San Francisco: Search engine Google has demonstrated new mapping technologies to reassert its position as a market leader.
Google Maps has recently seen defections by some key developers and partners.
Apple may abandon Google Maps next week at its annual developer conference, reports suggest.
Apple may announce its own mapping application to replace Google Maps on its smartphones and tablets.
To counteract any negative publicity, Google executives held a media event on Wednesday in San Francisco to preview new mapping features and trumpet a decade of achievements in digital mapping, including its use of satellite, aerial and street-level views.
Among the stand-out features were 3D enhancements to Google Earth, a portable device for taking “street view” panoramic photos and offline access to Google Maps on Android phones.
“It’s much more than finding a way home,” said Brian McClendon, vice president of engineering for Google Maps.
Google Imagery, the company’s most sophisticated 3D rendering to date, makes use of an automated process to generate very detailed models from 45-degree aerial photos. Google has actually commissioned a fleet of planes to do the job. The end result is zoomable, three-dimensional cityscapes, complete with top and side level views of buildings, streets and landscaping.
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