Comments on: I reboot your console !

by: rince

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Recursive screwing up of sleeping hours!

by: Rasty

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Damn rince, you beat me to the punch! Similar comment was coming up :)

BTW I’ve tried Google Earth (who hasn’t?) and found out the Golden Gate too.. can you find your home around there? :)

by: rince

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

yeah i can see my home there, by the way I heard reports of google.com vans driving around and measuring the surroundings with some lazer equipment and taking photos, hhmmmm…..

by: ragin' lion

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

You guys should check out NASA World Wind it seems a lot better that Google Earth.

by: Rasty

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve tried World Wind but it’s a bit different from Google Earth.. the former focuses more on variety of data (multiple satellites, hurricanes, etc.) while the latter seems to have more detail. Only Google Earth has Rome for now!

Both are worth checking anyway!

by: Davide Pasca

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Google Earth uses also aerial photographs, that's how they get the nicest resolution I guess.
Perahps the NASA one aims more to the bigger picture.

Anyhow, It seems that Tokyo pictures are rather old. Five years old or so. Infact the Roppongi Hills construction is missing, including the 50 floors tower which I practically saw it being built.
Also missing the Tokyo Big Sight, very cool modern struture used for expositions. Along with big chunks of Odaiba (I've been told), a very futuristic-looking part of Tokyo.

mumble mumble !

by: rince

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

i tried nasa world wind, 1st of all its a 180meg download, then it installed something called ‘managed component for directx’??? and i cant zoom in as far as i can with google earth. also navigation controls in world wind are not as intuitive. i think i prefer google….

by: ragin' lion

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Wow! You'll be wanting aerial photos of your aparment next Mr. Kaz! 8P

There seems to be more detailed data for World Wind here.

I agree with you rince about that "managed" Direct X business; they need to dump that. They should actually use OpenGL instead since it's available on a lot more platforms.

I think most of this data has been around for years ... it's just that the general public probably didn't have access to it. I can probably imagine there are more detailed maps that haven't been deemed "appropriate" for public consumption.

What I was wondering was how long it would be before this kind of thing is integrated with the current car GPS systems. I've seen the current ones in Japan, but having something like Google Earth on board one's car is nice.

I'm wondering if it's possible to do this:
1. Put Google Earth (or NASA World Wind) on a laptop.
2. Download the map data for the particular route(s) one is planning on driving.
3. Feed data from a consumer GPS device into the laptop.

I suppose it would be easier to do with NASA World Wind since it's open source ... Too bad I don't own a car anymore. 8P

by: Rince

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Well what is stopping you from installing a PC into your car?

You need some way of modifying the dashboard so that you can integrate a monitor and a keyboard into it. Then you need some sort a ups that can be re-charged by your cars alternator.

I think commercial GPS's that can interface with a PC are available.

Cellphone connection for the internet link, and there you go =)

I think all the technology is there, its just a mechanical problem of how to build it all into your car.

But I am pretty sure that some people have done it already. In fact a co-worker of mine was trying to do exactly that in his BMW M3. I dont know if he succeeded or not though.

by: Davide Pasca

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Google Earth has indeed some sort of interface for GPS. That’s a premium service though, so one has to pay.
The problem however is that the data is on Google’s servers. So one needs a fast wireless Internet connection…