New Google Maps feature shows elevation profile for bike routes

Want to map your bike routes beforehand? Google is now letting you with a new feature they added to Google Maps on the desktop. You now not only get biking directions from Google but elevation data as well. You just need to specify the route to take, choose biking directions, and look for the elevation profile. It will show you the hills you have to climb, the number of feet you will need to climb as well.

The elevation profiles are available for all the countries that offer biking directions including, Canada, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the US, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. However, it currently doesn't work on the mobile version of Google Maps.

Source: Tech Crunch

Google Maps Street View takes you back in time with digital time capsule feature

Feel like travelling back in time a bit? Google has introduced a new feature for Google Maps Street View on the desktop that lets you see how much a place has changed over time. The digital time capsule shows you how structures, such as the Freedom Tower in New York City, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, etc., were built. It even shows how reconstruction efforts are going along in Onagawa Japan following the 2011 earthquake and Tsunami.

Source: Google Maps

Google lays down Pokémon challenge for April Fools’ Day

April Fools’ Day is still a few hours away but it’s already the April 1^st on the other side of the planet so Google’s latest prank involves the Pokémon world. This “new build” of Google Maps challenges you to find and catch all the creatures on your Pokédex in order to earn the Pokémon Master title. You can play along if you have the latest version of Maps on your iPhone or Android device. You just need to hit the search bar and tap on “Press start.” You only have until 2am on April 2 to catch them all though.

Source: Engadget

Google Maps parody Google Naps tells you the best places to snooze

Google Naps, a parody version of Google Maps, seeks to help you find the best places to catch a quick shuteye around the world. A group of Dutch users wanted to provide users with the “world’s coziest and coolest places to take a well-deserved nap.” The napping spots are shared by fellow users and include areas in US, China, Indonesia, and Brazil, to name a few. It’s meant to be a funny take on Google’s Maps application and probably just a reminder that naps are a good thing every now and then (no matter where you are).

Source: The Next Web