Tag: Street View

Google Gives Us A Street View Tour Of Lucas Oil Stadium

Google has posted an interactive photo tour of Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. The company says this is the first imagery of of inside an NFL stadium in Google Maps, leading us to believe there will be more to come.

“With this new interactive, 360 degree imagery, you can march out of the tunnel and down the field towards the end zone, just like Andrew Luck did all season,” says Google Maps product manager Evan Rapoport. “Or check out the Colts’ locker room where Head Coach Chuck Pagano gave his memorable post-game locker room speech on November 4, after an inspirational win against the Miami Dolphins. You can also explore the stadium’s three concourses and suites, including the Quarterback Suite, a Field Level Suite and Loge-Level Suite.”

“Together with the Colts and Lucas Oil Stadium, we’re thrilled to give you, the fans, a behind-the-scenes look at the home of the Colts, and enable anyone to ‘visit’ the stadium from wherever they may be,” Rapoport adds.

The Field

The Tunnel

The Locker Room

The Quarterback Suite

The Main Concourse

The Loge-Level Suite

The imagery is accessible by searching “Lucas Oil Stadium” or “Colts Stadium” from a desktop browser or from the Android and iPhone apps.

February 15, 2013
Google Street View Hits The Wii U

Nintendo announced on Thursday that Wii Street U powered by Google is now available in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U. This is an app that lets users access Google Street View, and view 360-degree imagery of locations all over the world using the Wii U GamePad controller’s motion controls. Users can also use the touch screen to type in an address or location.

The announcement was first made in December.

Nintendo highlights 70 hand-picked locations to view. The app also lets you view locations from overhead with satellite view.

“With Wii Street U powered by Google, you can step into Google Street View with an immersive experience that will make you feel like you’re actually there!” Nintendo says.

Recent additions to Google Street View include some beautiful shots from the Grand Canyon, some new places in Israel, and areas ravaged by storms. The company continues to add imagery on a regular basis, and now that it has its “Trekker” backpack device, we can probably expect to start seeing a lot of up close and personal imagery in many more places that cars can’t go.

February 15, 2013
Look At Google’s Beautiful New Grand Canyon Street View Imagery

Google continues to expand its Google Maps Street View coverage into more and more interesting places. While things like “The Gates of Hell” may not actually be real, Google has recently expanded imagery for Hawaii, the Arctic, Zoos, Tsunami-ravaged buildings, and the ocean floor, to name a few.

In June, Google unveiled Trekker, a tool designed to capture imagery for Street View for places that vehicles and even the Street View Trike can’t go. A few months later, Google announced its plans to utilize Trekker in the Grand Canyon, and now we’re seeing the fruits of Google’s labor.

Google has just released panoramic imagery of the Grand Canyon with interactive images covering over 75 miles of trails and surrounding roads.

“Take a walk down the narrow trails and exposed paths of the Grand Canyon: hike down the famous Bright Angel Trail, gaze out at the mighty Colorado River, and explore scenic overlooks in full 360-degrees,” says Google Maps product manager Ryan Falor. “You’ll be happy you’re virtually hiking once you get to the steep inclines of the South Kaibab Trail. And rather than drive a couple hours to see the nearby Meteor Crater, a click of your mouse or tap of your finger will transport you to the rim of this otherworldly site.”

Let’s take a look at these locations:

Bright Angel Trail

Colorado River

South Kaibab Trail

Meteor Crater

“Our team strapped on the Android-operated 40-pound backpacks carrying the 15-lens camera system and wound along the rocky terrain on foot, enduring temperature swings and a few muscle cramps along the way,” says Falor, reffering to Trekker. “Together, more than 9,500 panoramas of this masterpiece of nature are now available on Google Maps.”

Here’s a look at Trekker itself:

January 31, 2013
Did Google’s Street View Pinpoint The Gates Of Hell?

A reddit user shared an interesting find on Google Maps Street View. If you go to the point: 30.744344, -88.103524, it returns a location along Interstate 65 in Alabama. In the shoulder there is a mysterious orange blob.

If you zoom in, you see some very weird imagery. Here are a couple different angles:

This is when you rotate to look up:

It’s possible that the object is a cone or something that somehow hit or covered the camera lens. We’ve been unable to confirm.

