Google Earth and Maps: Best extras
- Mon, 30 Jan 2006
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Where to find Twirls in London
James Ward loves Twirls so much he's created a Google Map showing where Londoners can buy them. We're off to grab some now.
Find Starbucks around the world in Google Maps
This map shows you the location of all 18,042 Starbucks branches in the world. Wow.
Indian cricket grounds in Google
As India take on Australia in the one-day series, zoom in on the cricket grounds using Maplandia's images of India.
Wembley Stadium in 3D in Google Earth
Take a 3D tour of Wembley Stadium, where New England Patriots meet Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Formula One - all the tracks in Google Maps
Take a Google Maps tour of all the Formula One tracks used in the 2009 season.
How to share your travels using Google Maps
Symbolya is a new travel site that lets you create and share travel maps. Check out the cool cartoon-style map markers.
UMapper - convert images into maps
UMapper lets you upload any image file and convert it into an interactive map in minutes. This YouTube video explains how it works.
AviAtlas - birdwatching on Google Maps
The recently relaunched AviAtlas uses Google Maps to let bird-watchers explore and share information about bird-spotting hotspots around the world.
Google Earth - Copenhagen and Marseille in 3D
Take a tour around the Danish capital and France's second-most populous city in these new 3D add-ons.
Samoa tsunami - see in Google Maps
Use Google Maps to look at the location of Samoa and American Samoa, which have been hit by a devastating tsunami.
Can you spot any water using the latest version of Google Moon? If you find any puddles, please let us know.
Sydney red dust storm video maps
This is a Google Map of the YouTube videos showing the incredible red dust storm that has hit Sydney.
See driving videos in Google Maps
Based on Google Maps, the amazing Nation of Go is a social-sharing site that lets drivers share information.
Watch augmented reality in Google Earth
Watch this YouTube video demonstrating how augmented reality would work in Google Earth.
Play Pokemon in Google Maps and Twitter
You can play Twikemon (also spelt Twaikemon) using this clever Twitter and Google Maps mash-up.
New Google Earth 3D cities - Dublin and Cardiff
Take a 3D tour of the Irish and Welsh capitals in Google Earth.
Real-life Google Maps marker in Tokyo
Check out this amazing real-life Google Maps marker at Tukiji Hingan-ji temple in Tokyo.
World War 2 timeline - fantastic Google Map
Mark the 70th anniversary of the start of World War 2 by using this brilliant timeline in Google Maps.
Ted Kennedy Chappaquiddick incident - see Google Map
Here's a Google Map showing Chappaquiddick Island, where Ted Kennedy crashed his car in 1969, killing his female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.
Greece fires - see in Google Maps
This Google Map will show you where in Greece the devastating wildfires have struck.
A-Z of Holland in Google Earth
Thomas de Bruin has created a superb A-Z of Holland using locations spotted in Google Earth. Very inventive.
Google Opt Out Village - Onion spoof
Here's a very funny Onion video spoofing the trend for people to remove their homes from Street View. Apparently, they can move to the Google Opt Out Village.
Record your sailing trips in Google Maps
TripSailor is a useful social-networking site for amateur sailors that lets you tracks your voyages in Google Maps.
Google Earth Flight Simulator - new plane add-ons
An awesome new collection of plane add-ons with very realistic effects such as turning propellers and smoke from jets.
Hurricane Felicia - track in Google Earth
If you need Hurricane Felicia updates, follow the storm's path towards Hawaii in Google Earth.
See the Plastic Vortex in Google Earth
Use Google Earth to follow an expedition to study the Plastic Vortex, the area of imperishable waste in the Pacific Ocean.
Google Earth's YouTube channel - watch online
Watch Google Earth demonstration videos on its excellent YouTube channel.
Google Maps - Play Ohio like a piano
Ingenious Google Maps mash-up that has turned Ohio's 88 counties into the 88 keys of a piano.
Search for Twitter tweets in Google Maps
GeoChirp is a great new site that lets you search for Twitter keywords in Google Maps.
