The imagery isn’t available yet for the public eye, but Google gave is a sneak peek at what we’re in for. The company posted a few photos of Googlers walking around with “Trekker” backpacks that include a big Street View panorama camera attached to it that extends up from the backpack itself. Apparently they weigh around 40 pounds, so we commend those who were tough enough to carry them around all day.

If you’re not familiar with the Galapagos Islands, they were made famous by Charles Darwin, who’s theory of evolution was thought up thanks to the help of studying various animal species on the islands. The set of islands are located well off the west coast of northern South America and southern Latin America.

Google says that not only will these images be cool to look at, but they will also act as an “important visual record” for the CDF and GNPD to use in order to “study and protect the islands by showing the world how these delicate environments have changed over time.” The Galapagos Islands are constantly under threat by invasive species, climate change, and other human impacts.

It took ten days total to get all the imagery needed on the islands, and they even went underwater to capture sea life near the islands as well. Ten locations in total were captured by Google, averaging out to one location per day. Google has captured other unique locations in the past, including the Great Barrier Reef and even Antarctica.

This system was developed by Instrument to track user input and motion tracking with a custom C++ app built with openNI as well as an ASUS Xtion Pro 3D motion tracking sensor camera. As the motion tracker sees and understands the angle of the human playing the game’s torso and location of each arm, so too will their avatar on the display array move as they fall.

The 3D game content is rendered with WebGL using THREE.js, the WebGL layer being rendered with a totally transparent background. This setup allows the map layer underneath to show through, this map layer being generated by Google Maps.

What the user sees below – the earth they’re plummeting toward – is a completely live HTML Google Map instance. It’s accurate – meaning you could potentially be diving toward your house, a national landmark, or perhaps somewhere that’d be useful for real-world training.

In addition to this setup being live and ready to roll here at Google I/O 2013 as a playable demo, Instrument has created a Dive editor. With this Dive editor, an editor is able to build directly into the control node administrative console, each of these changes reflected instantly – live in the scene.

The editor user interface exists as a Google Map, the person editing it able to use draggable markers that act as game objects. With this interface, developers and savvy users will be able to utilize geocoding to center the map view on locations of their choice – anywhere Google Maps can see. Think of the possibilities!

With this new version of Google Maps on the web, users will be able to tap on lit-up locations across the map. This system allows you to search for a restaurant in your area, find that place, and where the experience would end with that in the past, you’ll just have started. Users have cards to the left, similar to Google Now with cards that bring information on the location’s address, hours, webpage, phone number, and reviews through Zagat.

This system also gives the one-button click ability to access directions from the location you’re sitting in (or wherever you’d like to start from) as well as save the location as a favorite. This system also works with five-star ratings for locations be they a place of business, a public park, or anything in-between.

Below the map you’ll find a collection of images that come from users who have contributed photos and photo spheres from their cameras or android smartphones and tablets. These results appear courtesy of Google+ where users have recently also been given the ability to post photo spheres and embed them in webpages across the web.

Multiple modes of transport will be available to users as they’d be available in Navigation, public transport, flights, automobiles, and biking included. This system also learns with the user the same way Google Now does, changing and adjusting based on past searches and your Google Now preferences.

We’ll be working with this new Google Maps system through the immediate future and answering any and all questions you, the reader, have between now and the final roll-out for the public. This system is one you can access with an invite request starting today, and users will be seeing upgrades with invites in the near future.

NOTE: We’ll be continuing our journey with Google Earth integration soon. It’s here that Google will be pushing the boundaries between the 3D and the 2D visions they’ve had separate until now: Google Maps and Google Earth will soon become one!

Search through Google Maps will show Sushi restaurants recommended by your friends. You’ll find photos through locations taken by users in Google+. Cards will be appearing similar to what’s seen in Google Now. In short, this system will bring the multi-system that is Google’s personalized experience for teach individual user in once more in the future of Google Maps.

Each user will be working with a unique map, each map based on the users interests as racked-up through their searches as well as their preferences. A map will be built using the same data as appears in Google Now.

A map will be built for “every place” as well, with unique details appearing when a location is clicked – or tapped. If a park is selected, for example, roads will be highlighted that lead the user to that location. Details added with Zagat and by the location owners, and of course by the public, will be available at a level that’s well above what’s offered today.

Google has made it clear that the future will turn the map itself into the user interface. Directions will be able to be accessed with taps on the map, not just through text searches. Multiple ways to access each location will be appearing at a tap.

This system will be rolled out to Google I/O attendees first and will be offered as a preview for the rest of the world later this week. The action will continue throughout the week through SlashGear’s Google I/O tag portal as well.

The new Google Maps includes a new search experience with the results labeled right on the map in real time, as well as Google+ integration. However, a big feature of the new Google Maps is personalization. Google wants to cater Maps towards every user, and give them the ability to create custom maps of sorts that highlight places of interest and other establishments that users frequent.

There’s a new five-star rating system in place now, so when you search for a place, it will now show you a review score out of five stars, based on reviews from friends and other users who have been there. There’s also an improved Zagat interface complete with full editorial reviews and Zagat scores.

Navigation is also getting some updates as well, with an improved view of real-time incidents, including re-routing. So when you approach a closed road or slow traffic, the app will serve a pop up and suggest that you change your route in order to get to your destination quicker.

Google also announced Google Maps for iPad, as well as an enhanced interface for Android tablets, which will be releasing at some point this summer, and will include some new features such as Explore, where it provides a self-explanatory experience for looking around a map, and even looking at indoor maps of malls and airports, just like on the smartphone and web versions.

Overall, Google announced that they’ve reached 200 countries covered thanks to their own data, as well as crowd-sourced data, with North Korea being the 200th country added on to Google Maps. Street View also reached 50 countries recently, with 5 million miles of road covered already. Furthermore, Google Maps is on over one million websites, which results in over a billion people visiting Google Maps every week.

