Ride on! Cycling comes to Google Maps in Australia

We're big fans of bicycling here at Google Australia, and based on how much we get asked, “When is cycling coming to maps in Australia?” we know most of you are cyclists too.

Good news is that today we’re launching cycling directions on Google Maps in Australia — providing you with a new way of getting around town. Our routes were made possible in part thanks to the support of councils around the country who provided us with information on bicycle-friendly streets and areas. If you want to bike to work or your local shops, or simply want to spend more time outdoors, cycling directions will help you find the best way to get where you want to go.

For example, if I commute from Liberty Grove to the Google office, biking directions can now tell me the most convenient and efficient route that makes use of dedicated bike lanes and avoids hills whenever practical.

If you decide to stop off at your favorite coffee shop, you can either add it as an extra destination in the menu on the right or simply drag the route. The directions will continue to take cycle lanes into consideration.

For those looking simply to browse the map, just click the ‘bicycling’ layer on the top right. You'll see three types of lines appear on the map:

• Dark green indicates a dedicated cycle path 
• Light green indicates a dedicated cycle lane along a road 
• Dashed green indicates roads that are designated as preferred for cycling, but without dedicated lanes

We'll continue to add new cycling lanes over time. And since cycling directions is still in beta, we encourage riders to send feedback and route information for inclusion by clicking on the report a problem link.

 

So for those going for a Sunday afternoon ride with the family, or training to be the next Cadel Evans, we hope that bicycle directions in Google Maps can help make it easier to safely plan your next outing. Happy cycling! 


Posted by Nabil Naghdy, Product Manager, Google Australia

Explore historic sites in Australia and around the world with the World Wonders Project

I’ve always been fascinated by famous historic and cultural sites from around the world. When I was a child, flipping through encyclopedias while researching for school projects, the thought of exploring these sites was a distant dream. With the new Google World Wonders Project, that dream is now a little closer for students and others around the globe.

The World Wonders Project enables you to discover 132 historic sites from 18 countries, including Stonehenge, the archaeological areas of Pompeii and the ancient Kyoto temples. In addition to man-made sites, you can explore natural places: wander the sandy dunes of Australia’s Shark Bay or gaze up at the rock domes of Yosemite National Park in California.

Two other Aussies treasures are included on the site: You can drive through the natural beauty of Kakadu National Park or walk around Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens.

World Wonders uses Street View technology to take you on a virtual trip to each iconic site. Most could not be filmed by car, so we used camera-carrying trikes to pedal our way close enough. The site also includes 3D models and YouTube videos of the historical places, so you can dig in and get more information and a broader view of each site. We also partnered with several prestigious organisations, including UNESCO, the World Monuments Fund, Getty Images and Ourplace, who provided official information and photographs for many of the sites.

We hope World Wonders will prove to be a valuable educational resource for students and scholars. A selection of educational packages are available to download for classroom use; you can also share the site content with friends.

World Wonders is part of our commitment to preserving culture online and making it accessible to everyone. Under the auspices of the Google Cultural Institute, we’re publishing high resolution images of the Dead Sea Scrolls, digitising the archives of famous figures such as Nelson Mandela and presenting thousands of artworks through the Art Project.

Find out more about the project on the World Wonders YouTube channel, and start exploring at www.google.com/worldwonders.

Posted by Melanie Blaschke, Product Marketing Manager, World Wonders Project

Local —now with a dash of Zagat and a sprinkle of Google+

Finding the best places to go is an essential part of our lives, as are the people and resources that help us make those decisions. In fact, the opinions of friends, family or other trusted sources are often the first we seek when looking for the perfect restaurant for date night or the cafe that makes the best latte.

Today, we’re rolling out Google+ Local, a simple way to discover and share local information featuring Zagat scores and recommendations from people you trust in Google+.  Google+ Local helps people like my husband turn a wish —“Hey, let’s celebrate with a cocktail” — into a night out: “Perfect, there’s a bar with great reviews just two blocks from here. Let’s go!” It’s integrated into Search, Maps and mobile and available as a new tab in Google+—creating one simple experience across Google.




Local information integrated across Google
From the new “Local” tab on the left-hand side of Google+, you can search for specific places or browse for ones that fit your mood. If you click on a restaurant, or a museum (or whatever), you’ll be taken to a local Google+ page that includes photos, summaries, reviews from people you know, and other useful information like address and opening hours.

Google+ Local is also integrated across other products you already use every day. If you’re looking for a place on Search or Maps, you get the same great local information there too. You can also take it on the go with Google Maps for mobile on your Android device, and soon on iOS devices.




Better decisions with Zagat
Last week, Zagat launched its first Australian survey and Zagat reviews will begin appearing in Google+ Local. Each place you see in Google+ Local will now be scored using Zagat’s 30-point scale, which tells you all about the various aspects of a place so you can make the best decisions. For example, a restaurant that has great food but not great decor might be 4 stars, but with Zagat you’d see a 26 in Food and an 8 in Decor, and know that it might not be the best place for date night.

Since Zagat joined the Google family last year, our teams have been working together to improve the way you find great local information. Zagat has offered high-quality reviews, based on user-written submissions and surveys, of tens of thousands of places for more than three decades. 





Recommendations and reviews from people you know and trust
Your friends know what you like, and they probably like the same things you do. That’s why the opinions of people in your circles are front and centre. If you search for [italian] on Google+ Local, your results might include a friend’s rave review of the Tuscan-style pizza place nearby. Then, when you’re searching on Google or Google Maps for a great place to buy a gift for that same friend, your results might include a review from her about a boutique she shops at all the time.

You can also share your opinions and upload photos. These reviews and photos will help your friends when they’re checking out a place, and are also integrated into the aggregate score that other people see. The more you contribute, the more helpful Google+ Local will be for your friends, family and everyone else.


Whether it’s a suburb you’ve lived in for years or a city you’ve never been to before, we hope Google+ Local helps you discover new gems.

Today is just the first step, and you’ll see more updates in the coming months. If you’re a business owner, you can continue to manage your local listing information via Google Places for Business. Soon we’ll make it even easier for business owners to manage their listings on Google and to take full advantage of the social features provided by local Google+ pages. Get more information on our Google and Your business Blog.

Posted by Avni Shah, Director of Product Management