Google Maps

Google Maps is a started on 8 February 2005 service from Google Inc. that allows to look for resorts, hotels, and other objects, so you can display their location on a map or on a picture of the earth's surface ( satellite and aerial images ).

Description

The user can choose between a pure map display, an aerial photo and a view that is both a map and the aerial image. Navigation elements and a zoom function that allow to move without keyword on the card and image. For some regions, particularly for large cities, while a resolution is reached, at which, for example, single people or details of cars are visible. For many other regions only satellite images of medium resolution are, to which, for example blocks, but not a single building can be seen. Polar regions from 85.05113 ° latitude are not available.

In April 2006, high resolution satellite images provided by Google for the most part of Germany. Shortly thereafter, the German Web service went into operation. This was until September 2007 in Beta phase. The high resolution image stock has since been supplemented at intervals of about two months to more places, since the end of December 2007, however. Only at intervals of four months

Google Maps offers a route planner for many countries. For certain countries, for example Switzerland, also can be served with public transport indicated and planned. Since 2008, real-time traffic information are integrated for some countries, 2011, this service has been enabled for DA -CH and other European countries.

In the pictures you can find copyright notices in the form of digital watermarks. The first existing option of satellite images to print directly, was removed on 21 July 2006. When you click the Print button since the underlying overview map is displayed on the many areas no details will appear in a new window. As of any Internet presence, the data can, however, still print using various methods, for example by screenshots.

Since April 2007, Google has personalized the Maps service. Cards can now save and share, and own overlays can be easily created. The " My Location " determined my location. The service is offered for both vehicles (see below) as well as for PC, but is limited depending on the country and used equipment available. Use the Google Business Center to change their business listings and geo-referenced to edit their display on Google Maps business.

Google Maps display at regional searches: Whenever the input field with Google to search for an industry or a search term and a regional component - this can be a postcode, a district, a city, region or state, be -, the probability is relatively high, that regional hit by Google maps, in addition to the organic search that appears to the hits. Here, the difference between the results in organic search and Google maps is that companies will be listed on Google Maps and in organic search websites. A listing on Google Maps is therefore possible even without your own website.

At the Google I / O 2013 developers announced a completely revamped user interface for Google Maps. This uses widgets and has a full screen mode as well as an improved route guidance. With this, users can compare different means of transport (car, foot, bike, train or plane ) visually to select, for example, the variant with the least Umstiegen. If users are logged in to Google , cards are personalized and frequently visited or highlighted recommended shops of friends.

Google Maps and Google Earth

The software Google Earth and the Google Maps web service based on nearly identical records, the software (as of June 2008) in some areas offers a higher resolution and also the transport network in Europe ( vector data ) is also displayed.

With the software Google Earth Google offers enhanced functionality for exploring the data from Google Maps. Emphasis is placed primarily on the three-dimensional view of the Earth value, which is not completely possible on Google Maps. A pure map display, such as Google Maps, is not possible with Google Earth. Since version 4.1, Google Earth has a feature with which you can display the viewed area in Google Maps. Google Earth for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux as well as mobile app for Android and iOS (3.0 and later ) offered free of charge. The raster data based on satellite images of different "generations". At the highest zoom level very different qualities are recognizable. Especially the rural areas that do not belong to the " Western world " are usually resolved very rough.

Since 27 April 2010, a Google Earth feature is built into Google Maps. The display is in the browser, it however the Google Earth Plug - in is required, which is not available for Opera browser, or Linux. The user can flip the images, turn and he can dive in the water. See also: Google Earth ( section Web version ).

Subfunctions

Google Map Maker

Since the year 2008, there is a service called Map Maker, which allows the maps from Google Maps can be edited by users. For example, outlines of buildings or additional roads can be identified. After the offer was first launched in the U.S., it is for spring 2013 available in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Street View

Google Street View is a first time in 2007 introduced additional service to Google's map service "Google Maps" and the Geoprogramm "Google Earth". It presents views in 360 ° panoramic images from street perspective.

Indoor Maps

Since 2011, equips its Google Maps service with information on building, so you can navigate in these. Once the zoom level of a building reaches a certain threshold value, automatically displays a view of all the corridors and rooms. Currently, the Google Maps Indoor is available only usable on the Android operating system and only in selected countries. Germany has been one in December 2012 to the start of the German Museum in Munich was available among others.

Google Transit

Google Transit arose from the possibility of the staff of Google, to use 20 percent of their time on their own projects and has been adopted by the company. It was developed by Avichal Garg and Chris Harrelson. This business of public transport can make data on itineraries and prices in a standardized type available. These data will be integrated into Google Maps, and can be used for route planning.