The first location API they discussed is what they’re called Fused Location Provider, which aims at providing faster and more accurate location data, as well as low-power mode where less than 1% of the battery is used per hour, according to the search giant. After all, if battery power is a huge concern for a lot of users, this should certainly smooth things over a bit.

The second API that Google announced is called Geofencing. This lets you define certain areas around different locations in order to trigger events, something that we’ve seen before in location-based reminder apps, such as Checkmark and Apple’s own Reminders app. Google says that many users have asked for this feature, and finally they’re delivering.

The third API is called Activity Recognition, which helps to track your physical activities such as running, walking, biking, etc. The API uses data from the phone’s accelerometer and can even work without the GPS if you don’t happen to get a signal. It will also learn learn different activities to figure out when you’re walking, running, biking, and driving.

No word yet on when we’ll see these new APIs become available, but they’ll most likely release the APIs this week for developers to get started on as soon as possible. Stay tuned for more coverage of Google I/O, as the keynote has begun!

“The most comprehensive map, now built for you” Google describes the new system, with a “tailored map for every search and click you make.” There’s also a new search box, which now floats on top of the map rather than living at the top of the screen as per the current version, and which expands to accommodate other search results like ratings, reviews, and whether there is other mapping data available for a location, such as indoor floorplans.

Google has also apparently baked more of its location-based services into the core Maps view. That includes Google Earth – which, in WebGL-compliant browsers, is directly integrated so can be viewed without needing to install a plugin first – and Flight Search.

As for navigation directions, the new Google Maps will now show all different methods of transportation on the same map simultaneously. That means the driving route will be shown alongside any public transportation options, such as trains or subways, and presumably – for shorter journeys – the route to take on-foot if you’re up for the exercise.

So far so UI refresh, but it’s the ability of the maps to tailor themselves to individual users’ that could be the most interesting part of the reworked version. “As you search the map, star places you like and leave reviews,” Google explains, “the map starts to adapt and can suggest things like restaurants you might enjoy or the quickest way home.”

Whether Google intends to transfer those features over to the mobile version of Google Maps is unstated, though given Android has its own predictive assistant technology in the shape of Google Now, we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see this learning system start pinging out more proactive suggestion cards in the near future.

Google is almost certain to announce and fully detail the new Google Maps at I/O, which kicks off in San Francisco later today.

The project was created in HTML5, and it’s a result of the efforts between Google partnerships with the US Geological Survey (USGS), NASA, and Time Magazine. The satellite images collected over the years are from Landsat, which is the longest-running satellite program ever when it comes to snapping photos of the Earth, with over two million images taken so far.

Of course, not every image was used. Google actually had to sift through those couple millions of images to find the best ones (909 TB of data to be exact). After that, they created a huge image of the Earth (one for each year), which rings in at 1.78 TB per image. With 28 years, that’s a total of 49.84 TB of imagery in this project.

Google was kind enough to offer up some animated GIFs ready to view right away of various hot spots on Earth, including Dubai, Las Vegas, and the Columbia glacier retreat. And yes, Timelapse will allow you to visit your hometown to see what it looked like from the sky back in 1984. It’s certainly surprising to see how much the Earth has changed over the last 28 years.

The updated user interface will eschew the traditional sidebar for a series of boxes above the map, which will fill the entire screen after the update if the screenshots are to be believed. The interface is called “more immersive,” and suggests that those on mobile devices will find that it works better than the interface that is currently in place. The moved sidebar won’t be the only change users see, however.

According to the preview, the current interface is one that is focused on the navigational components of Maps, such as the sidebars and buttons and sliders. That design theory will change with the update, with the new redesigned interface instead featuring a focus on the map itself with the various elements building on top of it rather than taking up its valuable space.

Along with the design’s change in focus will be some visual changes, which includes updates to the service’s icons, text styles, and the colors of the map itself. When can users expect to see these changes in place? A date isn’t provided, but it is worth mentioning the I/O event is coming up, and we may very well see it rolling out then.

[via Google Operating System]

Google launched Street View in 2007 in five cities in the US, but the service has spread to 50 countries, Hungary and Lesotho being to the two most-recent additions. The search giant also announced that they have expanded Street View coverage in Poland and Romania, as well as “other locations around the world.”

Google says that today’s update is also the “largest single update of Street View imagery” that the company has ever pushed out, and it includes both new and updated imagery for “nearly 350,000 miles of roads across 14 countries.” Existing Street View coverage in France, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, and Thailand all received updates.

We’re guessing that Google isn’t stopping here, and we can expect more Street View updates to come in the future. Thanks to several new Street View additions, like the Street View Trike and the Trekker backpack, you can expect to explore off-road locations from the comfort of your own computer very soon.

Google provided an informational video that goes in-depth with its prank. It says that the Google Maps Street View Team discovered the treasures maps of William “Captain” Kid on September 16th, 2012, while they were on an expedition in Madagascar. There are several locations, like San Francisco’s Treasure Island, or San Jose State University, that have the “X” symbol marking treasure spots.

In the video, Google shows that there are many ways to decrypt the codes on Google Maps. Some symbols are revealed with sunlight and others when you align your mobile device with other mobile devices. There are more dangerous ways to decrypt symbols, such as holding your mobile device or laptop over an open fire, or skydiving in order to align your device with the landscape. Of course, Google is courteous (and pre-cautious) and has labeled some of these methods with “Don’t not attempt at home”.

All in all, it’s a well-executed and in-depth April Fool’s Day prank, expected from a company like Google. Throughout today and tomorrow, we should see some more awesomely thought-out pranks, so keep a lookout for them. If you haven’t already, check out YouTube’s April Fool’s Day prank, where they say that YouTube was actually an 8-year long contest where the winner is awarded an MP3 player and a $500 stipend.