Google did clarify some Donkey-related imagery recently. Of course, there is no apparent animal-killing PR diaster here.

January 23, 2013
Google Takes Street View To More Places In Israel

Google announced on Thursday that it is now publishing Street View imagery for hundreds more cities, towns, village, heritage sites and tourist attractions in Israel.

These include: Safaed, the coral reef in Eilat, the lowest point on earth at the Dead Sea, Acre, Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum,Tel Meggido, Mamshit, Shivta, Bet She’an National Park, Tzippori, a nature reserve at Timna, El Carmel, Rahat, and Burma Road.

“Sports fans can even go inside Ramat Gan Stadium or Bloomfield,” says Street View program manager Ulf Spitzer. “And museum lovers can take in Haifa’s National Museum of Science, Technology & Space, the Holocaust Museum at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, the Ghetto Fighters Museum at Kibbutz Lochamei Ha’getaot, the Museum of Bedouin Culture in the Negev desert, or take a tour around the Egged Bus Museum.”

“We’ve added imagery from cities, towns and villages including Ashdod, Ashkelon, Be’er Sheva, Bnei Brak, Eilat, Isfyia, Kfar Qasem, Kiryat Gat, Nazareth, Netanya, Ofakim, Petah Tikva, Rishon LeTsiyon, Sderot, Tira, and many, many more,” adds Spitzer. “And stay tuned – we hope to expand coverage to still more of the region’s sites, streets, cities and towns in the future.”

Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee

The ‘Mushroom’ red sandstone rock formation at Timna

Ramat Gan Stadium

Haifa’s National Museum of Science, Technology & Space

Holocaust Museum at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai

January 17, 2013
Google: We Didn’t Kill That Donkey. Don’t Assume About the Fate of the Ass, You Asses

Google has a history of running over animals with their Street View team.

Ok, maybe not a “history,” but they have done it before. Years ago, Google was forced to make a public response regarding a Street View still of what appeared to be Bambi lying dead on the side of the road. They admitted that one of their drivers did in fact hit a deer, but that it was able to move and eventually scurried off the road.

Still, this incident was most likely fresh in people’s minds when another Street View image began to circulate around the interwebs earlier this week.

The Street View still showed a donkey lying on its side in the middle of the road, seemingly dead or injured. The donkey appeared to be the victim of a Google hit-and-run, in the middle of the Botswana desert. Here’s the image that started it all:

HOLY SHIT GOOGLE KILLED A DONKEY, right?

Wrong. Google says that this time, their Street View team is innocent.

“As our imagery below shows, the donkey was lying in the path – perhaps enjoying a dust bath – before moving safely aside as our car drove past. I’m pleased to confirm the donkey is alive and well.”

Here’s how Google proves that they never hit the donkey:

See? It’s alive, you jerks. Don’t be so quick to ass-ume (Google’s joke, not mine).

January 16, 2013
Google Business Photos Used By 100,000 Businesses

While many of us were pre-occupied with Facebook’s big unveiling of Graph Search on Tuesday, Google let out a little tidbit of information about its own local search offering: over 100,000 businesses have used the Google Business Photos feature since it officially launched a year ago.

This is essentially Street View taken inside of stores.

“With the use of high-quality panoramic imagery and Street View technology, businesses have been able to offer customers an interactive tour without physically setting foot inside – perfect for showcasing the ambiance of a wine bar or the layout of a gym,” said Google Maps product manager Shailesh Nalawadi.

Users can view business photos from Google Maps on the desktop, or on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.

As it continues to grow, this should be a key feature for Google when it comes to local search, especially considering Facebook’s new offering, which has the advantage of users’ friends.

Last month, Google started highlighting the Business Photos from search results pages, making the imagery even more visible to users.

So far, Google Business Photos are only available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, but the company says it is working on expanding to more countries.

If you have a store, and you want to add this feature, check out Google’s site here.

January 16, 2013
Google Dispatches Street View Cars to Sandy-Ravaged Areas, Some Residents Incensed

Is Google simply doing its job, and providing accurate Street View maps to its millions of users around the world? Or are they being incredibly insensitive?

Some residents in Stalen Island are incensed over Google’s attempt to document the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. The company has deployed a fleet of their Street View cars to snap shots of the devastation that took place over two months ago.

