| Google unveils three dimensional cities in Google Earth and offline Google Maps for Android
Google has announced several new features for its mapping services, including 3D cityscapes in Google Earth, and an offline mode for its Google Maps Android application. "We're perhaps getting to the point where every map is unique for every individual for their particular task," said Parsons. Parsons says it's one of the most-demanded features from Google Maps users. The cityscapes will be introduced initially into the Google Earth apps for Android and iOS, with the desktop version getting them at a later point. Meanwhile, an initiative called Google Street View Trekker will send rucksack-toting Googlers off to photograph places that aren't accessible to Street View cars, trikes and snowmobiles, while Google is expanding its Map Maker tool to 12 new countries for people to help enhance the accuracy of its maps - although this doesn't include the UK yet. Some big announcements, just days before WWDC. "It's covering a number of things that we've been doing, and maybe haven't talked about as much as we should have done," said Ed Parsons, geospatial technologist at Google, in an interview with The Guardian. From cars to tricycles to rucksacks. Google's announcements today play into a wider picture of how digital maps are evolving: the interconnection between the actual mapping data - 3D images included - and all the other data and content floating about in the cloud with location tags. How to make sense of that, and produce useful maps that also serve up whatever information and/or content is relevant to that particular person at that particular time? "For cartography, it's never been what you include on the map, but what you take off that's important," said Parsons. "Up Snowdon, down the Grand Canyon, out into the wilds of England, Scotland and Wales… We can take people to places they wouldn't visit," said Parsons. Increasingly, mapping will be more and more three dimensional both online, and on mobile devices. It's notable that the latter are getting the new 3 D feature first: a sign of Google's priorities when it comes to rolling out new mapping functionality across Google Maps and Google Earth. "We think mapping and geographical information is probably most useful when you're mobile," said Parsons. Why, though? three dimensional cities might look pretty, but what are the actual advantages to this kind of technology besides swooping virtually over San Francisco or London to show off a smartphone or tablet? "Behind the scenes,this is very valuable for future applications like augmented reality," said Parsons. "It gives you the ability to attach information to objects in three dimensions. Its launch could also encourage more Android users to download the standalone Google Maps app from the Google Play store, rather than wait for their operator / handset maker to push out an update to the Android OS (and thus its embedded maps app). All of this begs the question: what about iOS? All concerned at Google are playing a straight bat, as you'd imagine. "The maps application on iOS has always been developed by Apple, who made use of our mapping tiles in the background," said Parsons. "The largest consumers of map data in the future will be mobile. Those priorities are also reflected in the offline Google Maps for Android announcement, which means people will be able to download the map for a specific city or area before travelling there, and save on data usage/costs when they arrive. Amid the interest in the 3D Google Earth cities and offline Android maps, the Street View Trekker news risks getting sidelined, but it's noteworthy too. McClendon was equally diplomatic on iOS: "It's a fantastic platform and we see it as one of the many devices that we'd like to provide Google Maps on. Of course, Google could launch a standalone Google Maps app for iOS, just as it has on Android. Now it can be squeezed into a rucksack, enabling Googlers to explore areas on foot (think canyons, mountains, national parks…) and capture them for Street View too. Google unveils three dimensional cities in Google Earth and offline Google Maps for Android |
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Google unveils three dimensional cities in Google Earth and offline Google Maps for Android
Photography Show 'Looks East'
| The Open Shutter Gallery, 735 Main Ave, Durango will present an exhibit of elegant color and black and white photographs of Rajasthan, India by world re-known photographer Steve McCurry and his "Group of Seven". All bring their own unique style and perspective. These photographers are Heidi Lender and Olivier Borson, who have exhibited previously at the Open Shutter, Julie Billings, Jon Kaplan and Rodrigo Frota. Steve McCurry is credited as having taken the 'worlds most recognizable photo' of a young Afghan girl refugee in 1985, and then 17 years later defying odds and finding her again in remote Afghanistan. McCurry's images span the globe, documenting varying ethnicities and significant cultural icons. Two local photographers, Brandon Donahue, manager of the Open Shutter Gallery and Suzi McGregor joined McCurry on a photographic expedition in Rajasthan and will be exhibiting their work. Margy Dudley, the owner of Open Shutter Gallery, has traveled extensively in Asia photographing many different cultures. Dudley's color images will also be included in the exhibit. |
