Did the Google Maps Car Hit a Deer?

Ok. Don’t say that I never bring you anything completely useless, but absolutely fascinating nonetheless.

Someone sent me this image that was supposedly captured by a Google Maps vehicle when they were driving around taking the Street View images. As you can see, it’s of a deer that appears to have been hit.

Watch this little video to get the scoop on what is going on, and the image is below it. Ciao!
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Google Maps “Street View” Catches Shooter in Chicago

Google Catches ShooterThis is actually pretty amazing, if it isn’t staged (and it doesn’t look like it is). For those of you who are unaware, in Google Maps you now have the option in many cities to check out a Street View of the map you’re looking at, which will allow you to see whatever you would see if you were standing in that position.

The way they accomplish this is by having a specially fitted fleet of cars that have 360 degree cameras driving all over the place taking pictures. Once in a while they capture something really interesting. This is one of those times.
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Excellent Google Earth Demo Videos

Big Red WagonI’m a big fan of Google Earth because frankly it lets you do things that no other software has ever allowed before. That, and the fact that it’s completely FREE! (Thanks Google!)

Google Earth will allow you to plan trips, see the planet from a satelite view, and generally waste time. It is also required for some of the posts on my blog which offer a virtual tour of famous places.

Here are a few quick videos that demonstrate exactly why you should download and install this free software if you haven’t already!
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Google Sunrise and Sunset Mapping

Daylight MapI’ve come across a couple of sites which serve to provide real-time updates about which parts of the planet are currently dark, and when exactly sunrise is going to occur.
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Use Google Maps to Calculate Walking Distances

Geo DistancesIf you are one of those folks that has a set walking or jogging path that you like to follow, but you don’t know exactly how far you’re covering you can use the new Geodistance.com site to help you answer that very question.

It’s quite simple to use… just zoom in on the Google Map until you’re at the magnification level desired. You can click and drag the mouse to move the maps, then when you’ve got the map where you want it in the screen simply click on the starting point to insert a starting pin and then begin clicking along the route.
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Rendezvous Video Google Mashup

For those of you that recall the video I posted previously of the famous film about a car speeding through the streets of Paris, here is a link to a site that has actually created a real-time Google mashup showing the route taken by the driver. It’s pretty cool…

Maps to Forbes Highest Paid Men and Women

Top 10 Highest Paid WomenThis is an interesting application of Google Maps and mashup technology, which is basically the concept of taking information from multiple sources and blending them together.

So, here they are:
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Map Rising Sea Levels from Global Warming

Holland Tunnel Under WaterSo, after all my talk about Global Warming, including the movie An Inconvenient Truth, wouldn’t you like to know what’s going to happen to your piece of real estate if (and when) global sea levels rise over the coming decades? For example, just look at the image here… if seas rise just 10 feet the Holland tunnel in New York will be under water! :-)

Well, Alex Tingle now brings us the Flood Maps Website which allows you to see a visual representation of what will happen at varying levels of rising sea.
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WeddingMapper Google Maps Mashup

Wedding MapperWeddingMapper, enables couples who are tying the knot an easy way to map the festivities for guests.

The user can add various markers to an online map — such as “ceremony,” “reception,” “hotel,” or “airport” — to show where the locations are in relation to one another and then can supplement the marker with web links, uploaded photos and custom descriptions.

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