Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Google Earth's New Tool Lets You Measure Distance Between Anything On Earth (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the as-the-crow-flies dept.

Google Earth's new Measure tool is rolling out to Android and Chrome devices that will let you measure the distance and area of things on the map. An iOS version is said to be "coming soon." The Verge reports: With the tool, users can measure the distance between two points or the surface area of a selected chunk of the map. (Now you can finally find out how far your house is from the North Pole.) Users aren't limited to simple squares, either. The Measure tool will let you select the borders of an area so it's easier to measure irregularly shaped objects like parks, buildings, or even states and countries.

5 of 57 comments (clear)

  1. Huh? That's already been a thing since forever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Click the little ruler in the top bar. I can't remember that ever not being there and know for a fact it's been there for bare-minimum 5 years.

    1. Re:Huh? That's already been a thing since forever by johannesg · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Click the little ruler in the top bar. I can't remember that ever not being there and know for a fact it's been there for bare-minimum 5 years.

      But now it's on mobile!

  2. It's not new is it? by sentiblue · · Score: 2

    I never tried checking the area... but I can click two points and measure distance and was able to do this on browsers a long time ago. This "new" thing must be only on mobile OS?

  3. Really? by meglon · · Score: 2

    Google Earth's New Tool Lets You Measure Distance Between Anything On Earth

    How about.... my hand from my cup of coffee? How about now? And now? Now?

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
    1. Re:Really? by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 2

      For that we don't use google earth, we use all the hidden web cams around you.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...