In 2007, the service from Google Labs has been added to Google Maps and therefore an official part of the program. Since September 2012, the timetables of Deutsche Bahn are integrated into Google Transit, in November of the same year followed the schedules of the transport of Münster and Munich.

External integration

Google offers a programming interface, with which you can integrate Google Maps into its own pages. The API provides many ways to configure the card on your side, for example, a zoom bar appear or it can be placed markers on the map. To include up to version 2, a key was needed, the authorized their own websites to make requests to the Google Maps server. It may be obtained free of charge by Google. With the current API version 3, eliminating the need for a key.

Google provides for any cards on the side of Google Maps directly einbindbaren HTML code. The pixel dimensions of the cards are defined in the code. In this way, larger maps than in the default view can be created with Google Maps.

Google Maps for mobile phones

The Google Maps service can also be used on mobile phones or PDAs. To use the mobile map service, appropriate to the software you have to install on the device, on many mobile devices, Google Maps comes pre-installed. There is a version based on Java, one for Pocket PC, Symbian, one for Palm OS devices and a version for Android. Either the correct version to load directly down, or side to recognize the device and offers the correct version. There is also an on-line simulation for testing.

Since October 27, 2007 Google is offering a new version with which it is possible to perform with most mobile phones without GPS position determination based on GSM radio cell data. Google calls this function and My Location Google Latitude. For this purpose, the identifiers of the neighboring radio cells are used. Partial additionally comes Wi -Fi positioning technology (WPS, Wi -Fi Positioning System of the company Skyhook Wireless ) are used, but at the moment are only the Apple iPhone, iPod touch and Android -based smartphones capable of doing, since the WPS localization of the smartphone manufacturers licensing requires. Smartphones that use WPS, in contrast to GPS in a position to determine in densely built-up areas and inside buildings its position very quickly and accurately. GSM localization is very inaccurate and unsuitable for location based services in comparison to WPS.

After Apple Google Maps no longer pre-installed (since iOS 6 ) surrendered on its systems, users reacted negatively to this change. Especially since Apple's own maps app neither the user nor uttered in the trade press on particularly positive response. Since December 13, 2012 Google Maps is available for iOS, so the maps app for iPhone and iPod touch for free download in the Apple App Store. In addition to the actual card, the program also supports Google Transit for connections to public transport and Google Street View, so that streets can be viewed directly in the app. The optics of the application deviates greatly from the look and feel of other iOS software and is very similar to Google Maps for Android. The program was however shortly after the release of the most popular iOS app in the iTunes App Store.

For some time Google is working on maps to enrich with additional information, particularly on mobile devices can be useful when using. According to the company, the company stood since 2005 in negotiations with a number of cities to use public transport data in Google Maps allowed. Since August 2012, this is at least possible in Google Maps for Android, in Germany a total of nine cities are supported.

Identify your location

The determination of its own location for the " My Location " can be done with Gears ' GeolocationAPI. Taking into account information about the received mobile networks ( cell signal strength, distance from the base station, GSM: CID, LAC, MCC, MNC ) and wireless networks (MAC address, signal strength, channel, signal - to-noise ratio, SSID ) transmitted and the position information (longitude, latitude, altitude, accuracy ) is returned. This corresponds to a combination of GSM and Wi-Fi based location tracking. This location-based services are enabled.

Other services

Boundary line information

Already in the summer of 2010, Google had given to criticism out that the courses of the state borders were not always accurately reproduced in Google Maps. In over 60 countries and regions wanted to check and adjust the boundary lines. For example, complained in February 2010, the Cambodian government that Google specifies the border with Thailand in his cards wrong. Early November 2010 evoked a Nicaraguan military commander of a serious interstate conflict with the neighboring country Costa Rica up when he occupied relying on Google Maps at the San Juan Lake with troops land. Debt may have been the supplier of the map data, the U.S. Department of State, which had moved the boundary line around 2.7 kilometers.

Disclaimers

The maps and images from Google Maps is subject according to the license terms by Google to copyright and may not be used either by individuals of firms if the license agreements of Google are not exactly maintained. For example, should an individual who uses a picture or a section of Google Maps or Google Earth, the Google logo left in this image, so as not to violate the license agreement. In addition, in most cases require a license.

The use of Google Maps in the commercial setting is basically just about the Google Maps API allowed, dedicated to our Terms and Conditions. Copyright notices, trademarks or other proprietary information may not be removed from the maps.

Other card services

German-speaking Europe Digital watermarking Google I/O Widget engine Automobile Android (operating system) Deutsches Museum Mobile phone tracking Wikimapia Reuters
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