Digital Earth Blog

Wow, Google is going nuts with StreetView lately.  Within the last month they’ve added support for the iPhone, revamped the web interface, introduced imagery for New Zealand, doubled the data in the US, and now they’ve brought out an updated client (version 2.3) of Google Maps Mobile for Nokia S60 (N95) and Windows Mobile phones.

In addition to StreetView, version 2.3 of GMM also brings walking directions, transit alerts, user reviews and a brand new interface.

Here is a short video of the changes, highlighted on a BlackBerry:

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, the new firmware update today for the iPhone (version 2.2) includes Google StreetView.  I’m still loading the update on my phone, but I’m expecting good things.  As with Google Earth for the iPhone, I would think that the multi-touch input will work very well with StreetView.  We’ll see.

In the meantime, here’s a quick screenshot from CrunchGear.

Update: How to access StreetView

While the implementation of StreetView on the iPhone is great (pinch, drag, etc), accessing it is a bit tricky.  To get into Streetview:

• Drop a pin somewhere on the map, or search for a location.
• Tap on the pin to bring up the info window.
• Click the little red icon on the left to access StreetView.

Somewhat out of the blue, though not totally unexpected after we saw EarthScape, Google Earth has been released for the iPhone!

It’s still being rolled out (Australia and Japan can get it now), and it’s not available for my area yet.  I’ll post more details once I get it.

A little more info can be found on the Google Earth Blog, or you can check out the screenshots below.

A couple of good pieces of news for StreetView fans.  Somewhat unsurprisingly, StreetView is apparently making it’s way onto the next firmware release (v2.2) for the iPhone.  Considering it’s already on Google Maps Mobile and on Android, this wasn’t a shocker.  Still, it’s nice to know it’s coming soon.

Also, CNET is reporting that Google StreetView cars have been spotted in Singapore, and Google has confirmed that StreetView: Singapore will be here “in the coming months”.

Continuing to expand StreetView, both in terms of coverage areas and supported devices, will only serve to make it that much more useful for all of us.

A couple of fun toys for today.  I’ve created a mobile version of Google Earth Hacks, allowing you to view about 80% of the files (18,000 or so) on the go.  It works best on the iPhone, taking advantage of the built-in Google Maps, but should work on any recent phone.  Get details here, or simply visit m.gearthhacks.com on your phone.

Also, my wife and I are pretty big fans of The Amazing Race, so I’ve been working on a rather comprehensive mash-up for the show.  You can read about it here, view the full map here, or just play with the embedded version below.

If you’re a fan of the show, it’s a neat way to see all of the amazing places that the contestants get to travel to.

View Larger Map

MapQuest has just launched the beta of MapQuest 4 Mobile for a few Blackberry handsets.  It looks very much like all of MapQuest’s other recent launches — very nice, but nothing new.

Some of the features include things like “maps” (including aerial imagery), “directions”, “search”, “traffic” and “find me” (to track you along a route.  Certainly nice features for a handset, but nothing new.

Still, if you have a Blackberry it’s probably worth giving it a shot.  It’s currently compatible with the BlackBerry 8830 on Sprint and the Blackberry 8800, 8820 and 8310 on AT&T.  Of course, “support for additional handsets is coming soon.”  To get it, simply point your phone to www.mq4m.com to get started.

StreetView has come to Google Maps Mobile! This should prove to be a very useful addition, since many people use GMM when trying to find a location.  Having a street-level view of their destination will be great!

In addition to StreetView, the mobile versions now have walking directions and business reviews as well.

The software is available for: Blackberry and “many Java-enabled phones”.  The software has not yet been updated for Symbian devices (like the Nokia N95), Windows Mobile devices or the Apple iPhone.

To download it for your phone, simply visit google.com/gmm.

Here is a short video showing off the new features:

(via LatLong blog)

Google Maps Mania has just highlighted Enkin, a slick new augmented reality program that is being built for the Android platform.

You’ve probably seen demos like this before, but this one sounds like it’s pretty much ready to launch.  The developers say that some Android hardware will have the necessary components built in (compass, GPS and camera), so would expect that we’ll be able to use this software later in the year!

Check out the video below for more:

Enkin from Enkin on Vimeo.

Google has just updated Google Maps Mobile to version 2.2.  The primary enhancement in this version is public transit — now you can get information on bus, train and ferry routes right from your mobile.

You can download the application by visiting this link with your phone, or you can read more on the Google LatLong Blog or on Google Maps Mania.  In addition, they’ve produced a short video to show off the new features:

Google Earth Blog has a story about a digital earth product called Earthscape.  Earthscape is a desktop program that aims to be similar to Google Earth (and others).  It may end up being a decent product, but that’s not the point of this post.

At Where 2.0 last week, GEB author Frank Taylor was shown an iPhone application that uses their product.  Not only does it handle the top down view (like Google Maps Mobile), but you can pan down into a 3D view!  Taking it a step further, the application responds to tilting, so you can move the phone around in your hand to change the view.

The application has some work to be done before it can be released, but it shows a ton of potential.  Below is the video that Frank took and you can read more about it in this blog post: