Author Archives: Vanessa Schneider

Test your knowledge of natural wonders in Google Earth

In Google Earth’s Voyager, we’ve climbed aboard the ISS, simulated eclipses, and gone deep into the Amazon. Now, with the help of our friends at Atlas Obscura, we're adding something new to the mix. In a multiple choice quiz, Atlas Obscura takes you to some of the most beautiful—and intriguing—places on the planet. Know where Morning Glory Pool is? Or the hot springs of Dallol? See how well you know your planet, and explore these  places in Google Earth. If you get stuck, look out for a hint or two on Twitter.

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Coming up: We don't know about you, but we're hearing royal wedding bells. Check back in Google Earth mid-May to test your knowledge of magnificent castles and palaces around the world.

Connect with cultures around the world in Google Earth

Yesterday, we introduced a new version of Google Earth, along with Voyager—a showcase of interactive tours that help you explore our planet further. Over the next few days, we’re giving you a taste of what you’ll be able to find on Voyager, starting today with stories on the theme of culture, people and places around the world.

Your journey begins in South Africa, Mexico or Nigeria with what is perhaps the cutest thing to ever happen in Google Earth (so far): Girl Muppets Around the World, a story by Sesame Street that that introduces you to different cultures around the world through the eyes of the girl Muppets.

Then head to Hamburg, Germany, site of the world’s largest model railway exhibit, Miniatur Wunderland. The nearly 16,000 meters of train tracks feature miniaturized versions of several notable cultural spots around the world, which you can explore in Street View alongside their real-life location on the globe.

Of course, we couldn’t let today go by without taking you to one of the world’s cultural capitals: Paris. This is just one of many city itineraries we plan to publish in the coming months to help make travel planning—and armchair adventures—even easier.

Visit Voyager to see these stories, explore notable museums, learn how past cultures lived—and experience how the Earth itself can become a work of art.

Walk the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine like the pros with Street View

Earlier this year, Turner Sports approached us with an idea: Help us change the way golf fans experience the sport’s biggest event of the year, the Ryder Cup. Always up for helping users go where they’ve never gone before, we loaned Turner a Street View Trekker. They hit the links to collect hole-by-hole imagery at Minnesota’s Hazeltine National Golf Club, site of this year's tournament starting today through October 2.

Over two days, the team covered the 160-acres course.

Explore the images on Google Maps, or walk the course like the pros using theHazeltine Explorer, an interactive tour developed by Turner and Ubilabs. Along with 360-degree views, the site, built with Google Maps APIs, features custom elevation graphs for every hole, integrated video highlights and course-specific historical moments.

Fans attending the event can also make use of the Ryder Cup app’s Wayfinding feature, available on Android and iOS. Built using Google Maps APIs, the feature includes a detailed view of the course with routing instructions that account for walking paths and crosswalks. The map also displays information about on-course amenities and facilities. 



Source: Google LatLong