Google blows away the clouds in Earth and Maps, brings Street View to Earth for mobile

By Trevor Mogg Published June 27, 2013

Google developers have evidently been busy working on changes to its Earth and Maps services, rolling out a number of updates on Wednesday.

First up, Google Earth 7.1 for iOS and Android comes with a new streamlined interface – a tap in the top left of the screen now brings up quick access to more information through layers like Panoramio Photos and Wikipedia.

Recommended Videos

The free mobile app has also been updated with Street View. To enable the new feature, you simply drag the human icon in the in the top right onto the street you want to explore. The developers have worked it so that you ‘fly’ down to your chosen spot, with the imagery tilting as you near the ground before morphing smoothly (sort of) to Street View mode. The effect is actually pretty cool and offers a different experience to Maps. See what you think.

Directions have also been improved for the mobile version of Google Earth, and now enable you to visualize step-by-step transit, walking and biking directions in full 3D. You can grab the new mobile version of Earth from iTunes or Google Play now.

Cloudless

Rolling out on the same day are a number of changes to Maps and Earth. New satellite imagery that “virtually eliminates clouds” has been introduced, together with a whole load of new data that “offers a more comprehensive and accurate view of the texture of our planet’s landscape.”

Google’s Matt Hancher said in a blog post announcing the update that his team had recently mined a stack of data from the USGS’s and NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite, using it to create a seamless and globally-consistent image of the whole planet with a resolution of 15 meters per pixel.

Google has also worked to eliminate striped artifacts – caused by a hardware issue on the Landsat 7 satellite – that plagued some of its imagery. And as already mentioned, the clouds have gone too – the pictures below offer an example of the improved data.

earth artifacts — Image used with permission by copyright holder

earth clouds — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hancher said that once new data starts rolling in from the recently launched Landsat 8 satellite, we can expect to see a whole lot more high-res imagery added to Google Earth over the coming months and years.

Topics

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Mobile

iOS 18 is about to make Apple Maps better than ever

Two iPhones showing a comparison between Google Maps and Apple Maps.

Google Maps (left) versus Apple Maps (right) Jesse Hollington / Digital Trends

Apple Maps has finally gotten a fundamental but heavily requested and long-awaited feature: the ability to “Search Here” on Apple Maps. The new button comes with the rollout of iOS 18, and it allows you to search for a specific location on the map when it isn’t in your current location.

Mobile

How to get a free phone number for calling and texting

A person holding the Apple iPhone 15 Plus, showing the camera.

Although there's a pretty good chance you already have a phone number on your smartphone, your primary number assigned by your carrier isn't your only option for calling and texting. There are numerous free apps that can give you a second number you can use to do nearly everything your main phone line can.

This is a great way to protect your privacy in situations where you'd rather not give out your "real" phone number. A secondary number can be useful for dealing with telemarketers or when you may need to send texts and receive calls on behalf of a volunteer organization you work with.

Mobile

Apple just admitted defeat to Android phones

A Google Pixel 8 Pro in Porcelain (left) with an iPhone 15 Pro in Blue Titanium held in hand.

For years, Apple’s smartphones have held a decisive upper hand over Android devices in one crucial aspect: the longevity of the software support cycle. In a nutshell, as long as your phone keeps getting updates, it will run just about fine.

Brand assurances play a crucial role in buyer behavior, as long-term update support means your phone will not only get new tricks but also security flaws patched. Notably, Apple is not into the habit of quoting how many years it will offer software support for each device, but it has held the crown for a while.