Open Golf 2009 - see Turnberry in Google Earth
Use Google Earth to zoom into Turnberry, where the 2009 Open Golf Championship is taking place.
Google Maps - rude place names
A rather childish, but very amusing, collection of the rudest place names on Earth. Shag Island, Wet Wang, Penistone and so on!
Beastie Boys driving game in Google Earth
Drive a Sabotage cop car in this Google Earth game at the website for the Beastie Boys' re-released album Ill Communication.
Google Earth - send movie postcards
Use the free Places tool to turn still Google Earth images into navigable 3D postcards.
Have a look at 16 maps produced by the US War Department in 1945, recreated in Google Earth.
Google Earth - play Ships simulation game
Guide a fleet of ships through the seven seas in this excellent new simulation game for Google Earth.
StreetView is a site that lets you see some of the world's major cities in Street View. You can also view Wikipedia articles and YouTube videos.
View ships worldwide in Google Earth
MarineTraffic.com lets you follow the passage of 10,000 ships in Google Earth.
Mapssage is a fun new tool that lets you write messages in Google Maps. Just choose a location, choose the map marker and enter your message.
View Facebook friends in Google Maps
Use Mapmotive to automatically display your Facebook friends on a Google Map.
Find worldwide webcams in Google Maps
This excellent Google Map shows you the view from different webcams around the world.
Take a breathtaking flight over the Swiss Alps in a Swiss fighter jet in this stunning Google Earth video.
Google Earth shows you the work of the US Coastguard around the world.
Swine Flu - special Google Map for Mexico
This is Google's special Flu Trends map, created using experimental estimates of flu activity in Mexico using aggregated search data.
Swine Flu death in Texas - Google Map
This excellent Google Map shows you where in Mexico Swine Flu has spread.
This is one of the best Swine Flu maps on the web at the moment, letting you filter the results by various categories including Confirmed and Suspected Cases.
Use Google Earth to see where endangered Right Whales have been spotted throughout the world.
Swine Flu - track US-Mexico passengers
This Google Map shows you the number of passengers who have flown between the US and Mexico in April, 2009.
The Discovery Channel created this Google Map to show live tracking of people chasing tornadoes in America.
St George's Day - see a Google map of Britain in photos
Geograph aims to collect geographically representative photographs for every square kilometre of Britain. It's a great way to spend St George's Day.
Earth Day - on Google Earth and Maps
It's Earth Day, so check this excellent list of extras and maps that will help to raise environmental awareness.
Lake District - explore in Google Earth
Take a tour of the beautiful Lake District in this stunning new Google Earth extra.
British Lions - see South Africa rugby venues
This Google Maps mash-up will show you some of the venues being used for British Lions games this summer.
Susan Boyle - explore her home town on Google Maps
Use Google Maps to have a look round Blackburn - in West Lothian, not Lancashire - the small town where Susan Boyle lives
IPL cricket - view venues on Google Maps
Check out the venues in South Africa that will be used in the IPL this season.
Find a job on Twitter and Google Maps
The ingenious TwitterJobSearch map follows Twitter to find messages about job listings. All the job listings are presented on a Google Map.
Google Earth - view alongside YouTube
This brilliant tool synchronises YouTube with Google Earth, so you can watch a YT video and a GE tour of the same place.
The AA's new Roadwatch map displays live traffic conditions on Britain's roads. Incredibly useful.
The World War Two Timeline Project is a well-executed attempt to chronologically and geographically map the events of World War 2.
Here's a bird's-eye view of Jerusalem that highlights the religious sites and historical landmarks.
Google Earth - explore Moldova
Find out more about Moldova and the pman/Twitter protests using this Google Map of the country.
Google Earth - tour the Grand Canyon
This stunning 3D tour of the Grand Canyon will make you want to catch the next flight to Nevada. Amazing.
Google Earth - how to use offline
These expert tips will show you how to use Google Earth offline. Very useful.
Australia on Google Maps
This wonderful new Google Map of Australia will have you dreaming of Sydney Harbour and Bondi Beach.
The G20 summit: unemployment map
This slick Google map shows you the unemployment rate in the G20 countries.