The NY Post first reported on the controversy, and got quotes from New Yorkers such as:

“They are putting us wiped out on the map! They’re going to call it a wasteland! I don’t like Google driving around my property. What are they doing it for? To drop the property value?”

More people were concerned about future home values:

“If that’s the way it’s going to be in the computer for years, showing the depreciation of a neighborhood, that’s not right. If someone wants to move, they look online, so that’s not good for the neighborhood. If that goes online, it’s going to drag [down] the real-estate market.”

This is not the first time that Google has made a point to visit an area after its landscape had been severely altered by a natural disaster. A few month after the 2011 tsunami, Google announced that they would be dispatching their Street View teams to eastern Japan to take photos of locations ravaged by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

In December, they unveiled the fruits of that project: 44,000 kilometers of driving that yielded stunning before and after comparisons of the modified landscape. At the time, they said that this would “serve as a digital archive of the power of mother nature for future generations.”

“When looking at images of the magnificent cities side-by-side with images of the ruins left in their place, this additional context demonstrates how truly life-changing this tragedy has been for those who live there and witnessed the destruction of their homes, neighborhoods and even entire districts,” they added.

Just last month, Google added some indoor Street View imagery of the areas.

Google echoed that sentiment in a statement concerning Hurricane Sandy imagery:

“The Street View team is currently redriving affected areas of New York City. We hope this accurate, updated imagery that will soon be available in Google Maps will help people around the world better understand the extent of the damage and the importance of coming together as a community to aid in the recovery efforts.”

What do you think? Insensitive? Important? I wasn’t personally affected by the Hurricane and have no real ties to its devastating aftermath other than the general empathy that most people feel for their fellow humans – but I think it’s important that we have a historical record of the impact of such natural disasters. But I can certainly understand some people’s frustration. At least Congress finally did the right thing. Finally.

January 4, 2013
Walk Through Tsunami-Ravaged Buildings In Japan On Google Maps

Google announced that it has added indoor imagery from buildings hit by the 2011 tsunami in Japan to Google Maps, as well as its Memories for the Future site.

Google worked with four city governments in the Tōhoku area to get the imagery, which was collected using the same technology the company uses for its indoor business photos. They were able to photograph over 30 buildings.

“A year ago we released Street View imagery of areas in Northeastern Japan that were affected by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami,” says Google Street View Group Product Manager Kei Kawai. “Our hope was that the 360-degree panoramas would provide a comprehensive, accurate and easy-to-use way for people around the world to view the damage to the region by enabling a virtual walk through of the disaster zones. The panoramas were only the start of our digital archiving project.”

“The timing of the project was critical,” says Kawai “There has been a strong debate in these areas whether to keep the buildings up as a permanent reminder of the tragedy or to tear them down to allow emotional wounds to heal. After long consultations with their citizens, many local governments have decided to move forward with demolishing the buildings. Knowing this, we quickly moved to photograph the buildings before they started to be dismantled.”

Kamaishi Municipal Toni Elementary School

Rikuzentakata City Public Housing

Ukedo Elementary School

Google says it will continue to photograph more buildings in two Iwate Prefecture cities, Ōfunato and Kamaishi, over the coming weeks.

December 6, 2012
Wii U Gets Google Maps And Street View In Early 2013

Nintendo is going all out with an information blowout this morning across three separate Nintendo Directs in Japan, the US and Europe. The Japanese Nintendo Direct already aired, and featured some gameplay from titles like Lego City: Undercover, Pikmin 3 and Dragon Quest X. The real surprise, however, is that Google Maps is coming to the console.

At the tail end of the Japanese Nintendo Direct, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata announced that Google Maps and Street View would be hitting the console in January of next year. Iwata says that Street View will take advantage of the previously announced Panorama View for Wii U. This will allow users to move the GamePad around while Street View moves with them.

You can see Street View on the Wii U action in the video below. Skip to the 38 minute mark if you don’t care to see all the gameplay footage that comes before it.

If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time that Google Maps, or any maps app for that matter, has been on a home console. Sony’s PS Vita has a maps app that’s built using Google Maps, but it’s rare to see such functionality in a games console. It just seems kind of pointless as most people using Google Maps are using it on their phones to get directions.

That being said, the Wii U does seem like a perfect fit for Google Maps. The GamePad introduces an AR element to the equation that no other console can do. It will be interesting to see if Nintendo and Google makes Street View available to game developers for use in AR games in the future.

