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Google Earth 3D
By Anca Gagiuc on Aug 31, 2012 in Technology
The world is not flat. So why settle for a map without topography, ever? Bringing 3D maps to mobile has been a race between Google and Apple, with Google sprinting over the finish line with Google Earth 3D for the iOS platform last month.
The Google Earth app is compatible with the latest Apple devices – iPhone 4S, iPod touch, and 2nd & 3rd generation iPads. Apple has yet to offer its own comparable feature. Users on older device models can use the maps if they’re running iOS 4.3 or later. Through the 7.0.0 version, Google reveals to iOS users what Android devotees have been seeing since June of this year.
Here’s a video that demos the product for Android:
14 major regions are already converted to Google’s 3D imagery: Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area (including the Peninsula and East Bay), Boston, Boulder, Charlotte, Lawrence (Kansas), Long Beach (Calif.), Portland, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Tampa, Tucson, and Rome (Italy). By the end of the year there’s a promise to add more cities worldwide.
It’s a complex, high-tech process to build these maps, entailing strategic fly-overs of metropolitan areas with camera-equipped planes that flew in tight circles to get shots at 45 degree angles. Back on the ground, the high-resolution imagery and local geometry are put back together, creating 3D tiles that can be viewed from any angle.
Virtual tours are no novelty these days, but Google, as always, is aiming for innovation. Over 11,000 virtual tours of popular sites in over 110 countries and regions can be revealed swiping the tab located at the bottom of the main Google Earth screen. These pre-created tours will dynamically be updated with interesting locations in thumbnail size for a broader palette to choose from in the current view.
Tapping the thumbnail image lets you discover exciting places around the world. There are 3D views of buildings and scenic treasures wherever available, and they sync with Wikipedia, so there are facts at your fingertips. Picasa and Panoramio add user-contributed photos, giving the tour a personalized touch.
Comparing the newly-refreshed Google Earth for iOS with the beta version of Apple’s upcoming iOS 6 Maps app, things look a bit blurry on Google, offering less detail and overall resolution. Apple’s maps are designed from the ground up using a vector-based engine that keeps the text crisp, the graphics clear and panning, and zooming responsive. They also feature interactivity: tour guide Siri will help you find your way to a destination with aid from the maps, while the turn-by-turn spoken directions will allow you to keep your eyes on the road.
If you miss a turn, the maps will automatically reroute you, updating your ETA and offering alternative routes to save you time. Most directional locators do the same, but 3D enhances the view and gives you a better idea of when you’re really lost.
Other features include Flyover, which will show you cities in high resolution as you visit them from the air with photo-realistic and interactive 3D views. The Local Search feature will link location information, photos, phone numbers, Yelp ratings and reviews, and more. These will be included in the iOS 6 set for release this fall.
To test out the maps, download the latest version of Google Earth for your iOS device. Already taken a trip around the world? What did you think of the latest mapping for mobile innovation?
