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Google Maps Now Zooms Out To a Globe Instead of a Flat Earth (venturebeat.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the keep-scrolling dept.

Google Maps has been updated to present you with a 3D globe of the planet when you zoom out. Previously, Maps would have shown you a flat map of the world. An anonymous Slashdot reader shares a report from VentureBeat: About two weeks ago, however, Google quietly rolled out (hehe) a change so that the service now presents you with a 3D globe. You can manipulate the globe as you'd expect -- spin it, zoom in, and zoom back out. Google Earth, watch out -- Google Maps is coming for you. Globe mode only works on desktop, but all major browsers are supported, we're told. We tested it on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge -- they all showed the globe just fine. This is all thanks to WebGL.

4 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Clouds are realtime too by Gilgaron · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now they just need to make the street view real-time, too!

  2. Don't be fooled by Google-heliocentrists by rsilvergun · · Score: 4, Funny

    the earth is a flat disk born atop a giant turtle which is itself on top of a larger turtle.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:Don't be fooled by Google-heliocentrists by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 4, Funny

      ah, but what is the larger turtle standing on?

      A globe shaped planet.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  3. The bad news is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...they renamed the planet to "Google." And without asking anybody. And nothing we can do about it...