[h/t: Engadget]

December 5, 2012
Instant Street View Is Almost Awesome

It just got a lot easier to view Street View imagery. Instead of going to Google Maps and hunting for the area you want to see, just go to Instant Street View, which Google itself has named “Map of the Week”.

It’s not perfect. Some of the addresses we tried put us in the right vicinity, but down the street a bit, or a couple blocks away. But for the most part, at least in our trials, it does a pretty good job.

Here are a few samples.

Paul Brown Stadium

San Diego Zoo

McDonald’s

Lincoln Memorial

Googleplex

“Instant Street View uses the Google Places Library Autocomplete Service to quickly get the location you’re looking for,” says Google’s Mano Marks. “It uses the Street View Service to display the Street View panoramas.”

November 30, 2012
Google Street View Goes To Taronga Zoo and Luna Park

Google announced a couple of new Street View offerings in Australia today: Taronga Zoo and Luna Park.

“We’ve used our Street View technology to bring you new 360-degree imagery of the animals, attractions and surrounds of Taronga Zoo and Luna Park in Google Maps,” says product manager Nabil Naghdy. “This imagery covers almost everywhere in Taronga Zoo (as long as it’s wheelchair accessible) – including chimpanzees, giraffes and mountain goats. We also released new imagery of Luna Park that includes a walk down the central boulevard of Luna Park featuring the ferris wheel, merry-go-round, big top and Coney Island.”

Take a look at some of the zoo imagery:

Luna Park:

In other Street View news, Google has added some new imagery from the Arctic.

November 28, 2012
Google Street View Travels To The Arctic

Back in July, Google Street View went to the Antarctic and took some amazing pictures of the original research settlement on the continent. In August, Google traveled to the far north to complete its quest of mapping the frigid corners of the Earth. The Street View team got some amazing shots of the Canadian Arctic, and even compiled some shots of ski resorts along the way.

The main attraction is obviously the Arctic, and Google worked with the non-profit group Nunavut Tunngavik to improve the map of Cambridge Bay, a remote Nunavut hamlet.

Like most Street View projects, the imagery captured by Google is pretty amazing. It’s also an opportunity to get an on-the-ground look at a place many people will never vist in their life.

View Larger Map

Alongside mapping Cambridge Bay, Google also took it upon themselves to map some of the most popular ski resorts in the world. The imagery itself is breathtaking, but I just can’t help but wonder how the Street View team got the images in the first place. Did they ski down mountains wearing that heavy camera gear?

First up is a ski resort in Sölden, Austria. The location regularly hosts the Alpine World Cup in late October. It also has some of the most beautiful mountain ranges you’ll ever see.

View Larger Map

Hitting a bit closer to home, here’s the run at Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah. The park gets 355 inches of snow a year which makes it an absolute must for any skiers or snowboarders in the country.

View Larger Map

November 28, 2012
Google Goes On A Grand Canyon Trek With New Street View Camera System

In June, Google unveiled Trekker, a tool designed to capture imagery from Google Maps Street View, which would be unattainable by way of vehicle or even a Street View Trike. It’s basically a backpack with a camera attached to it, which takes 360-degree imagery.

Today, Google revealed its first Trekker-based outing. The company has sent its team to the Grand Canyon to get new Street View imagery.

“The canyon landscape is one of the most breathtaking places in the world, is only accessible on foot, and perfectly demonstrates why the Street View Trekker backpack was developed to maneuver narrow trails and rocky terrain,” a Google spokesperson tells WebProNews. “Once the still photos are collected, they’ll be stitched together into 360-degree panoramics and shared on Google Maps for both armchair travelers and real life explorers around the world to see and experience.”

“The narrow ridges and steep, exposed trails of the Grand Canyon provide the perfect terrain for our newest camera system,” says Google Street View product manager Ryan Falor. “The Trekker—which its operator controls via an Android phone and automatically gathers photos as he walks—enables the collection of high-quality imagery from places that are only accessible on foot.”

“This week, photos are being gathered from portions of the South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park, including the ridge, the famous Bright Angel Trail, South Kaibab Trail, and more,” says Falor. “These panoramic views will soon be live on Google Maps, giving everyone from real-life visitors to armchair travelers the opportunity to marvel at this beautiful, majestic site from the comfort of their computers or mobile devices.”