Life on Mars - Google Earth reveals all
It was the Life On Mars finale on TV in America yesterday, so why not fly to the red planet using google Earth?
This excellent map showing London and what's happening at the G20 summit will keep you informed of events.
April Fool's Day Google Earth joke
Anybody remember this little chucklesome joke a few years ago?
These maps will show you where the G20 protests are due to take place in London this week.
Street View tours - create mash-ups
This new site, called Mashed World Street Tours, lets you create your own Street View tours using Google Maps.
Quantum of Solace DVD - view James Bond maps
These Google maps, built to promote the release of Quantum of Solace on DVD, will take you on a global tour of Bond's adventures.
Oxford Cambridge University Boat Race
Prepare for this weekend's 155th University Boat Race by taking a Google Maps tour of the Thames.
Use this superb Google Maps mash-up to see all the circuits in the 2009 Formula One season.
Earth Hour - find out more on Google Maps
Use this Google Map to discover where Earth Hour is taking place throughout the world.
Use Google Street View with Virtual Earth
Mapperz is an excellent tool that lets you access Google Street View alongside Virtual Earth.
Street View - read our 10 top tips
These top tips will help you get the most from Google's excellent Street View.
GeoGraffiti is a mobile phone service that lets callers publish a voice message to 'mark' a real-world place - such as a restaurant or park.
See Dublin in 3D in Google Earth
Take a fantastic 3D tour of Dublin in Google Earth.
See what's happening at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas by using these Google Maps.
This fantastic 3D visualiser lets you see earthquakes using KML in Google Earth.
Follow Hillary Clinton in Google Maps
You can follow the travels of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in this Google Map.
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch map
Check out the Olympic Torch route for the 2010 winter games in Vancouver.
This rather worrying tool lets you see how large an area would be destroyed by dropping a nuclear bomb on a chosen city.
These expert Google Earth tutorials will greatly enhance your experience on the site.
Watch Mardi Gras 2009 in Google Maps
Use this Google Map to help you celebrate Mardi Gras 2009 and national pancake day.
TweetMapper lets you create a map of your Twitter messages just by adding the #at tag to your messages.
Report a pothole in Google Maps
In this Google Maps page you can report and locate public road hazards, such as potholes and uneven surfaces.
Watch Google Earth 5 annoucement video
Google Earth 5 was announced recently - watch the official video.
See Australia bushfire maps in Google Maps
You can follow the death and destruction caused by the fires in south Australia in Google Maps.
See snow photos in Google Maps
Have a look at photographs taken of the snow in this Google Map.
Fans of real ale can use this Google Map to find pubs that serve their favourite tipple.
See world's biggest poem in Google Maps
Have a look at this massive poem, written with a bulldozer in the desert sands of Chile.
Silverstone F1 simulation in Google Earth
Zoom around Formula 1 track Silverstone in this excellent Google Earth simulation.
Obama Inauguration - satellite imagery
Have a look at some satellite photos of the the Barack Obama Inauguration at Google Earth.
Watch Barack Obama Inauguration maps
Check out this comprehensive collection of Barack Obama Inauguration maps on Google Maps.
See 1000 years of Liverpool history
This new Google Map mashup displays a thousand years of history for Liverpool.
See U-2 spyplane in Google Earth
Take a look at this U-2 spyplane, which was captured in flight by Google Earth in Kuwait.
San Bernardino earthquake in Google Maps
See where the San Bernardino earthquake hit near Los Angeles, plus other recent quakes.
Dakar Rally - see route in Google Earth
See the route of the 2009 Dakar Rally, which is taking place in Argentina this year.
New Year's Eve - midnight clock
The embedded clock in this Google Map tells the time around the world, so you can see where it's already 2009.
Watch Volvo Ocean Race in Google Earth
You can follow the progress of the Volvo Ocean Race in Google Earth at the official site.
Alps ski information in Google Earth
The new Ski Resorts In The Alps layer contains maps, current ski/snow conditions, and links to prices, lodging and weather
Google Earth has updated the 3D buildings layer in New York, with thousands of new buildings added.
