Google Maps Guru on Google Street View & What’s Next (VIDEO)
Happy 14th Birthday, Google! Google has literally changed the world, and Google maps had made finding our way around easier – all with just a touch of the finger.
“We thought technology had an opportunity to make maps more accessible to people and more useful,” said Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist of Google. “That’s what we’ve tried to do with Google Maps. It’s there to support you in your daily lives.” Watch Parsons discuss how Google is working to make Google Maps more innovative below:
Ed Parsons
Google Street View is one new feature offered. “We recognize the facts that maps are alien to people – they’re abstract sometimes, they’re lines on the screen,” said Parsons. “What we wanted to do was capture pictures of streets that people would identify.”
Google Street View launched in the U.S. and later rolled out to Europe and other parts of the world, where some had concerns about how the technology would affect privacy. “We hope today most people see Street View as a really useful tool and not as an invasion of privacy,” said Parsons.
So what’s next at Google? Personalized maps, customized for you and your life experiences.
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“I think it’s much more about making the map a more personal experience for you,” Parsons said. “It might be you’re reading a map for finding an office, or you’re planning your vacation and you want a map that shows you the best beaches. …The map that we created for you will be unique for you.”
In a couple of months, Apple users will be able to get Google Maps on their iPhone or iPads. Google is reportedly developing map applications for these devices, and the apps should be ready by the end of the year. Apple dropped the old version of Google Maps and released a new version of its iOS operating system with its own Apple-made maps service, which has been plagued with issues.
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Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt says his company and Apple are very friendly and constantly talking about how they an work together, despite the map snafu and ongoing legal war with Android vendors that include Samsung and Google-owned Motorola. Schmidt, who was in Korea to introduce Nexus 7, also met with South Korean artists PSY, the singer behind the wildly popular hit, “Gangnam Style.” The American CEO actually decided to dance “Gangnam Style.”
Watch that video below:
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Category: 2012 Aspen Ideas Festival, Lifestyle, Technology, Videos, Views on the News
