do-a-barrel-roll

Oh, those whimsical Google nerds. The Mountain View-based search giant may not have Apple’s design chops, but it certainly knows how to code a good joke.

We got a taste of that fact on Thursday with the highly popular “Do a Barrel Roll” search trick, which went viral on Twitter and brightened a million work days. But that’s only the latest in a long line of quirky features Google has embedded in its products. We’re not talking about useful stuff like the in-search calculator, or Google’s much-documented April Fool’s jokes. These are all fun built-in tricks you can amuse yourself with right now.

(more…)

Share

Google Maps Launches Helicopter View of Your Route

by Jennifer Van Grove

Google has added a 3D aerial route preview option to its Google Maps product.

With the new feature, Google Maps users can fly alongside routes to get a birds-eye view of directions while planning road trips, biking excursions, hiking trips or regular city commutes.

The 3D preview feature — colloquially referred to as “helicopter view” — is now a part of the Google directions experience. Users simply enter start, mid and endpoint destinations to get directions as usual, and a new 3D play button will appear next to the returned directions.

(more…)

Share