Slashdot Mirror

This might not be real-time, it remains still impressive: read this recent story on "How Online Maps Update Their Data After Major Road Closures", the summary:
"Several blogs discussed the re-routing of webmapping directions that happened after a freeway connector collapsed. It started with the Brain Off blog, Mapping Hacks and All Points Blog provide comments. The Map Room shares additional links (yes, I did copy TMR's entry title). From the article: "Some services reflected the altered landscape right away, some needed a few days, and some still don't show that anything has changed. Even some of the Web sites that show alternative routes around the melted MacArthur Maze don't give the same directions that Caltrans and the city of Oakland have asked people to take. [...] Satellite services like GPS provider Magellan don't update their maps, but customers who pay extra for traffic updates would see that the road is closed. Drivers can also tell their devices that they need an alternative route.""

This might not be real-time, it remains still impressive: read this recent story on "How Online Maps Update Their Data After Major Road Closures", the summary:
"Several blogs discussed the re-routing of webmapping directions that happened after a freeway connector collapsed. It started with the Brain Off blog, Mapping Hacks and All Points Blog provide comments. The Map Room shares additional links (yes, I did copy TMR's entry title). From the article: "Some services reflected the altered landscape right away, some needed a few days, and some still don't show that anything has changed. Even some of the Web sites that show alternative routes around the melted MacArthur Maze don't give the same directions that Caltrans and the city of Oakland have asked people to take. [...] Satellite services like GPS provider Magellan don't update their maps, but customers who pay extra for traffic updates would see that the road is closed. Drivers can also tell their devices that they need an alternative route.""

A shameless copy of a previous slashgeo.org story:
Time for Time in GIS
Christian Spanring links to a FOSS4G2006 open document presentation named It's About Time for Time. From the abstract: ""The weakness of current cartography is its poor representation of time. The surface of the earth is treated as a static thing." (Anselm Hook) [...] There are numerous experiments, but little solid support in tools or data structures for representing the 4th dimension (when we're still getting used to the 3rd dimension in GIS)." The time capabilities of GeoRSS and Google Earth are mentioned. Previous poll on time.

And why not another pertinent one?
Time Tracking Now Included in Google Earth 'Free'
All Points Blog links to a ZDNet article where we learn the time tracking tool in Google Earth Pro will now be available in Google Earth Free (and GE Plus, of course!). From the article: "The feature in which a slider is used to scroll through time [...] now features a simplified interface. [...] showing how scientists, who had tracked the movements of a whale shark using GPS, had then mapped the creature's path using the application. Business uses could include fleet tracking or mapping the movements of transport infrastructure according to Google. Jones also described how the new version would enable users to track all of the geostationary satellites orbiting the earth." Ed Parsons was first to mention this news item.

Really.

This slashgeo.org story:
All Points Blog links to a ZDNet article where we learn the time tracking tool in Google Earth Pro will now be available in Google Earth Free (and GE Plus, of course!). From the article: "The feature in which a slider is used to scroll through time [...] now features a simplified interface. [...] showing how scientists, who had tracked the movements of a whale shark using GPS, had then mapped the creature's path using the application. Business uses could include fleet tracking or mapping the movements of transport infrastructure according to Google. Jones also described how the new version would enable users to track all of the geostationary satellites orbiting the earth." Ed Parsons was first to mention this news item.

And yes, it does also work with SketchUp buildings. Meaning you can scroll through time and watch buildings evoluate. Some published KML demonstrate this.

that were rejected by the /. editors :-)
[ok, I'm too lazy, here's a direct copy of slashgeo's stories]

Following yesterday stories, izo writes "It's here. Fresh, crispy and shiny — Google Earth ver 4.0.2080 . There is new timeline interface and few new kml tags. [Although there is no demo to test it] My personal winner with this release is .dae caching and fixed refreshing. Now you can create simple "animations" with "moving" 3d objects using Update kml tag. P.S. To avoid problems with flickering mouse cursor uninstall your old GE before installing new one." Update: 09/14 13:49 GMT by S : The Google Earth Blog offers additional information including: "doing a "Check for Update" in the application will NOT get you the new version - you have to download from Google as if it were your first time for GE 4". Read Ogle Earth on the release too.

Ogle Earth was the first to share the news about today's major content update for Google Earth. OE links to a ZDNet article. While the Google Earth Blog tells us about the addition of 3D buildings in cities all over Japan. From the article: "Google Earth will include before and after satellite images of environmentally endangered locations originally published by the U.N. Environment Program as a coffee-table book." and from the Ogle Earth blog: "New stuff in the "Featured content" folder in the Layers sidebar. Some of it's been there for a while, but brand new is a layer by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), a layer by the US National Park service, and expanded global content by the Discovery Channel."

All Points Blog links to a ZDNet article where we learn the time tracking tool in Google Earth Pro will now be available in Google Earth Free (and GE Plus, of course!). From the article: "The feature in which a slider is used to scroll through time [...] now features a simplified interface. [...] showing how scientists, who had tracked the movements of a whale shark using GPS, had then mapped the creature's path using the application. Business uses could include fleet tracking or mapping the movements of transport infrastructure according to Google. Jones also described how the new version would enable users to track all of the geostationary satellites orbiting the earth." Ed Parsons was first to mention this news item.

The Google earth Blog attempts to summarize the September 8th major satellite/photo imagery update for Google Maps and Google Earth.

Here's a copy of a story on slashgeo.org earlier this morning, there's a link to see "Google GeoAds".

Remember this story about location-aware AdSense? Google is still working on various ways to geolocate ads. All Points Blog shares their patent application for Wi-Fi location ad delivery and Google Local ads. Shimon Sandler explains the link between Google Base and those GeoAds and adds: "Wanna see it? Go to Google Local and type in the search box, booksellers nyc. You should see a little coffee cup in addition to the little red ballons. Click on the coffee cup, and an ad appears for Barnes & Noble with their logo, hyperlink, street location, and phone number."