Human Rights Watch: ?Unreported Stories? Photo Exhibit
| Human Rights Watch: ?Unreported Stories? Photo Exhibit Human Rights Watch will present a photography exhibition, ?Unreported Stories,? with the award-winning photographer Brent Stirton of Reportage by Getty Images. "Stirton's arresting images gave Human Rights Watch the extraordinary opportunity to show the human faces behind our reports of abuse," said Veronica Matushaj, director of photography and video at Human Rights Watch. Stirton's career history as an investigative photographer, committed to in depth work on critical issues related to the environment, natural resources, conflict, and health, has made him an exceptional partner for Human Rights Watch. The joint effort on the Porgera gold mine, published in an online multimedia report, "Gold's Costly Dividend,"won a Peabody Award for excellence in electronic media in April 2012. Stirton joined forces with Human Rights Watch to uncover two hidden human rights stories. The other explored the lack of justice for abuses committed during a little-known conflict between a local militia and state security forces in Kenya's Mt. Elgon region. His work on HIV/AIDS in the Ukraine drew renewed attention to an increasingly neglected crisis. Stirton was also recognized in 2012 with two World Press Photo Awards. The exhibit will be in the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery in the Walter Reade Theater, 165 West 65th Street, plaza level, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues. |
Inside the stunning waves of Hawaii: Pair of photographers capture the setting ...
| Inside the stunning waves of Hawaii: Pair of photographers capture the setting ...
These incredible pictures capture the stunning moment waves roll on to a tropical beach. Their only equipment are standard cameras - but a waterproof case means they do not need to sacrifice their cameras for their art. 'Fortunately it paid off this time and we managed to get a brilliant set of images. Nick was born in Lake Stevens, Washington, and says he always had an appreciation for Nature and that his purpose in life is: 'To capture Mother Nature's beauty and light in the most unique way possible. He spent his days in the surf and outdoors exploring the beauty of nature and learned early on that he had a love for the outdoors and a passion for photography. CJ, from Hawaii, said: 'It's such a beautiful island - all of the different colours seemed to be replicated in the water while we were snapping away. Photographers Nick Selway, 28, and pal CJ Kale, 35, position themselves in the magnificent Hawaiian water - and then wait for the waves to crash into their heads. 'We spend most of our time in the water photographing, but to get these types of shows is not easy and it takes a lot of patience to get it right. CJ Kale is no stranger to the area, raised in Hawaii on the Waianae coast. The pair also love photographing active volcanoes, and often risk their lives for that perfect shot. Inside the stunning waves of Hawaii: Pair of photographers capture the setting ... |
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Award-winning underwater photographers share their love of seas
| Award-winning underwater photographers share their love of seas Fewer still, you'd imagine, are willing to do that while worrying about running out of air, dicing with strong currents - and the odd predator passing by trying to find a quick bite. "I saved my friend from a sea snake going right up his shorts,"?he says. "When I pointed down, he almost had a heart attack. "I got a shot of a scorpion fish yawning that I actually waited an hour for - watching him, concentrating on my breathing - while he was staring me out. "It's about so more than simply getting your composition right. It might have been a lot more nasty," recalls Clayton, adding that they were able to carefully coax the venomous critter out before he took a bite. "You've got to think about buoyancy, you have the current to deal with then you have got to deal with things like whip corals. "I got 'narced' a little from being down too long and holding my breath," he says referring to nitrogen narcosis, the feeling of being drunk or lightheaded that is brought about by nitrogen entering the bloodstream at higher than atmospheric pressure. Apart from getting the opportunity to explore an alien world and capture breathtaking imagery, the sub-aqua documenters hope their work will serve a greater purpose - revealing the beauty of sea life that is so desperately in need of protection, in the UAE and across the globe. "He just would not yawn and when he eventually did I had cut the corner out of the shot and I didn't realise until I saw the photo topside. Jonathan Clayton (pictured), who captured the prize for best amateur photographer at the fourth annual awards, admits that his commitment to getting the perfect shot has seen him gamble with his safety. "Dubai's coast was destroyed quite a long time ago when they started dredging for The World and the Palms," says Clayton. "The other big problem here is shark finning (removing shark fins and discarding the rest of the body). "I spotted this sea snake starting to go up his shorts leg, so I had to very carefully lift him up. "Quite often we can come back from a dive from Musandam, or on the East Coast, where you may not have seen any sharks and coming back in to the harbour the only sharks that you have seen are those ones left there dead on the jetty. Award-winning underwater photographers share their love of seas |
