Business

Engineering road systems and housing developments using Google Earth

July 24, 2014

Three years ago we showed you the very useful visualization that the city of Douglasville, Georgia created to show how new road construction would be laid out. It was a great use of Google Earth and made it very easy for people to see how things would be situated.

The folks at Site3D are doing similar work, taking drawing layers and overlaying them on Google Earth. Even better, their various drawing layers are imported as individual Google Earth layers so that you can toggle off individual layers as needed.

They also support taking Google Earth paths via KML and importing them back into the Site3D software.

To learn more about what they offer, check them out at site3d.co.uk. You can also read more about them on this post on Google+, which is how I found them.

Google Begins Selling Their Own Imagery

July 17, 2014

Part of the business model of Google Earth has always been that free access to seeing all of the imagery helped raise the visibility of the satellite and aerial photography businesses. But, if a business wants to use this imagery, they are supposed to purchase the imagery from the provider mentioned at the bottom of the Google Earth screen (see Google’s geo-permissions guide).

During the past 10 years of Google Earth and Maps development, Google has increasingly developed sources of their own imagery. Everyone is familiar with their Street View imagery. Google’s 3D cities (introduced in 2012) are developed using aerial imagery which they also make available in their maps. And, with the purchase of Skybox, Google will soon have their own satellite imagery.

Now Google is taking the next step. Google has announced their imagery will be available for sale, initially to businesses in the US through their Google Maps for Business imagery program. The imagery can be used in a variety of ways explained in the program materials, including Google Earth. Interestingly, in what was perhaps a mistake that fortells the near future, they state they are selling “high-quality satellite photography” in the announcement – although I think they meant to say aerial photography.

It should be noted that using Google Earth historical imagery feature (introduced in 2009), businesses can also view alternative imagery available from other imagery businesses if they are available for their location. So, although Google is now competing with these businesses, their competitors have equal visibility.

Using Google Earth for crime analysis

July 9, 2014

We’ve talked about crime on here quite a lot over the years, many of which we discussed in this post last year.

Scott Dickson at Bair Analytics recently wrote a post that talks about some of the ways that he uses Google Earth to help with crime analysis. He talks about some great ways to use basic features, such as:

Another feature I use quite often is the “Show Ruler” tool. This tool allows you to measure distances on your maps. There are a number of criminal law penalty enhancements in Texas that increase penalties for offenses if they occur within a specified distance of a school. This tool allows you to easily determine just how close the offender was to that certain geographic feature.

He also talks about his bigger picture use of Earth:

Google Earth also makes it very easy to export your map as an image file that you can then drop into a report or presentation. I use this feature quite often when I create briefings on crime series or other types of bulletins. The old adage about a picture being worth a thousand words is true. By including maps in your presentations or briefings you can easily communicate geographic relationships. They also make your reports visually appealing.

It’s an excellent use of Google Earth, and it’s worth reading his full post at BairAnalytics.com to learn more.

Using Google Earth tour builder as a real estate agent

July 2, 2014

Since the introduction of Google Earth nearly a decade ago, it has been a great tool for real estate agents. One of the earliest examples was when Trulia added Google Earth support for real estate searches back in 2006. We’ve also seen property visualizations, Re/Max using Google Earth and many others.

Thanks to improved tools in recent years, particularly related to embedding Google Earth on websites, we’ve seen many other amazing pieces come along. A great example is what some agents are doing with Google Earth’s Tour Builder. An example is this handy tour of a home, which shows a variety of amenities and stores nearby to help give potential buyers a solid understanding of the area.

A great explanation of how realtors can use the tool came from Jason Fox, a realtor who has build some himself. From Fox’s blog:

By utilizing the Google Earth Application you can easily zoom around your community, neighborhood, city, or county and place a pin on the location you would like to highlight. Then add up to 25 Photos or Videos, Description, Title, Pin Style, and pan and zoom into your highlighted area to capture what you want your audience to see.

Once you have completed your tour you can share it with your client with a link to opens the Tour of your community.

(via Inman News)

Google acquires Skybox Imaging for $500 million

June 10, 2014

Google has just announced that they’ve purchased Skybox Imaging for $500 million, in an effort to help keep imagery updated more rapidly, improve global internet access, and assist in disaster relief.

Google’s press release on the acquisition was short and to the point:

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to buy Skybox Imaging for $500 million in cash, subject to adjustments.

Skybox’s satellites will help keep Google Maps accurate with up-to-date imagery. Over time, we also hope that Skybox’s team and technology will be able to help improve Internet access and disaster relief — areas Google has long been interested in.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals in the US.

You can also read more on the Skybox blog.