In a guest post on Google’s Lat-Long blog, Namie-machi’s mayor Tamotsu Baba detailed the state of things since the earthquake happened, and said that many former residents of the small city have asked to see how things sit today. By partnering with Google, they were able to satisfy these requests by driving Street View vehicles through the ruined city, capturing images of the state of things in the present time.

That imagery can now be viewed by anyone via Google Maps, or on the Miraikioku.com Memories of the Future website, which also has a comparison tool showing before and after maps images of the damage. Scanning through the Street View imagery is a sobering activity. Buildings still lie in ruins, collapsed or in a state of collapse. Piles of rubble lie where homes once sat.

Said Mr. Baba, “Ever since the March disaster, the rest of the world has been moving forward, and many places in Japan have started recovering. But in Namie-machi time stands still. With the lingering nuclear hazard, we have only been able to do cursory work for two whole years. We would greatly appreciate it if you viewed this Street View imagery to understand the current state of Namie-machi and the tremendous gravity of the situation.”

[via Google Latlong]

The tool is intended for non-business users, and allows anyone to create their own map, supporting data upload via spreadsheets. Once the data is added, the map can be individualized with drawing and style options, and a maximum of three data sets can be added for comparison. Those who have utilized “My Maps” will also be able to import their existing creations into the beta tool, with My Maps being incorporated into Engine Lite at an unspecified future date.

Google’s Map Engine Lite has already been used to create quite a few maps by various organizations and businesses, such as MAPA Project to track where sharks have been spotted along the South African coastline. Another example is one created by Google’s Product Manager Beth Liebert, who’s map details trail heads for various hiking paths in San Francisco’s Bay Area.

For the time being, Google Maps Engine Lite is in beta mode, so expect to come across a bug or two while playing with it. Likewise, the service is presently only being offered in English, with no mention given about future support for other languages, although we presume that is the case. You can check the map engine out here yourself.

[via Google Maps Blog]

Public transit users will be able to check live departure times for seven subway lines in New York City, as well as buses and trams in Salt Lake City in the great state of Utah. In Washington DC, Metro riders will now be able to receive service alerts that include delays, construction work, and any other situations that could make you late for work.

Google is making more and more strides with its mass transit features, while Apple’s own map solution doesn’t seem to be wanting to go anywhere when it comes to public transportation. In any case, Google says that mass transit information is available in approximately 800 cities around the world, including more than 25 countries.

Google says their mass transit coverage covers around 100 million miles of public transit trips every day — that’s a lot of subways, busses, and trams to keep track of. With New York City having the busiest subway system in the US, it’s actually about time that Google brought its live transit feature to the Big Apple.

As the Google team notes, the highest altitude they reached through this particular trip was 18,192 feet. This trip’s highest altitude is higher than anywhere in the contiguous USA, and in the journal fragments posted this week, Google’s own People Programs Manager Sara Pelosi lets us know that there’s really nothing like it! The closest most will get is, again, in the Google Maps Street View entry this crew has made special for this momentous journey.

See Google’s [World's Highest Peaks] collection righ tthis minute and see some of the finest locations you might never visit!

“Day 4: The morning was a pretty easy walk, mostly traversing the mountain ridges. After we stopped for tea there was a long climb, “up up up” according to our guide, all on switchbacks. We stopped in Tengboche for lunch, then photographed the monastery with the fisheye lens. Amazing place. The monks watched us closely as we walked around. I don’t know if they were more interested in the Americans or the photography. We continued on to Pangboche where we stayed for the night. When we got to Pangboche we saw a patch of blue sky and a rainbow. I’m still optimistic that we’ll see at least a glimpse of the peak of Everest. Our guide says, “can be”, which we’ve learned is the answer to every question. We’re not even quite to 13,000 ft here. A long way left to go up.” – Trip Notes from Google

There are several ways in which Google is able to take the photos you see in Street View through Google Maps on your desktop or mobile device. One of the ways you can capture a similar “globe-like” photo is with Google’s own Photo Sphere for Android Jelly Bean version 4.2 and higher. If you’re using a Windows Phone or iOS device, you’ll want to have a peek at Photosynth.

Have a peek at the timeline below for additional insights and news blasts from the Google Maps Street View universe – and go exploring today from the comfort of your own home!

According to the Wall Street Journal, an unnamed source said that Google’s maps division will now be a part of Google’s search unit, while commerce will join the company’s advertising division. Huber will be stepping down for his current and will join Google X, the division that’s responsible for Google Glass and the company’s self-driving car technology.

There are not a lot of details at the moment, but it’s said that the change was announced internally yesterday around the same time that it was announced that Andy Rubin would be leaving Android. Google has declined to comment on the situation, but if it turns out to be true, we should be seeing an official announcement sometime soon.

This report comes just days after long-time Android chief Andy Rubin stepped down from the division in order to take on a separate role. Android’s new chief will be Sundar Pichai, who is the current head of Chrome OS and the Chrome web browser, which means we could see a merging of the new platforms at some point.

[via Wall Street Journal]

The privacy case at hand has 38 states across the USA and the District of Columbia saying Google’s “Wifi-poaching” Street View cars – which we’ve heard from many times before – are going out of their way NOT to keep to themselves. As these cars roam through your neighborhood, they take photos that are used for Google’s Street View portion of Google Maps – accessible by anyone with an internet connection. The part that regulators are not happy about has to do with Google also seeking open wifi networks to better pinpoint the location of their vehicles as they take said photos.

But as the settlement against Google here in the USA shines down a $7 million dollar fine against the big G, so too did the public raise their voices in freak-out mode to Google, telling them to “stop all the downloadin”.

