In less than a decade, Google Maps has become the standard for web mapping and one of the fastest-products associated with the Mountain View giant. Google acquired the technology to the brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen in 2004 but has been continuously improving and updating by the company, integrating new features like street view, you would has given his identity.
Today the vast majority of Internet users flock to Maps to find the address of a restaurant or plan a trip. There are alternatives available such as Open Street Maps, and large companies with similar services such as Microsoft, or Apple recently, but the dominating Maps comfortably both traditional platforms such as PC and Mac, as in the phones and tablets.
user experience , however, is about to change significantly. Over the coming months Google completely renew the web GUI and features available. Say goodbye to the column that now dominates the page, on the left, and employ all the browser screen to show the streets and buildings. be more detailed views , including three-dimensional models in various cities, there will be more options when it comes to plot routes and new views of the planet as a whole, with animations in real time cloud masses and the cycles of day and night.
Created user
But more significant is that this update is an attempt to integrate the tool into the new company’s corporate strategy. The maps now display personalized information according to the tastes of each user, with reference to the Google+ network data.
“Maps drawn on a napkin for you or gives you a hotel concierge are good because they have information that you really need and let out a huge amount of unnecessary data,” says Jonah Jones, responsible for the look of the new tool. Now, when you click on a particular location, you can see such landmarks near where it has been before, or points around the location you might be interested in exploring.
One of the most interesting is that now Maps change appearance depending on the chosen point or address . For example, when searching for a particular restaurant or a distinct geographic location, the streets leading to it will always show the name, even small alleys. Other unrelated street names, however, will take a back seat. “We algorithmic analysis of the most common routes taken by users and determine it based on the information we need to emphasize, often in subtle ways as a bold letter” says Yatin Chawathe, technical manager of the tool.
social shift is not accidental. Many of the products presented during the developer conference, Google IO, suggest-or even force-to use Google+ to access full functionality. It is an attempt by the company for give prominence to the social network , even behind Facebook and other networks use time per user. “The current version of Maps also takes into account search history and preferences when it comes to show results, but in this new stage will give more importance to these data,” adds Chawathe. Maps, in any case, can still be used without being registered on Google+ or have a Google account, although with less personalized suggestions.
also on mobile
new maps make extensive use of WebGL technology, a language designed to generate higher quality graphics on the web . However, not all browsers will support all functions. Some features, such as the view of the planet with the cycles of day and night, are only accessible by the time Chrome, the Google browser. The same applies to the three-dimensional views of cities.
Google, however, does not limit the new maps to your PC. Plans also new versions of their applications for iOS and Android. In the first case the new app will be compatible with both iPhone and iPad (until now was just a Google Maps app for the Apple phone), the second will finally unified aesthetic throughout the interface.
Some elements of the current version of Google Maps for Android have disparate graphic elements, from previous OS versions. Both applications come to market in June .
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