-the-world/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:59:13 +0000 Paul Fayngersh http://turtlethink.com/?p=371 When explorers eager to discover [plunder] the New World, where did they turn to? What was their most prized reference? Maps, of course.

As reported by O’Reilly, Google is continuing to heavily invest in GeoData on multiple fronts – from exclusive deals with satellite companies to their in-house projects such as Street View and Map Maker. The company has recently released a few images that illustrate their progress.

google_streetview

This image details what parts of the US are available on Street View. I was a bit shocked by this – it seems just recently many parts of New York weren’t available!

google_earth_nyc

Speaking of our fair city, Google Earth just added photo-realistic buildings that actually make our skyline seem real. This is the type of news that scares many of my less technologically-inclined friends; what are Google’s long-term plans for Earth, especially considering they recently pulled the plug on Lively, their virtual world? Check out before and after shots of NYC at the Google Earth Blog.

google_mapmaker

Perhaps most interesting is Google’s strategy for Map Maker. The image above shows which parts of the globe are most active. In parts of the world where mapping data is unavailable, Google is allowing users to create their own maps – roads, lakes, local businesses, everything. The maps are moderated by more experienced users to prevent fraud and vandalism. It’s wonderful that Google is providing this useful service to people for free by crowdsourcing mapping data in the developing world; however, unlike OpenStreetMap, Google is retaining all intellectual property associated with the maps. Either way, it is yet another testament to the developing world’s embrace of new technologies and willingness to contribute and collaborate on social projects.

The video below is an amazing time-lapse of a Da Lat, Vietnam, being constructed in Map Maker.


via O’Reilly Radar and Google Earth Blog

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