Changes at Google Maps

The good folks at Google Maps appear to have been busy. The UI for the zoom/pan control (GLargeMapControl) has been refreshed with a new skin. The process for selecting the position from which to view the neigborhood using the Street View feature is simplified – the draggable “person” is always present in the zoom control.

New Google Maps Interface
New Google Maps Interface

The entire Street View feature is now a Flash-based application, that takes over the map screen. Previously, the street panorama would be displayed in a Google Maps info window, and was implemented in DHTML.

The satellite imagery has also been replaced with higher-resolution pictures from the GeoEye Satellite, which was launched a couple of months ago. At least that’s the case in my neigborhood, and a couple of other spots I searched in California.

Even the Street View images have been updated – again, at least in my neigborhood. Check these out elizabethnelsonstudio .

Although the new zoom/pan control does not appear to be available to developers using the Google Maps API, the new satellite images are present by default. Hopefully this means that we’ll finally have a globally-consistent maximum zoom level!

5 thoughts on “Changes at Google Maps

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  3. Great work again Antun on the Google Map API example with OpenLaszlo. I am currently working on another project that I hope to utilize your example. However, before proceeding I must answer one basic question…”how to” substitute a Laszlo view for GoogleMap info window.

    In other words, when a user clicks on a ‘marker’ i would like to create a laszlo view and place it inside of the google info window. Doing so will allow me to communicate (hopefully) from within the LzInfoWindow to the Laszlo containing app…any suggestions kind sir?

    Respectfully,

    Kevin Armstrong

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