Only that didn’t happen. There was no massive public outcry, nor was there a large call for citizens across the USA – or anywhere else, for that matter – to take better care to secure their own wireless network. That’s why this week’s directive has Google creating a consumer campaign to educate everyday users on how they might secure themselves against… well… Google.

Sound like a life-changing experience for you? Will a set of Google Public Service Announcements change the way you secure your home internet network? Or is this just an exercise in absurdity?

Have a peek at the timeline below to follow this Street View story back several months (and years) and see how we’re all handling this modern not-quite-so-private world of ours.

The settlement requires Google to pay $7 million split across the 37 states and the District of Columbia. Google is also required to delete the personal data it has collected and start a new employee training program. The training program will educate its employees about the importance of consumer privacy and how to protect their personal information. The program will stay in effect for at least the next 10 years.

Google stated that it is very adamant at getting privacy right, but “in this case we didn’t, which is why we quickly tightened up our systems to address the issue.” Google has assured everyone that it didn’t use the data or look at it. Alongside the new training program, Google will also start a national ad campaign that will educate consumers on how to better protect their private information in order to prevent incidents like this from ever happening again.

Eric Schneiderman, the New York State Attorney General, made a statement saying that this settlement “addresses privacy issues and protects the rights of people whose information was collected without their permission.” This Street View debacle should be a lesson to all consumers to always protect their information by using an encrypted WiFi network. Apple knows very well about the consequences of unsecured wireless networks.

[via CNET]

Google is said to be nearing a $7 million settlement in order to resolve the issue and the investigations surrounding it. Over 30 State Attorney Generals initiated investigations over the issue. The $7 million settlement would be split across those states. A Google’s spokesperson, Nadia Blagojevic, stated,

“We work hard to get privacy right at Google. But in this case we didn’t, which is why we quickly tightened up our systems to address the issue.”

This issue has affected many countries, including France, Norway, Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and Australia, and Ireland. The data was collected from unencrypted Wi-Fi networks. Alongside the $7 million payment Google may have to pay, the FCC had also imposed a $25,000 fine on the company regarding the Street View privacy breaches, a fine that only amounted to .001 percent of company’s revenue for a single day.

Google’s Street View cars are only supposed to collect images to be used for Google Maps, but due to an engineering issue, the cars collected a lot more information. Google intended to delete all of the private data in 2010, but some of the information still lingered in its system. Various privacy agencies all over the world began reviewing Google’s data in order to find out the appropriate fine the search-engine juggernaut would have to pay. Now Google has to wait to see if the agencies accept its $7 million settlement. We’ll keep you posted.

[via Washington Post]

According to FOSS Patents, Google is on the losing end of this patent war, and the ramifications of such a loss could be large for the Internet giant. The Microsoft patent in dispute is said to be of a “computer system for identifying local resources and method therefor.” Google directly uses the patent, and Microsoft is trying to get an injunction against Maps because of it.

Although Google has fought against such an ending, reports state that Judge Dr. Matthias Zigann has told Google the Munich I Regional Court is – as of right now, at least – leaning towards siding with Microsoft, ruling Google as liable for infringement. If it happens, the injunction will be against Google Maps service, including the Android app and Chrome browser.

Google would be forced to block German users from accessing Google Maps, would have to pull its Maps Android app from the nation, and would have to block access to Maps in Chrome or stop distributing it altogether. This fiasco will likely be avoided, however, with Google possibly paying a licensing fee or some other settlement that absolves the issue.

[via Android Community]

What’s perhaps the best part about the new Google Contacts feature is that Google Maps will import your contacts’ addresses from your Google account, so there’s no need to keep the addresses stored on your iPhone. However, you will have to be signed into Google when using Google Maps in order for that particular feature to work.

The improved local search options include a section called “Nearby Places” where you can browse and discover new places that are near you. Categories consist of restaurants, bars, hotels, post offices, gas stations, and more. It can certainly be helpful in your hometown, but it can be an asset if you’re roaming around in unfamiliar territory.

Google Maps made its return to iOS back in December by releasing a completely native app. This came after Apple ditched Google Maps in favor of their own mapping solution when they released iOS 6 back in September. YouTube was also ditched, but Google quickly released their own YouTube app to make up for the loss.

Google is calling the experience a “VIP” 360-degree look at the stadium from numerous angles. Google’s tour takes you onto the field, into the stands, and even into the locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium. NFL fans of all kinds can experience what an NFL stadium is like, including all of the VIP suites that most of us never get to step into on game day.

Google says that this is just the beginning, and they plan to add even more 360-degree imagery from other stadiums as well. In the meantime, however, this will give you a chance to tour the Colts’ home field and get a sense of what it’s like to be there. Personally, I’ve been to Lucas Oil Stadium several times, but getting a look inside the locker room and the special VIP suites was really cool.

Lucas Oil Stadium is one of the newer NFL stadiums in the US. It was built in 2008 and was even home to last year’s Super Bowl XLVI. The stadium can seat just over 62,000 spectators, but can fit even more people during other events, such as the 2010 NCAA men’s basketball Final Four, where well over 70,000 spectators packed the stadium.

The Mapathon 2013 contest starts on February 12, and will end on March 25. Those who fall within the top 1000 mappers within the country will be eligible for the prizes. Registration is open now, and all users who want to take part must register. Once registered, users can head over to the Map Maker to start mapping locations they’re familiar with.

Map Maker is simple and straight forward to use, with a drop-down menu that allows one to choose between places, roads/rivers/railways, natural figures/political boundaries, and a tool for drawing outlines of structures. In addition, users can also edit existing places, structures, boundaries, and other markings made by other users who didn’t get it quite right.

Additions will then be verified, and as long as no changes need made, will be approved and made live for all to see. It’s only fitting that the tool is used in Google’s first-ever India mapping contest, since Map Maker itself was first thought up in India. Since then, the tool has been rolled out globally for anyone to help improve Maps.

