So You Think You Know Everything About Google Maps?
By: Decode Staff
Tags: Google Maps, Google, Uber, Maps, Gps

Google is the most used search engine in the world. It has largely monopolised the global search market. And it did so to an even greater degree when it came to their mapping technologies. This started to change when Apple decided to create its own service to offer as default on their devices. Whenever we try to compare Apple Maps and Google Maps, Google always shines bright like a diamond. Google Maps are more user-friendly and accurate which makes them a trusted pick over Apple Maps.

But this blog is not just about a single app, there are a lot of location services which Google provides, which you might not even know about.

Google Maps

Let’s start from the beginning, Google Maps is a web mapping service which offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, real-time traffic conditions and route planning. It is widely used all over the world mostly for navigation purposes and it changed the entire scenario of how we go about the world. There’s an interesting feature of Google Maps, Google Street View, that provides interactive panoramas along many streets in the world. Streets with Street View imagery are shown with blue lines on Google Maps. You can walk around, explore and interact with a business using Street View Technology.

That’s not all, you can create your own maps for personal use or sharing. Users can add points, lines, shapes, notes and images on top of Google Maps using a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor. And you can access various historic maps and collected data from Google Maps Gallery.

Google Transit is one of the best features of Google Maps, it deals with public transport. It basically allows preparing your public transport trip well in advance. You can do it from your Google Maps’ interface.

Google Earth and Outer Space

Google Sky is a browser-based application and works with augmented reality. It allows people to see stars and other celestial bodies. You can also dive into constellations, stars, galaxies, and animations depicting the planets in their orbits. A real-time Google Sky mashup of recent astronomical transients, using the VOEvent protocol, is being provided by the VOEventNet collaboration.

Google Mars is one thing Elon Musk fans will appreciate. It is program imagery of planet Mars which includes 3D terrain, infrared imagery and elevation data. There are also some extremely-high-resolution images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s HiRISE camera that are of a similar resolution to those of the cities on Earth. There are many high-resolution panoramic images that can be viewed in the same way as Google Street View. Mars also has another application near ‘face on Mars’ where users can talk to AI, Meliza.

If you want to explore the Moon, Google has something for you as well. Google Moon allows exploration of the Moon. The application includes several tours, including one for the Apollo missions, incorporating maps, videos, and Street View-style panoramas. All of this information is provided and certified by NASA, making the experience as realistic as possible.

Google Maps are present in a lot of third party apps as well. Apps like Uber, Swiggy, Zomato etc to support the live tracking feature offered by the given applications. Ingress and Pokemon Go are games that run essentially on Google Maps. Google Maps is a very integral part of all these apps and some of these apps like Uber or Ola or any taxi service per se will find it very hard to sustain without an in-built maps system.

Fun with Maps! (ref. The Big Bang Theory)

Google also came up with something that can cheer you up! It has an annual Christmas themed program to track the whereabouts of Santa Clause. The game allows users to play, watch, and learn through little activities that are added daily from the start of December. This game is inspired by NORAD Tracks Santa, which has operated since 1955. The map shows Santa alternating between travelling and handing out presents in cities. Santa travels approximately one time zone per hour. Counters show viewers how far Santa has travelled, how long until he reaches the viewer’s city, the distance from the viewer’s city and the total number of presents delivered. Santa has helpers with him, including the standard reindeers and elves, along with penguins and a snowman.

Smarty Pins, a geographical trivia game, features Google Maps Pins. Players receive clues about locations around the world, which they then identify by placing a pin on a Google map. Players start the game with 1,000 points and lose points equivalent to the number of miles they place their pins from the correct location. They can gain bonus points by answering the trivia questions quickly. That’s not all, you can build a world of your own using Lego using Build With Chrome.

All these are some of the least known uses and features of location tracking provided by Google. Most people don’t even know about them.