Google Maps just got a lot more interesting, because a bird’s-eye view of Amsterdam is now available. This means that you can view our capital city in 3D, including the Royal Palace and the Rijksmuseum. Venice, Florence, and Dublin also received the Immersive View treatment, as well as 500 separate attractions such as the iconic Sydney Bridge and Prague Castle.
Immersive viewing
The immersive view is a technical feat: billions (yes, billions) of Street View and aerial imagery have been used which, together with new AI technologies, can provide a better experience of Google Maps and thus this 3D view. The nice thing is, it’s not just about the usual suspects: Want to take a closer look at the TonTon Club or Q-Factory to see where the entrance is when you go to a concert? That’s all possible. You can see restaurants in both hometown Amsterdam and Venice, so you already have an idea of where you want to eat on holiday.
Artificial intelligence has also been added to Google Maps, so you can see how crowded a place is, what the weather is like, and how an attraction is. Especially if you sometimes have a little fear of the unknown, it can help tremendously to have a look. But also if you just want to have fun, of course. You get a good impression of what the area looks like around a particular attraction or common location and that can help as well if, for example, you want to book a hotel, but aren’t sure what you envision with the neighborhood in which the hotel is located.
Google Maps is getting better
However, there are two new novelties coming to Google Maps in the Netherlands, such as following directions without having to grant access and going to the app first: so you can use it on your lock screen. You can see your most recent visits in the Recent tab, making it easy to quickly navigate somewhere. However, this will only be possible on the desktop, not in the Google mobile app.
Google does a lot with artificial intelligence: not only in Google Maps, but also in Gmail and the brand’s Office programs, for example. At the same time, it is also trying to be careful with AI: it says it is well aware of the risks and wants to handle it carefully. This applies, among others, to Bard, an AI chatbot that is not available in Europe due to the laws and regulations that apply here. Fortunately, the universal offer is not included: you can simply use it.