[via Google India Blogspot]

The images cover over 75 miles of trail all around the Grand Canyon, including this scenic route, and now you can hike the trails yourself without even getting up from your desk. Of course, the experience won’t be as fulfilling as actually being there, but at least you can see for yourself through images what you’re missing out on.

Google used specially-designed “Trekker” backpacks that are Android-powered essentially include 15 camera lenses that capture 360 degrees of landscape at once. The backpacks weigh about 40 pounds, so if you can imagine walking around with that thing under the hot sun of the American southwest, then you probably have a good idea of what it was like for the Google employees.

Google didn’t say what they’ll do next with the Trekker backpacks, but I’m sure we’ll be seeing more stunning landmark Street View imagery in the future, including other trails and areas around the world where the Trekker could only do the job. On a related note, the company added more info and imagery to some of the “world wonders“, so if you get bored with the Grand Canyon, hop on over there to explore even more.

As the comparison photos of Pyongyang above show, the new data being added is considerable. Where previously there was little beyond the river system, now there are highways, district information, and green spaces all marked on the crowd-sourced map.

Nonetheless, there’s still plenty of work to be done, something Google is the first to concede. “We know this map is not perfect” Jayanth Mysore, senior product manager for Google Map Maker says of the updated information. “One of the exciting things about maps is that the world is a constantly changing place.”

Mysore argues that keeping the North Korean maps updated is about more than just Google’s hunger for data, or catering to public fascination with the country. Many citizens in South Korea have “ancestral connections or still have family living there,” for instance.

Future approved changes to the North Korean mapping in Google Map Maker will also be rolled out to Google Maps. Google’s efforts in the country have been in the headlines earlier this month, too, after chairman Eric Schmidt travelled there to discuss the importance of internet openness.

YouTube showed some pretty impressive growth in the final months of 2012, climbing from 20% market share when it was released in September to 44.5% by the end of December. It isn’t much of a surprise that YouTube has become so popular on iOS, considering that it’s far and away the most popular video streaming site on the Internet. If YouTube’s growth is impressive, that makes the rise of Google Maps astounding, as the app launched to 5.7% market share in mid-December and managed to reach market share that was just under 30% by the end of the month.

Though Google Search was holding pretty steady over the last half of 2012, Onavo’s graph shows a significant uptick in the app’s market share in the lead up to its October 30 voice update, rising from 14% to 16%. Gmail spent most of the second half in the single digits, but after the launch of Gmail 2.0 on December 4, we see the service begin to climb toward 10% market share. Google Drive was another iOS app to benefit from updates, as it only had a US market share 0.8% in July. That rose to 3.6% by the time December was over, and the fact that Google added all new features to the app on November 28 probably helped with that.

Google Chrome also has an update to thank for a rise in market share, as it was actually suffering a bit of a decline before a November update hit. In October, Chrome’s market share was down to around 7%, but thanks to that update, it has come up to 9.5%. That isn’t bad at all, so it seems that Google has a handful of attractive iOS apps on its hands as we head into 2013. If you’ve got a few minutes on your hands, be sure to check out Onavo’s full report on the state of Google’s iOS apps in the US.

Of course when you measure Google’s success in apps across the board, they’re still doing extremely well for themselves. Have a peek at the top US Mobile Apps as ranked by comScore according to unique visitors (again, from polls of 18+ year old citizens on both iOS and Android) and you’ll find that in December of 2012, Facebook still has the lead. It’s Google though that holds every position from number 2 to number 6, YouTube and Gmail as well as Google Maps, Play, and Search included.

This set of polls also includes comScore’s monitoring of time spent on Google and Facebook apps specifically, this accounting for Instagram (owned by Facebook) and YouTube (owned by Google) as well as Facebook, Google Maps, Gmail, and the rest. You’ll find that the largest piece of the pie goes to “Other Apps” for those polled that don’t actually find themselves on Facebook or Google apps all that much. After that though, It’s all about Facebook taking the number one spot with 23% of the time users spend on their smart devices.

It’s a tie between several other apps after that, with 3% of users’ time being spent on Instagram, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps. An ever-so-slightly smaller amount of time is spent (2%) on Google Play, Google Search and “all other Google apps” get another 1% of the pie each, then it’s that massive hunk for everything else in the universe. If there’s one thing this set of charts shows us, it’s that comScore wants to make it clear that both Facebook and Google are here to stay – in the mobile universe at least!

[via comScore]

According to News.co.au, Google provided the website with images offering proof that it did not run over the donkey, although the website was not given permission to make those images public. What really happened, according to Google, is that the Street View car came upon the donkey, which was already laying in the road. As it neared, the donkey got up and walked away.

You can see this for yourself here. By zooming away from the donkey, one frame shows it standing on the side of the road as the vehicle passes by. The images visible on Google Maps are said to be in sequential order, and to have been taken with the camera on the front of its car. Still, some are expressing doubt over Google’s official explanation.

As noted by News.co.au, the donkey moves a considerable distance from the frame of it on the ground to the frame of it standing. Likewise, when you move through the frames away from the fallen donkey, it shows the animal still thrashing about in the road as the vehicle drives off into the distance (or nears it, according to Google’s explanation), something one wouldn’t expect from a donkey just chilling in the road.

[via News.co.au]

News of the Maps redirect surfaced shortly after the FTC’s long probe into the company’s alleged harmful practices came to an end with Google receiving a mere wrist slapping. Speculation abounded that this was a move on Google’s part to harm its competition, something fueled by the recent claim by Microsoft‘s Vice President David Heiner that Google is deliberately harming Windows Phone. Another issue fueling speculation was that users could still access Maps via maps.google.co.uk.