Visit Virtual Africa to view 360-degree panoramic maps of South Africa in Google Maps.
You can use the Google Spreadsheet Wizard to help you make a Google Map just by adding data to a spreadsheet.
Has Sydney been visited by aliens? If so, have they gone surfing yet?
Read this blog to discover skills that will help you get more from Google SketchUp 7.
Play Tomb Raider game in Google Earth
You can win a Sony PS3 playing the new Tomb Raider Underworld game in Google Earth.
Venice flood map in Google Maps
Venice has been hit by its worst floods in 22 years. Have a look at the flood maps for the city. jl
Follow Mumbai attacks in Google Maps
You can follow the attacks on the Chabad-Lubavitch centre and the Taj Mahal hotel in Google Maps.
Ocean Biogeographic Map in Google Earth
This Google Map lets you view marine data and information from around the seven seas.
The new 360Cities layer lets you view over 10,000 3D panoramas in Google Earth.
This Google Map shows all the maritime piracy incidents this year, including the hijacking of the Sirius Star off the Somalian coast.
Have a look at Bluemapia, which is a new social mapping service built around Google Maps.
See Washington DC in Street View
See if you can spot new President Barack Obama in this Street View for Washington DC.
Look at this Electoral College Map to understand how the American voting system works.
Watch US Election in Google Maps
You can look at lots of Google Maps on the US Election online.
Street Views of Spanish cities
Take a virtual stroll through Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville in these new Street Views on Google Earth and Maps.
Go Paragliding in Google Earth
This excellent virtual simulator takes you paragliding. You can choose your glider's colour, the wind speed and direction.
You can follow the latest UK news headlines on ITN's new Google Map.
New French cities in Street View
You can take a virtual stroll through Paris, Nice, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse and Lyon.
See the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain and other sights on this wonderful 3D tour of Rome.
Many US cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia and San Diego, have new 3D buildings in Google Earth.
www.tripcart.com">Plan US holiday in Google Maps
Online travel planner TripCart uses Google Maps to help you organise holidays in America.
www.earthsg.com">Singapore Grand Prix in Google Earth
Zoom around the Singapore Grand Prix track at this Google Earth site.
See John McCain's life in Google Earth
You can take a Google Earth tour of John McCain's military career and early life.
New Mars add-on for Google Earth
See what Mars could look like if mankind added oceans, forests, lakes and transport infrastructure.
See where Kings of Leon live in Google Earth
Take a look at the house in Tennessee where Kings of Leon live.
See where Agatha Christie is buried
Use Google Earth to see Agatha Christie's burial place in Oxfordshire.
See Ryder Cup venue in Google Earth
Have a look at Valhalla Golf Course, the venue for the 37th Ryder Cup.
Track Hurricane Ike in Google Earth
Have a look at the devastation of Hurricane Ike as it heads towards Galveston.
Have a look at Google's California HQ in Google Earth.
See Formula One tracks in Google Earth
Take a tour of this season's F1 tracks in Google Earth.
Join the Google Earth Outreach group
Join the Google Earth Outreach group on Facebook to help you get the most from Google Earth.
See Hadron Collider, Atom Smasher in Google Earth
You can see the CERN Large Hadron Collider (nicknamed the Atom Smasher) in Google Earth.
See Oasis tour in Google Maps!!
This Google Maps mash-up shows you where Oasis will be playing over the next few months.
Hurricane Ike projected path in Google Earth
You can use Google Earth to track Hurricane Ike projected path as it heads towards the USA.
See NFL stadiums in Google Maps!!
As the new American Football season begins, check out all the stadiums in 3D at MapGameDay.
Track Hurricane Hannah path in Google Earth
You can use Google Earth to track the Hurricane Hannah path as it heads towards the USA.
Use Felonspy.com in Google Maps!!
The recently launched Felonspy.com uses Google Maps to let you check if your neighbours have criminal records.
Track Hurricane Gustav in Google Earth
You can use Google Earth to track the path of the deadly Hurricane Gustav as it heads towards New Orleans.
