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Google Earth Redesigned

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Re: Google Earth Redesigned

#191

Post by foota »

ashark wrote: post #162
cptskippy wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They had tons of handy features in Google Maps before it was redesigned using Material Design. We used the route elevation data often to plan hiking trips with our parents to determine if they would be able to make a trek. The map scale was absent from the first couple releases and when they reintroduced it, it would only appear on zoom and then vanish. It took 3 or 4 more releases for them to finally add an option b…

The ability to show photo hotspots on the map and look at the photos was really handy for planning trips to unfamiliar places (or even familiar ones, really), but AFAI can tell it's gone now. Seems it was part of some service they bought, integrated, then killed.

I believe you can get the photos by using the street view person. (That is, drag the street view person over the map and the photos show up as pins)

Re: Google Earth Redesigned

#192

Post by 1_2__3 »

y4mi wrote: post #187
futurix wrote: post #176

"Google Chrome required" - sure, because current crop of web developers are too young to remember dark age of Internet Explorer domination.

Erm, this product isn't done by some random web developer but google themselves... so yeah, they made another essentially proprietary website. it honestly sucks but your phrasing puts the blame on inexperienced developers, which most certainly doesn't apply here.

You underestimate how many levels of engineering at Google are entirely populated by recent college grads. It could absolutely be unwillingness (I agree it's probably not blind ignorance) to pay attention to the lessons of the past.

Re: Google Earth Redesigned

#193

Post by callahad »

dkns wrote: post #190
krisdol wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What web technology does this use, specifically, that prevents firefox usage? Or is it just a chrome plugin they decided not to port?

I remember when inbox launched it could be only used under chrome/chromium. Then somebody changed their user agent in firefox to chrome and magically it started working just fine. So you might want to try that.

Looks like the first hurdle is that it's relying on the deprecated document.registerElement API from an early draft of the Web Components specs, which prevents the app from booting in Firefox.

Edit: Paul Kinlan reports that Earth is using PNaCl (https://twitter.com/Paul_Kinlan/status/854351477506277378), which means it fundamentally can't run outside of Blink.

Re: Google Earth Redesigned

#194

Post by Mister_Snuggles »

Interesting...

When I visit this on iOS, I get a message that says "Google Earth for iOS is coming soon." Of course, there's already a Google Earth app for iOS. When I launch the Google Earth app on iOS, I get a message that says (roughly) "The developer has to update this application to work with future versions of iOS". This is weird since it was last updated in May 2016, though that appears to be a very minor update.

In other words, the old iOS app is effectively abandoned and the new one isn't available.

Re: Google Earth Redesigned

#195

Post by Animats »

callahad wrote: post #193
dkns wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember when inbox launched it could be only used under chrome/chromium. Then somebody changed their user agent in firefox to chrome and magically it started working just fine. So you might want to try that.

Looks like the first hurdle is that it's relying on the deprecated document.registerElement API from an early draft of the Web Components specs, which prevents the app from booting in Firefox. Edit: Paul Kinlan reports that Earth is using PNaCl ( https://twitter.com/Paul_Kinlan/status/854351477506277378 ), which means it fundamentally can't run outside of Blink.

Can somebody fix Google's code? It's just Javascript, right?

Re: Google Earth Redesigned

#196

Post by kyrra »

dkns wrote: post #190
krisdol wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What web technology does this use, specifically, that prevents firefox usage? Or is it just a chrome plugin they decided not to port?

I remember when inbox launched it could be only used under chrome/chromium. Then somebody changed their user agent in firefox to chrome and magically it started working just fine. So you might want to try that.

I believe Inbox had major performance issues in non-Chrome browsers at launch, which was something they fixed in the weeks following its initial release. Once those were fixed, it was opened up to other browsers.

Re: Google Earth Redesigned

#197

Post by euyyn »

Animats wrote: post #195
callahad wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looks like the first hurdle is that it's relying on the deprecated document.registerElement API from an early draft of the Web Components specs, which prevents the app from booting in Firefox. Edit: Paul Kinlan reports that Earth is using PNaCl ( https://twitter.com/Paul_Kinlan/status/854351477506277378 ), which means it fundamentally can't run outside of Blink.

Can somebody fix Google's code? It's just Javascript, right?

It's just Javascript, but served from Google servers. For a fix to work for other users you'd need them to use a plugin that applies it.

Re: Google Earth Redesigned

#198

Post by euyyn »

CameronBanga wrote: post #185
tps5 wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can I check out Apple Maps in a browser? I'd like to take a look, but I don't have easy access to ios or macos. The screenshots do look fantastic. (Not a criticism of Apple if this isn't possible)

It's possible, although Apple doesn't advertise it or make it real easy to get to. Sharing locations using Apple apps can present a web page, with an embedded map that works fine in a browser: https://maps.apple.com/place?address=10365%20Gorenflo%20Rd%0... There have been a couple small indie projects which basically load Apple maps in an iFrame, but I think they've been mostly C&Ded.

I only see the vectorial map in that link. Is there a way to see satellite, or even better, 3D?

Re: Google Earth Redesigned

#199

Post by Animats »

euyyn wrote: post #197
Animats wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can somebody fix Google's code? It's just Javascript, right?

It's just Javascript, but served from Google servers. For a fix to work for other users you'd need them to use a plugin that applies it.

At some point, it's using an API to get the map data. Is there anything that prevents non-Google hosted code from using that API?

Re: Google Earth Redesigned

#200

Post by Karunamon »

satysin wrote: post #24
Kurtz79 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe they made it so it can run on ChromeOS also ? It's not so different than downloading a Windows application that requires JVM or some .NET distributable, or a Linux package with additional dependencies, IMHO.

I respectfully disagree. [P]NaCl is bad for the web just like ActiveX was. They have a Google Earth desktop client if you want a desktop application. As this is sitting on the open web it should use open standards.

I also disagree.

There is nothing even sorta objectionable about Google software on Google servers requesting you use a Google browser to access them because it uses Google-developed browser features that aren't even part of web standards, and wouldn't be for years even if that was the goal.

The alternative would be a moral stance that "no non-RFC stuff on port 80", and that makes zero sense to me. What, they're not allowed to innovate unless they run through the bureaucracy first?

I'd love it if you clarified what you're asking for here, because as stated, it seems alien to me.

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