Google says that the redirect was only a product decision, not a malicious attempt on its end to backhand its competition. The company then went on to state that Google Maps was designed for WebKit and that because Internet Explorer mobile used a different rendering engine, it could not access Maps. Many pointed out that the explanation didn’t make complete sense, given that the desktop version of IE 10 can access Maps fine. Google then went on to clarify, offering this statement to The Next Web:

“We periodically test Google Maps compatibility with mobile browsers to make sure we deliver the best experience for those users. In our last test, IE mobile still did not offer a good maps experience with no ability to pan or zoom and perform basic map functionality. As a result, we chose to continue to redirect IE mobile users to Google.com where they could at least make local searches. The Firefox mobile browser did offer a somewhat better user experience and that’s why there is no redirect for those users.”

[via TNW]

It doesn’t matter if users have the handset in desktop mode, the same redirect is in place. For now at least, Windows Phone users can still access maps by going to “maps.google.co.uk”, however, presumabely due to the scrutiny that Google is under in Europe. The block is in effect for both Windows Phone 7.5 and 8.

This comes after claims by Microsoft’s Vice President Dave Heiner who, on Wednesday, stated in a blog post that “just last month we [at Microsoft] learned from YouTube that senior executives at Google told them not to enable a first-class YouTube experience on Windows Phones.” The piece goes on to state that Google is deliberately taking steps to harm its competition while expressing disapproval with the FTC’s lax response.

The FTC’s antitrust investigations was wrapped up after months with a promise on Google’s part to change some of its ways. As it seems, some of those changed ways include blocking its competitor’s customers from accessing its online mapping service. Do you have a Windows Phone? Let us know in the comments if you can access Maps.

Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics platform currently offers a variety of features that make driving more convenient and information-packed, but the addition of the Google Maps and Places API should make the experience even more feature-filled. One of the coolest features is Send to Car, where users can look up a map on their computers, and then send it to their car’s navigation system.

Users can also voice search for a point of interest, as well as any other local search from the system. This will no doubt be a huge convenience for travelers, who now won’t have to fiddle with buttons on the navigation system, and simply just speak out directions or search for locations using just their voice.

Hyundai will demo the new technology and the Google Maps integration at CES next week. We’re guessing Hyundai will start implementing the new technology in 2014 models, but the company hasn’t yet announced what cars will receive the integration.

Google’s Maps and Places APIs will power systems included in Kia’s new 2014 Sorento CUV models, which will provide Kia owners with turn-by-turn directions and also assisting with the location of nearby points-of-interest with Google Places. Kia also developed its own UVO smartphone app that will connect to the Sorrento’s telematic system, beaming over mapping data from the handset directly to the car.

Kia’s UVO also provides hands-free phone connectivity, options to connect USB devices and media players, as well as a number of maintenance and infotainment functions, which includes roadside assistance and maintenance services. The 2014 Sorrento is planned to go on sale in Q1 2013.

Tech companies have become more and more involved with the auto industry throughout the past year. Nokia partnered with BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Hyundai to push its Navteq mapping platform to vehicles and provide location and commerce content to their in-car systems. Even Apple got in on the fun and partnered with several car makers to bring Siri functionality to their new models, with GM becoming the first company to integrate it into its new Chevrolet vehicles.

Google Drive

Google Docs, the company’s own cloud-based office suite, was pretty rad, but they completely overhauled the service by renaming it Google Drive and turning it into a full-fledged cloud storage solution. They made it even better by introducing an iOS app that now features full editing capabilities, as well as the ability to make changes offline. It makes the service not only a top-notch cloud-based office suite, but also an awesome cloud storage service that’s capable of taking on Dropbox, SugarSync, and the rest of the cloud-storage gang.

Google Chrome

Chrome is an awesome browser for the desktop, but the company replicated the app and brought it to iOS over the summer. It includes most of the same great features as the desktop version, including the omnibar that allows for instant searches, pre-fetched pages, and swipe gestures to manage and close tabs. You can also sync bookmarks, history, open tabs, and even saved passwords for web pages across devices that also have Chrome running. Essentially, it’s a feature-packed app, and it’s even better when you already use Chrome on your desktop. Read our full review to learn more.

Clear

To-do list apps are a dime a dozen nowadays, with a only few that really stand out. Clear is just one of them. It has an insanely minimalist interface, and while there’s not much to look at (other than a to-do list), swipe, pull and pinch gestures are what make the app really shine. Tasks are arranged on top of one another and the more important task are toward the top in red, while low-priority tasks are given a cooler color the further down they are. There’s no buttons whatsoever — everything is done through gestures, and tasks are limited to 30 characters, forcing you to make your lists straightforward and to the point. Check out our full review of Clear to learn more about it.

iPhoto

If you use OS X, you most likely take advantage of iPhoto to organize and manage your photo collection. For iOS, though, there was really no good app that had the capabilities of iPhoto on the Mac — the built-in Photos app was the next best thing. However, Apple finally released iPhoto for iOS earlier in the year, and it allows you to browse, edit, and share photos on your mobile device, all from a good-looking and intuitive interface. There’s also a lot of quality effects and features that you can take advantage of right in the app, including adding captions for photo journals, adding vignettes, and use a variety of “brushes” to repair or adjust photos. Read our full review of the app to learn more.

Google Maps

If there was one app that felt like it was saving us from a sinking ship, it was Google Maps for iPhone. Many iOS 6 users who loathed Apple’s own maps offering looked to Google for a ring buoy to grab onto. Luckily the company delivered in only a few short months after the release of iOS 6, and while we didn’t have anything to complain about with either apps in our comparison, you can’t go wrong with Google’s extensive database and super-detailed maps. Check out our full review of Google Maps for iPhone to learn more.

