Google Maps has started showing the world in the form of a globe. Until now if you zoom out of Google Maps, the Earth was shown as a flat surface. Google Maps has announced the update through the Google Maps Twitter. The update is only available for Google Earth desktop, while the mobile version is still showing the flat version. The upgrade of the Maps uses Mercator projection which projects the planet on a flat surface. This makes it easier to print out a map, however, it also distorts the image of the Earth.
With 3D Globe Mode on Google Maps desktop, Greenland's projection is no longer the size of Africa.
Just zoom all the way out at https://t.co/mIZTya01K3 ?? pic.twitter.com/CIkkS7It8d
— Google Maps (@googlemaps) August 2, 2018
This implies that the object around the equator appears at a relative scale to one another, but it also means that the objects closer to the poles appear larger than they are. An excellent example of this is that on a Mercator map, Greenland appears larger than Africa however on a scaled globe map, Africa seems to be 14 times larger than Greenland. Google used the Mercator system initially because it helped to preserve the angles of the roads. A Google employee explained in 2009, saying, “The first launch of Maps did not use Mercator, and streets in high latitude places like Stockholm did not meet at right angles on the map the way they do in reality.”
Google made some changes to the maps including the expansion of its ‘Explore’ section to make it easier to find restaurants. Google Maps has become a daily life partner for most smartphone users. It can help to locate you and other famous places around you as well. It also has the functionality to share your location with others and even show reminders of hotel or flight check-ins. Google faced a lot of criticism in Europe and was also fined 5 billion USD for breaking anti-trust laws. This was not the first time the tech giant was fined. EU issued a 2.4bn euro fine over its shopping comparison service by the Competition Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager. Google will also be investigated into whether the company has broken laws in its advertising business AdSense.
