maps

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released the first-ever global topographical map of Mercury, something that was made in conjunction with Arizona State University, Carnegie Institute of Washington, Johns Hopkins University, NASA, and the Applied Physics Laboratory. The topographical map, as one would expect, includes details on things like tectonic landforms, craters, and volcanoes, and is high-res enough for those future road trips across the galaxy.

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Researchers detailed a security vulnerability affecting navigation app Waze this week, and it ignited concerns about potential privacy violations and mass surveillance. Waze has been quick to respond, saying in a lengthy statement today that it has tighten up the vulnerability, but also that concerns were overblown and you shouldn’t waste your time worrying. Among other things, the vulnerability wouldn’t have allowed anyone to find you specifically.

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This morning an APK was explored by an intrepid developer making headway into the depths of Google Maps. There it was discovered. A new Pegman. Pegman, for those of you that do not recognize the name, is the little fellow who sits at the corner of your screen or on a map, showing you where you are in the world. Pegman is yellow, tiny, and has his own funky little arrow to show direction. Today the new Pegman has been discovered, and he, too, is funky.

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This Friday, Microsoft is bringing its Windows game on. Rolling out Windows 10 Mobile for existing Lumia handsets and heralding the arrival of Microsoft Edge web browser extensions, Microsoft is pretty much trying to paint the picture of a company that listens well to user feedback. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident, according to the company, than in the updated Maps app, both for PCs and mobile, that adds new features and a slightly revamped interface, most of them based on users' input.

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Google has a come a long way since they started rolling out their Street Vew cars years ago. They started out with major highways and busy streets. Eventually they started documenting some of the paths less traveled, utilizing camels, snowmobiles, and other means of transportation to capture the most accurate views of the paths we take. But for their latest endeavor, they had to think smaller. Much smaller.

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This week it's been suggested by Apple that Apple Maps has overtaken Google Maps on iOS devices by a large margin. Apple suggests with the Associated Press that its mapping service is "now used more than three times as often as its next leading competitor on iPhone and iPads, with more than 5 billion map-related requests each week." What does an iPhone user do when they need a map? They tap the app called Maps.

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Microsoft has updated Bing Maps with a new traffic camera option that allows users to view video feeds from one of thousands of traffic cameras located around the globe. The idea is that seeing the actual current conditions beats out any weather and traffic report, and also gives travelers a bit of an idea of what to expect in a region. The feature allows multiple camera feeds to be monitored at once, as well.

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Uber announced a new partnership with mapping and navigation company TomTom today, allowing the ride-sharing service to strengthen the traffic and map data within its own apps. The deal is seen as follow-up move after Uber failed in its attempt to purchase the HERE mapping service from Nokia earlier this year. Uber has long been reliant on third-party maps, including Google Maps, but the multi-year deal with TomTom simply adds another source for them to draw from.

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Google Maps is updated to include the prices of gasoline at gas stations throughout the United States. While a previous update included standard prices at some gas stations, this newest version includes prices for Diesel, Midgrade, Premium, and Regular gasoline as well. At the time this article is being published, you may not be able to see any of these gas prices live on Google Maps. You might also not be able to see them when you upgrade with the newest APK - Google will activate this feature very, very soon.

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While Apple Maps didn't get much attention among all the new features that debuted with iOS 9, and it may still lag behind Google Maps when it comes to popularity, Apple continues to expand and improve its own service. In this case, Apple Maps' unique flagship feature, 3D Flyovers, was updated this week to include almost 20 new cities and locations around the world, including several in the countries of Germany, Spain, and Japan.

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Apple has quietly snapped up a mapping analytics company, as it strengthens the challenge Apple Maps presents to arch rival Google Maps. The latest acquisition is Mapsense, sources tell Re/code, a San Francisco startup which promises cloud-based visualizations and analytics of geo-data.

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Trying to make a bigger claim on the maps and navigation market, Apple has extended its admittedly captivating 3D flyover feature to 21 new areas spread across Europe, Mexico, and one in Japan. Now both local and tourists can enjoy an almost breathtaking digital 3D view of these places. But more than just a pretty sight, the 3D visualization of these maps could help give users a more solid grasp (pun totally intended) of the topography as well as the landmarks of a given area.

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