Fantastical

Fantastical is probably one of the best calendar apps you can get for your Mac, and it just recently released on the iPhone. The mobile version is just as solid as the OS X version, and it features an intuitive interface, as well as incredibly fast natural language input. The app’s interface relies mostly on swipes. It starts off by giving you the day’s events, and swiping to the right will advance the calendar one day, while swiping down will give you a quick glance at the full month. Swiping down again will result in going back to the day view. And of course, it integrates with all sorts of different calendar services, like Google Calendar, iCal, and even Facebook.

YouTube

Just like with Google Maps, Apple ousted its built-in YouTube app in iOS 6. However, that didn’t stop Google from releasing a native YouTube app that turned out to be even better than Apple’s previous built-in offering. This time around, the app comes with voice search and a redesigned user interface that makes navigation way easier, as well as a slide-out sidebar that provides quick access to settings and playlists. Avid viral-video viewers can finally watch Gangnam Style just one more time while on the go.

Checkmark

There’s certainly nothing wrong with iOS’s default Reminders app, but why settle when you can get so much more? Checkmark offers location-based reminders that are far more easier to set up than Apple’s offering. In just three taps, you can create reminders that notify you when you get home, arrive at work, or pass by the grocery store. And just for good measure, Checkmark also includes normal reminders that will alert you of important tasks at a specified time.

Spotify for iPad

One of the best music-streaming services arrived on the iPad earlier this year, and it came with an interface that we fell in love with immediately. Spotify for iPad is only available to Premium subscribers, but users will certainly get their money’s worth. The app sports a “Now Playing” screen with huge cover art, and also features gapless playback and crossfading abilities. It also allows you to search for songs and playlists right from the main screen without having to tab around or even stop a song that’s currently playing. Check out our full review of the app to learn more.

Tweetbot for iPad

As with iOS 6’s Reminders app, the official Twitter app isn’t horrible, but Tweetbot offers a few more features and greatly takes advantage of swipe gestures. Essentially, Tweetbot does what any other Twitter client can do, but it does it extremely well. The apps includes quick access to all of your essential feeds, like replies, mentions, and favorites, and it offers quick customization options. However, one of the most-used features that users will enjoy is the ability to tap on a tweet and instantly have a selection of actions to choose from. Check out our review of Tweetbot for iPad to learn more about it.

Previously these interior shots of businesses could be challenging to find because they were only available inside Google Maps. This week those images begin to get integrated right into the Google search results pages highlighting them on business listings that are displayed on the right sidebar next to the regular search results. If the users want to see what the restaurant or business looks like on the inside, all they have to do is click on the “See inside” thumbnail.

The only downside to clicking these results for the user is that it takes the user to a new page requiring them to hit the back arrow to get back to the search results. Google is reportedly making this indoor imagery option available to businesses that work with pupils trusted photographers within the United States, Australia, New Zealand, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada, and UK.

Business users who don’t work with a Google trusted photographer can upload their own interior shots of the restaurants or businesses. However, there is no way for a business owner to upload the same sort of walk through experience that trusted photographers working with Google can provide. I think this is an interesting move for Google and something that people looking for a new restaurant to enjoy should appreciate.

[via TechCrunch]

The data from MoPub, which supports 12,000 apps and monitors one billion ad impressions every day, does conflict with another report from mobile ad network Chitika, which saw just a 0.2% increase in iOS 6 users within the first 36 hours of Google Maps becoming available. However, MoPub seems to include a wider set of data than Chitika and which was taken over a longer period of time.

Furthermore, a lot of users might have been waiting until the weekend to update to iOS 6, since MoPub’s inclusion of weekend data seems to have contributed significantly to the increase in adoption, which makes sense, due to users having more free time over the weekend to conduct a major update on their smartphone.

This is a big win for both Google and Apple, as it shows that a lot of iPhone users downloaded Google Maps, and tons more users updated to iOS 6 at the same time, which Apple naturally wants in the long run, since they want as many users as possible on its latest operating system. With Google’s mapping solution now taking some of the pressure off, it seems a lot of iOS users are upgrading to iOS 6 with little regrets.

[via TechCrunch]

Just a few hours after the launch of Google Maps on iOS, the app sprung to number one in the iTunes App Store, and so far it’s still on top. The app released on December 12 to millions of awaiting iOS 6 users after the Apple Maps fiasco left a lot of iPhone 5 and iOS 6 users upset with Apple’s new maps service.

Huber says that the team is “excited for the positive reception of Google Maps for iPhone around the world. Congratulations to the Maps Team on the recognition for the passion and hard work they poured into it, for this release and over the last 7+ years.” The app already has over 20,000 ratings in the App Store with an overall rating of 4.5 stars out of five.

Huber also mentions the “shake to feedback” feature of the Google Maps app, something that Google uses internally to report bugs. All you have to do is give your phone a shake while the app is open (something you’ll be doing anyway out of frustration) to submit mapping data feedback and to report bugs.

For jailbreakers, there’s a simple tweak called “MapsOpener” that you can download from the Cydia store. It’s a free download, and once it’s installed, it’ll automatically route mapping information from other apps directly to Google Maps instead of Apple Maps. There’s no settings you have to change or anything like that — the tweak will just start working as advertised. However, it does have an issue where it won’t properly display an address from your contacts as well as Apple Maps does, but overall, the tweak is a must-have for jailbreakers looking to get away from Apple’s solution. The video below does a good job explaining how it works.

For non-jailbreakers, you aren’t completely left out of the equation. There are a couple of tweaks you can try out, and figure out which is more convenient or which one works the best for your needs. However, they don’t technically make Google Maps the default maps app on iOS, but these tweaks will integrate with Siri, making it easier to get directions on the fly.

The first non-jailbreak tweak involves simply adding “via transit” to your command in Siri (“Give me directions to the nearest Apple Store via transit.”) Siri will initially open Apple Maps, but will immediately switch to a list of “transport apps” where it will list Google Maps, and from there, you can click “route” and it will give you transit directions with Google Maps. From there, you can select car directions or walking directions from the top.