Here are some early photos of the team on its quest:

It will be interesting to see where else Google takes Trekker. I have a feeling we’re going to be in for some pretty impressive Street View imagery in the not too distant future. Google is already taking things up a notch with the addition of ocean imagery, building interiors, and various exotic locations.

See what else Google’s Street View team has been up to lately here.

October 24, 2012
Criminal Investigation Into Google’s Street View To Be Dropped [Report]

Google has had trouble with its popular Street View product in Germany since the beginning. There were privacy concerns about it in the country before it finally received the go ahead from German courts, and ultimately launched in that country in 2010 (albeit, with a first-of-its kind opt out program). Hundreds of thousands of Germans opted out.

Also in 2010, it was revealed that Google had “accidentally” collected personal information of users via Wi-Fi networks with its Street View vehicles, and the company has been dealing with authorities around the globe regarding that issue ever since. Earlier this year, Google spoke up about some more related data it had found, after it was already supposed to have been deleted.

Bloomberg is reporting that German prosecutors will drop a criminal probe into whether Google illegally gathered the user info, and that prosecutors in Hamburg did not find criminal violations. The report cites “two people familiar with the issue”. Co-authors Karin Matussek and Stephanie Bodoni write:

Hamburg prosecutors have finalized their investigation and are preparing to issue a decision, spokeswoman Nana Frombach said. They opened the inquiry in 2010 after receiving a complaint. No suspects were identified.

Google may still not be completely out of the hot water in Germany, however, even if the probe is indeed dropped. As the authors point out, Hamburg Data Protection Commissioner Johannes Caspar has said his office will resume an administrative investigation, even if the criminal probe is dropped.

This week, Google announced its largest Street View update to date.

October 12, 2012
Google Launches Huge Street View Update, Here’s Some Of The Imagery

Google announced that it is launching its biggest Street View update to date, with the addition of 250,000 miles of roads around the world. It’s also doubling its number of special collections.

The update includes increased coverage in Macau, Singapore, Sweden, the U.S., Thailand, Taiwan, Italy, Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and Canada. There are also new special collections for South Africa, Japan, Spain, France, Brazil and Mexico, and others.

“You can explore our many new places directly in Google Maps, including parks, city centers, castles and tourist attractions like Catherine Palace and Ferapontov monastery in Russia, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taiwan, or Stanley Park in Vancouver,” says Street View program manager Ulf Spitzer. “You can even walk through the urban jungle of Singapore’s Fort Canning Park, without ever leaving home.”

“On the walls of Elsinore Castle, nestled on the northeastern coast Helsingør in Denmark, Bernardo and Francisco uttered the opening words to William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy,” says Spitzer. “The castle known locally as Kronborg and immortalised by Hamlet, provided the setting for the Prince of Denmark to play out his personal battle with madness, grief and searing rage. Today we’re also launching images from inside Kronborg and its surroundings, so you can discover for yourself the inspiration behind Shakespeare’s masterpiece.”

Kronborg Castle, Helsingor, Denmark

Catherine Palace

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Stanley Park

Fort Canning Park

Taroko Gorge

Google’s giant update comes at a time when iPhone users have lost the feature from Apple’s Maps app, though last week, Google launched Street View from the mobile browsers, which can be accessed on iOS devices.

October 11, 2012
Google Maps Street View Comes To Mobile Browser So iOS Users Have Access

Google announced today that it has added its Street View feature to Google Maps from the mobile browser. This means that iOS users who lost their beloved Maps app in favor of Apple’s newer, much criticized rendition, can once again use the feature. It also means users of other non-iOS devices can also use the feature from the mobile web, without necessarily having to use the Google Maps app.

“Starting today, use Street View on your mobile browser to check out a new shop across town or get a feel for the ambiance at a restaurant before you arrive,” says Google Maps product manager Amanda Leicht. “To use Street View on your mobile browser simply go to maps.google.com and search for a location. Then click the ‘pegman’ icon at the bottom right of your screen to access Street View. And to view still more helpful imagery, such as a photos shared by users or interior panoramas, visit the business’ Google+ Local page.”

“Also, transit, driving, biking and walking directions continue to be available on your mobile browser to help you help guide you to your destination,” she adds.