See magnetic cows in Google Earth!!
Apparently, there's evidence that cows are aligning themselves with magnetic north when lying or grazing. Have a look!
See Sweden in 3D in Google Earth
Follow the Swedish travels of Stefan Geens by browsing these excellent panoramos.
Follow Olympic Games in Google Earth
This excellent site lets you view all the Beijing 2008 locations in 3D and read info on the competitors.
Plan holidays in Google Earth
Use the travel social community Mapmyadventure to help you plan and enjoy holidays and travel.
See Olympic marathon route in Google Earth
You can follow the marathon route for the Beijing 2008 Olympics online.
Watch Arctic ice melting in Google Earth
These shocking Google Earth animations show how quickly the ice is melting in the Arctic.
Read translated Chinese news in Google Maps
TheTrueChina.com translates news from the Chinese media and geo-tags them onto a Google Map. Perfect timing for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
See marriage proposal in Google Earth
Have a look at this marriage proposal in Google Earth, and read the story behind it.
Flight Simulator add-ons on Google Earth
If you love Google Earth's Flight Simulator, check out these excellent add-ons.
View the Beijing Olympic sites
Use Google Earth to take a tour of the main sites for the Beijing Olympics.
Starbucks closures on Google Earth
Have a look at a map of the 600 Starbucks coffee shops that will be closing in America.
Build a Google Maps mash-up
Inspired to make your own Google Maps mash-up? Then use the excellent Click2Map application.
Watch hotel video reviews
The excellent TVtrip uses Google Maps to show videos of hotels around the world. It's a valuable tool for travellers looking for accommodation.
Watch 3D video of Disney World
Explore every inch of Disney World in this mouth-watering Google Earth video.
Ask 500 people
Submit any question you want, and see the answers displayed around the world in Google Maps. A very engaging and addictive.
3D Google Earth views
A large collection of amazing 3D views, including Alcatraz, Mount St Helens and the Olympic stadium in Beijing.
Cool Google Earth pics
It's all in German, but that won't stop you enjoying the odd and interesting Google Earth photos here.
Use the new Google Map Maker
The excellent new Google Map Maker lets you locate, draw, label and add map features.
Use new Google Earth plugin
This incredibly clever new tool lets you embed Street View, Google Maps and Google Earth onto your site.
Books on Google Earth
Read Senghor on the Rocks, the first full-length novel illustrated on Google Earth. Every page is accompanied by a photo of a location.
Travel on the Glacier Express train
This 3D map tracks the route of Switzerland's famous Glacier Express train. It's a dazzling journey.
Play Monster Milktruck in Google Earth
In this fun new game you drive a 3D monster milktruck using the cursor keys.
Get Google Maps on mobile phones
Use the Mobile Maps application to send small user-created Google Maps to mobile phones.
New global warming map in Google Earth
This new map, made by the British Government, the UK Met Office and the British Antarctic Survey, shows the affects of global warming.
Follow Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
You can chart the progress of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race on Google Maps. The boats left Liverpool last September, and are due to arrive back in July.
New Google News layer in Google Earth
The Google News layer show the locations of major news stories around the world.
Discover London's books in Google Maps
From Fever Pitch to Bleak House, this interactive map features more than 400 books either set in, or about, the capital.
Use Wikipedia in Google Maps
Wikipedia information has now been added to Google Maps. Just click the More tab at the top and scroll down.
Use Twitter Spy in Google Maps
If you're a regular Twitter, you'll love Twitter Spy, which is a new Google Map service showing in real-time the latest messages on Twitter.
Fly around Amsterdam in helicopter
Not literally, of course. But in this Google Maps game you have to find different Amsterdam addresses while piloting a chopper.
Track Burma cyclone in Google Earth
This Google Earth visualisation shows the path of Cyclone Nargis and the areas that have been flooded.
Watch galaxies interact in Google Maps
Star-gazers will love this map of interacting galaxies, which was made to celebrate the 18th birthday of the Hubble telescope.
Grand Theft Auto 4 Google Map
Get help navigating through Liberty City with this Grand Theft Auto 4 map.