Immortalize the Perfect Day with Picture Collage Maker for Mac v1.5.5
| Immortalize the Perfect Day with Picture Collage Maker for Mac v1.5.5
PearlMountain Technology has released Picture Collage Maker for Mac v. 5 supports Mac OS X 10. It is an easy-to-use app that helps you create eye-catching photo collages on the Mac OS X. 5, an enhanced edition of Picture Collage Maker for Mac. 5 provides more powerful features compared to its predecessor, yet it is even easier to use. So don't hesitate to make collages and share them with your friends or relatives. 6 or later and is fully compatible with Mac OS X 10. Picture Collage Maker for Mac comes with 100 creative templates to assist you in making marvelous photo collages for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and any other special moment in life. It lets both seasoned collage makers and newcomers to the hobby become productive in minutes. It also offers powerful editing features that you can use to let your imagination run wild, extend your creativity to its limits, to add photos to collage; apply frames and masks to photos; decorate the collage with clipart; add text; set the collage size and background; adjust position, rotation and size of elements; etc. 90 USD. A single-user license costs 29. Moreover, new photo cropping mode makes trimming your photos more convenient and there is no messing in this version of the program. Now, your photos can be more free of unwanted background clutter. Pricing and Availability Picture Collage Maker for Mac 1. 7 (Lion). It gives you fresh ways to share your digital photos on the Mac OS X. 5 also introduces automatic alignment, a feature that automatically lines up your photos just right when they are resized or moved. Certainly, with the Undo/Redo features, you can just go back or go forward easily to any step you like to. Sharing the self-made collage with a kind and true wish with people will never outdate, for these recorded memories have painted this perfect day, with colures that never fade. Immortalize the Perfect Day with Picture Collage Maker for Mac v1.5.5 |
A young photographer's first job proved to be his crowning moment
| A young photographer's first job proved to be his crowning moment Charles Henry Wilson's first day as a photographer was his biggest - taking pictures of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. "For her to be now celebrating her diamond jubilee is an amazing achievement. Six decades later, Mr Wilson, visiting the UAE to stay with his daughter in Dubai, is still proud of his photographs of history in the making. "They were looking for someone to replace the outgoing photographer so I applied for the job," he said. One of his shots shows the queen in her carriage and Winston Churchill, then the prime minister, in his coach. Another photograph shows the new queen wearing her crown and waving to people from inside her coach. Mr Wilson took pictures on his own Kodak plate camera. Mr Wilson, from the port town of Blyth, Northumberland, had accompanied the man he was hoping to replace to the War Office in London the night before the wedding day. "We slept there and at around 5am the following day we headed out," he said. "The other photographer went to the roof with a telephoto lens and I made my way down to the front of Admiralty Arch. Mr Wilson continued to work as a photographer with the army - he photographed boxing matches, officer groups and even an archaeological dig - before he moved into the private sector, where he ended his career taking wedding pictures. "I had an armband with press written on it which made it easier for me to get access to where the photographers were. "The coronation was the only topic of conversation for people in the country that day and it seemed as if everybody was celebrating. "The crowds were getting pretty big but I made my way through in my civvies [civilian clothes]. "I think they really wanted to see what I could do so my first assignment was the coronation. Although not dressed in his army uniform on the day, Mr Wilson, who had only recently completed his basic training, credits a press armband he was wearing for allowing him up-close access to the action. "The place was full of cinematographers in contrast to stills photographers like myself," he said. A young photographer's first job proved to be his crowning moment |