The second non-jailbreak tweak is an easy one, but it’s a little complicated to gather your head around, since it involves several workarounds. Essentially, you save a custom URL as a contact, and ask Siri to find it. When she does, she can launch it and that’ll bring up Google Maps with directions from your current location. It’s certainly not a perfect solution and it only works with addresses you already know, like your home or work address, but it can still be handy when you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and need to find your way home.

Read our full review of Google Maps for iOS, and check out our side-by-side comparison between Apple Maps and Google Maps.

Gottheil says that if, sometime down the line, if Apple believes that they have a superior app and if they have a compelling reason to do so, “they may choose not to accept Google Maps in some future manifestation.” This isn’t anything new, though, since Apple has rejected apps in the past by citing duplication of effort with the company’s own pre-installed apps.

However, Gottheil says that “Apple doesn’t want to force their users to use their Map app,” but once Apple Maps improves and there’s a lot of money at stake, don’t be surprised if you see Google’s Maps app gone from the App Store. The likelihood of this happening remains to be seen, though, but Gottheil notes that Apple shouldn’t have anything to worry about, since not all iOS users will download Google Maps, and that all iOS users will have Apple Maps anyway.

While Google Maps may be a better option than Apple Maps for some users, Google Maps doesn’t come with the benefits of being integrated into the iOS interface. Apple Maps works seamlessly with Siri, making it easy to pull up a map or get directions to a location just by spitting out the name and address. Check out our comparison of the two apps to learn more.

[via Computerworld]

The issue, according to Colac authorities, is that Google Maps sends drivers down a one-way road called Wild Dog Road that was not designed for heavy traffic. In doing so, Google Maps is creating a “significant safety issue for tourists, locals.” The road in question lies near the Great Ocean Road in Colac, which is near Melbourne in southern Australia.

A Google spokesperson offered an explanation about the issue, stating that drivers are only directed down Wild Dog Road if the destination is located on that road. If the destination is located nearby, Maps will use a route that takes drivers down either Skenes Creek Road or Forrest Apollo Road, avoiding Wild Dog Road.

If what the spokesperson says is true, this can hardly be claimed a “potentially deadly error,” considering that sending drivers down a road in order to get to a destination located on the road is necessary. If Wild Dog Road is receiving more traffic from tourists and residents than it can handle, blaming the glut on Google Maps – or any mapping service – that is legitimately navigating drivers to destinations on that road is hardly sensible.

Still, Colac’s police sergeant said this: “My concern is that one day we’re going to be at the coroners court [being asked] well what did you do about it. We’re trying to do something about it, but if a 22-seater bus rolls off Wild Dog Road today, [there wouldn't be] the multi-agency response to this issue that I would like.”

[via Yahoo]

Search

Searching for the location we’re headed to here has points going to Google for putting the Minneapolis airport (the closest airport to us at the time) up on top of the search list while Apple suggested we look through every airport in their collection, no matter the distance. If we searched “Minneapolis Airport” of course both apps brought up the correct location first. It’s extremely important that Google’s solution is location aware in this search piece of the puzzle, without a doubt.

Saying “I want to go to there”

Of course if you want to head to the Airport after you’ve searched for it, a classic Liz Lemon command should do it, right? As the iPhone works with Apple’s Maps solution with Siri, actually commanding Siri to bring us to the Airport had the correct airport on the list right up near the top of the list – tap it and you’re on your way. This is just about the simplest process in the book, and Apple certainly gets points for the simplicity factor in attaining a voice-commanded request.

Unfortunately even if we open up the official Google search app (basically the Apple equivalent of Google Now for Android) we can’t get to Google Maps directly as Siri does with Apple Maps – instead we’re directed to a site that says Google’s Mobile version of maps (in this case meaning in-browser) isn’t ready for action quite yet.

Alternate Routes

It’s possible in both the Google Maps and Apple Maps to choose alternate routes depending on where you’re going. The first display you get when heading out in a Google Maps is a list of routes listing the amount of time it’ll take, “via” the largest road, a note about traffic (heavy, light, etc), and the physical distance you’ll be traveling. With Apple Maps you get suggested routes on the birds-eye-view map with tags on them that say “Route 1″, “Route 2″, and more – when you tap on each of them, the amount of time they’ll take for you as well as the physical distance is shown in the status bar above the map.

If you tap “show traffic” while you’re viewing your alternate routes in Apple Maps, you can see red dotted lines where heavy traffic exists, but these markers are hidden under the large blue lines that are your routes – so you won’t be able to see if there’s traffic there either way. Google’s method for giving you options in your routes here gets points for transparency and ease of use.

Driving

Actually traversing your chosen route is largely the same on both platforms, believe it or not, with the big differences being in the before and after portion of this puzzle. If I, Chris Burns, had to choose which version looked more aesthetically pleasing, I’d certainly choose the flattened modern look of Google Maps over the third dimension skeuomorphisms present in Apple’s approach. Google’s visuals also offer a bit more detailed information about the turns that are coming up while Apple simplifies a bit more than is necessary at this juncture in the process.

The accuracy of each of the map ecosystems is really up to you – its your area that you’re going to be navigating, and if you’ve used one or the other and found it to be less than pleasing, we suggest giving the alternative a try.

Wrap-up

This is just one of many tests we could perform on and with these map apps. A third alternative you really should be considering is Telenav’s Scout – a rather graphically intense version of all this with controls and details precise and excellent from top to bottom – with that app you’ll be getting a whole different game, all about navigation and exploration at once.

Remember that both Apple Maps and Google Maps are free apps, with the former being installed on your iOS 6 device right out of the box and working with Siri and the latter being based on Google’s approach, integrated with your Google account. We recommend you give both for a whirl, just for kicks.