View mineral deposits using Google Earth
Travel the world on Google Earth to see where large deposits of mineral resources are situated.
See space debris in Google Earth
This fascinating visualisation shows the space debris left orbiting Earth after China destroyed a satellite last year.
Read New York Times on Google EarthUsing this excellent application you can fly around the world reading news stories from the New York Times.
Follow Earth Day on Google Maps
Use Google Maps to have a look at the events planned for Earth Day on April 22.
Map showing effect of rising sea levels
This Google Maps mashup lets you explore the areas of the earth most vulnerable to rises in sea level.
Use improved London Profiler map
This wonderful Google Map lets you view social demographics for London, such as poverty and ethnicity.
Missing Children UK Map
Click on a map marker to see information about a missing child in the UK. It's a very useful tool to help trace missing kids.
Play Google Maps driving game
Choose to drive a car, van, coach or truck in this enjoyable driving simulation game.
Buy a tree in the Indonesian rainforest
The WWF are giving you the chance to buy a tree in the Indonesian rainforest. You're given Google Earth co-ordinates for its location.
Track animal migrations
Use Google Maps to track some of the greatest animal migrations on the planet at this excellent BBC Radio 4 site.
See newly discovered meteor crater
Geologist Arthur Hickman discovered this crater while looking for places to find iron ore in mountains in the western part of Australia.
See how Earth's magnetic fields have changed
Watch a fascinating animation showing how the planet's magnetic field has changed since 1590.
New Google Earth layer released
This new Google Earth layer sees the addition of roads in 94 countries, including 58 in Africa. There are lots of other improvements too.
Record your voice on Google Maps
This wonderfully innovative Google Maps extra lets you record your voice and associate it with a marker on the map.
See extreme places on Earth
This is a fascinating collection of extreme places on Earth, including the tallest bridge, the windiest place and the deepest canyon.
Follow Formula One Season on Google Maps
This superb Google Map contains all eighteen race tracks around the world hosting Formula One races this year.
Watch satellites orbit the Earth
Several inks to excellent Google Earth extras that let you track the orbit of the International Space Station and the 100 brightest satellites.
See Samuel Pepys' diary in map form
This excellent blog, which posts entries from Samuel Pepys' diary, shows locations mentioned on Google Maps.
Visit MIMOA - guide to European architecture
MIMOA is a fantastic guide to European architecture, with maps of over 1,000 buildings. Anyone can add a buildings, post comments and add ratings.
See effect of global warming
e
This map shows the impact of rising sea levels on US coastal cities. It's a scary warning of the effect of global warming.
Music Maps
Music Maps is a wonderful add-on for Google Maps which connects
lyrics and album names to their geographic significance.
Play new game on Google Earth
Covert Warfare is a new combat strategy game you can play on Google Earth. You can create new levels and share them with other players.
100 things to do with Google Maps Mashups
Got some spare time on your hands? Then have a look at this superb list of 100 things to do with Google Maps Mashups.
New US cities get Google Maps Street View
Kansas, San Antonio, Milwaukee and Salt Lake City are among 12 American cities to get new Street Views.
Add F-16 cockpit view for Google Earth Flight Sim
This excellent F-16 cockpit image overlay to Google Earth gives you a more realistic feel to using the Flight Simulator.
Follow the path of solar eclipses on Google Maps
These fantastic interactive maps show the path of solar eclipses across the Earth’s surface since 1961, and the expected path for eclipses until 2039.
Watch dinosaurs walk the earth
Are these dinosaurs really walking the earth? Is that a T Rex you can see? Investigate more to find out.
View 18th-Century map of France on Google Maps
You can view one of the most important historical maps on Google Maps. This exquisite 18th-Century map of France took César-François Cassini over 30 years to complete.
See where musicians were born
This promising Google Earth extra shows the birthplaces of the world's leading musicians and composers.
More amazing Google Earth and Google Maps sites and downloads
Seen something funny or interesting on Google Earth or Maps that we should add to this list? Tell us about it now and we'll feature the best online and in Web User magazine.
