Sign-up page for revamped Google Maps shows off plenty of new features

Just hours before its I/O event, Google has apparently had a little accident: the sign-up page for “the new Google Maps” briefly went live, revealing a slew of extra details about what’s coming in the rumored refresh before quickly being pulled. Droid-Life managed to grab some screenshots, including the one above, which gets to the heart of what Google is trying to achieve. The central idea is that Google will create maps tailored to the kind of information you’re looking for, using a “smarter search box” to highlight just the “things that matter most,” whether those be flights, ground transport or the new Earth View that integrates directly with Google Earth without the need for a plug-in. According to the leaked sign-up screens, the bringing together of all Google’s data will result in layers of information that reach “from outer space down to the streets” — but there’s still no evidence about how (or whether) this might work on mobile. Stay tuned to our Google I/O opening keynote liveblog for more. Filed under: Internet , Software , Google Comments Source: Droid-Life

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Sign-up page for revamped Google Maps shows off plenty of new features

How Far Can North Korea’s Missiles Actually Reach?

Though we know in theoretical terms that North Korea has missiles that could hit Los Angeles , where else could North Korea’s missiles actually hit? With all the hub bub about North Korea and its redeployment of missiles on North Korea’s eastern coast, the Washington Post created a map showing the range of North Korea’s various missiles. More »

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How Far Can North Korea’s Missiles Actually Reach?

What Earth would look like with its oceans and landmasses swapped

This is the map we’ve all dreamed of seeing. It’s a depiction of Earth in which its primary geological features have been inverted , showcasing a planet with a sprawling landmass that extends across two-thirds of its surface. Read more…

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What Earth would look like with its oceans and landmasses swapped

9 Incredible Uses for Graphene

Graphene is amazing. Or at least, it could be. Made from a layer of carbon one-atom thick, it’s the strongest material in the world , it’s completely flexible, and it’s more conductive than copper. Discovered just under a decade ago, the supermaterial potentially has some unbelievable applications for us in the not so distant future. More »

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9 Incredible Uses for Graphene

This Fascinating Email Map Shows You Which Countries Are Buddies and Which Aren’t Getting Along

After analyzing more than 10 million anonymized emails from Yahoo!, a group of computer researchers stumbled upon a fascinating trend: countries with economic and cultural similarities had a tendency to send each other emails far more frequently. More »

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This Fascinating Email Map Shows You Which Countries Are Buddies and Which Aren’t Getting Along

Bing Maps revamped with ocean topography, updated satellite imagery

Ballmer an Co. have loaded up Bing Maps with yet another batch of images , and though they’re staying quiet about the update’s file size this time, they say it includes 13,799,276 square kilometers of fresh high-res satellite shots and a better view of the ocean floor. Brand-new “straight down” photos give the base map a resolution of 15 meters per pixel, and the introduction of bathymetric imagery changes the ocean’s hue depending on its depth. The refresh even contains fewer clouds, giving users a less obstructed view of Earth. Thanks to additional aerial photos covering 203,271 square kilometers, Microsoft’s map service now covers the entirety of the US and 90 percent of Western Europe with pictures taken from aircraft. Armchair cartographers ready to explore the world remotely can find the revamped visuals already baked into Bing Maps online and within the service’s Windows 8 app. Filed under: Internet , Software , Microsoft Comments Via: TechCrunch Source: Bing Maps Blog

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Bing Maps revamped with ocean topography, updated satellite imagery

DARPA’s SeeMee Satellites Are a Soldier’s On-Demand Eye In the Sky

While UAVs have joined spy satellites as an indispensable part of America’s military operations—especially in delivering timely, accurate intel to troops on the ground—they are not the end-all-be-all perfect solution, even in coordination. That’s why DARPA plans to supplement these unmanned intelligence gathering platforms with jet-deployed constellations of micro-satellites. Soon, every grunt will have access to a real-time battlefield mini-map just in like video games. More »

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DARPA’s SeeMee Satellites Are a Soldier’s On-Demand Eye In the Sky

This interactive travel map of the Roman Empire is like Oregon Trail meets Civilization

Ever wondered how long it would take to travel from Rome to Constantinople at the peak of the Roman Empire? Or from Luna to Larissa? Or Parma to Thessalonica? This map of the Roman World created at Stanford University is awesomely realistic — all the ancient transportation lines on it actually existed 2,000 years ago. More »

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This interactive travel map of the Roman Empire is like Oregon Trail meets Civilization

This Crazy Map Has One Dot for Every Person in the United States

The amount of people in the whole world is pretty wildly unfathomable. For that matter, even a subset like just the 300,000,000 or so that live in the United States can be hard to wrap your head around. This interactive map by Brandon M-Anderson helps by showing one dot for each of them . It’s pretty wild. More »

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This Crazy Map Has One Dot for Every Person in the United States

The Senate Is About to Let More Than 22 Agencies Spy on Your Email and Documents Without a Warrant (Update: Not Any More)

What began as a bill designed to protect the privacy of your digital life has been mangled at the behest of law enforcement agencies. CNET reports that if the revised Senate bill isn’t stopped before it goes to vote next week, 22 federal agencies will have warrantless access to troves of your private information. Let’s stop them. Updated below More »

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The Senate Is About to Let More Than 22 Agencies Spy on Your Email and Documents Without a Warrant (Update: Not Any More)