Google suggests that iOS device users save a bookmark for Google Maps to their home screen. While, Google doesn’t specifically mention the quality of Apple Maps, the idea here is that you can just as easily access Google Maps as you can Apple Maps, which many will no doubt to (if they haven’t already).

October 4, 2012
Google Maps Takes Street View Under The Sea

As Google continues to map the Earth, and bring Street View imagery to more exotic places, the company is now tackling the depths of the world’s oceans.

Google has teamed up with The Catlin Seaview Survey, which studies the world’s reefs, and is contributing photos to Street View. Google says the survey used a specially designed underwater camera, the SVII.

“Starting today, you can use Google Maps to find a sea turtle swimming among a school of fish, follow a manta ray and experience the reef at sunset—just as I did on my first dive in the Great Barrier Reef last year,” says Brian McClendon, VP of Google Maps and Earth. “You can also find out much more about this reef via the World Wonders Project, a website that brings modern and ancient world heritage sites online.”

Heron Island Resort

Ancient Boulder Coral

Snorkelers in Oahu’s Hanauma Bay

Maui’s Crater

Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Here are a couple of promo videos for the project. The second one even shows an underwater Google+ Hangout:

September 26, 2012
Google Maps Street View Comes To iOS 6 (Thanks To Garmin)

As you may know, Apple’s iOS has dropped Google Maps, and users who have upgraded to iOS 6 have no Google Maps access from Apple or Google right now. A Google Maps app directly from Google is expected, but for the time being, users are going to either have to get used to Apple Maps (which have been the subject of a great deal of complaints) or find an alternative.

MapQuest announced a new iOS offering today, but Garmin has made some updates that users may find attractive. Among the new features is none other than Google Street View.

You can check out the app in iTunes, where it runs down the new features as follows (via 9to5mac):

– iOS 6 and iPhone 5 support

– URBAN GUIDANCE considers public transportation options, such as subways, trams, busses and water taxis, when calculating pedestrian routes. You will be guided to a transit stop by foot and you’re able to look up detailed information on what line to take and where to get off. The feature is available through In App Purchase.

– PANORAMA VIEW 3D provides true 3D elevation views obtained from NASA’s height and terrain data enable intuitive orientation and show users what lies ahead. Panorama View 3D is available through In App Purchase.

– GOOGLE STREET VIEW provides users a street-level view of their destination before starting a route and shortly before arriving. Users can also look at a full-screen 360° view to get a better understanding of their destination’s surroundings. The feature is available in cities with Google Street View coverage.

Unfortunately, the app will cost you $44.99, which is significantly more expensive than the free Google Maps app that Google will most likely launch at some point.

September 25, 2012
Google Maps Makes It Easier to Access Interior Imagery

Back in January, Google opened up its Business Photos for Google Maps pilot program to any and all small businesses that wanted to participate. Because of that, thousands of businesses now allow users to take a trip inside their stores without ever leaving the couch. Today, Google is making a slight improvement to maps to allow users to access the interior street view in a much easier manner.

All you have to do is drag Pegman onto the location. From the Google Lat-Long blog:

Now, if you’re searching or browsing Google Maps and want to check out what a business looks like on the inside, we’ve improved your ability to find and view these 360-degree panoramics. Simply drag and drop the orange Pegman on the left hand side of your screen onto an orange circle on the map. Voila! You’ll be virtually transported through the doors, and able to pan around and explore the interior of the establishment.

It’s that simple.

September 18, 2012
Google Adds Street View Imagery To 150 More Universities

Google announced today that it is releasing Street View imagery for over 150 university campuses globally, adding to its growing list, which is currently about about 275 schools.

“With classes just getting started, freshman students, transfers and even empty-nesting parents can now familiarize themselves with college campuses around the world, including UCLA in the U.S., Pembroke College in the U.K., McGill University in Canada and Sophia University in Japan,” says Brian McClendon, VP of Google Maps and Earth.

Here’s a look at Royce Hall at UCLA:

This is only one of a handful of Google Maps-related announcements the company made. It’s also expanding Google Maps Navigation (Beta) to thousands of towns in India (with live traffic conditions), and rolling out biking directions and Map Maker to New Zealand.

Google put together the following video in celebration of all of the progress it has made with Maps:

September 5, 2012