In 2013, the Google Earth Outreach team reached out to me with a request. They had been invited to partner on a mapping project in western Canada, and were looking for a Googler who could contribute an Indigenous perspective on cultural protocol. They asked if I would be interested in helping. “Absolutely!” was my immediate response. I’m Kanien’kehá ka, (Mohawk) and there have been times in my life and my workplace where it felt like there wasn’t space for me to be Indigenous. This was a great opportunity to lean in. There was also pressure: I could bring my perspective from my community but Indigenous communities are incredibly diverse. I hoped my Indigenous Studies degree would help me. But the…
Discover and Support Local Bookstores with Google Maps
Today is National Book Lovers’ Day in the U.S. Since we’ll take any excuse to celebrate our love of the written word, we’ve pulled together top U.S. trends from Search and Maps for our fellow bibliophiles out there, along with tips to hunt down local bookstores that are worth, well, bookmarking. 🔖 Page-turning book trends Searching with more than the Dewey Decimal system: So far this year we’ve seen millions of book-related searches on Google Maps — with searches peaking on July 11 when they were up 111% from the same day in 2020. Beach reads anyone? Sweet escape: This year, we’ve been looking to books to transport us to another time, place and world. The top five genres on…
From widgets to dark mode: 3 updates to Google Maps on iOS
Chocolate or vanilla. 🍦 Crunchy peanut butter or smooth. Androids or iPhones. No matter what your (device) preferences are, Google Maps is here to help you navigate, explore, and get things done as easily as possible. Today, we’re rolling out three new ways to more conveniently access Google Maps’ information about the world right from your iPhone. And while we’re at it, our Googlers are sharing handy tricks you might have forgotten you could do on iOS. 😉 Share your live location right from iMessage If you’re meeting up with friends or family, you can now share your real-time location while you’re texting so you can stay safe and never miss a beat. Just tap on the Google Maps button…
8 tips to navigate and explore safely with Google Maps
With the state of the pandemic varying around the world, keeping up with local restrictions, navigating day-to-day life and easing back into activities we enjoy can feel confusing and unfamiliar. To help with that, we’ve pulled together Google Maps tips — including new features and product updates — to help you safely plan your next outing, navigate how and when to get things done, and relive past adventures or plan for future ones when the time is right: Plan ahead if you’re taking public transit: Before heading out, check to see how crowded your bus, train, or subway car is likely to be — so you’ll know if you’re likely to grab a seat or if you should wait for…