Google Maps allows you to find locations and businesses by typing in the address, or even by doing a search on the name. It also allows you to view satellite imagery at a fairly high detail. You may be able to see your house, or even your car parked outside! When viewing any map in Google Maps, click on 'Satellite' or 'Hybrid' to view the satellite photo. You can zoom in to any area by gradually rolling your mouse wheel, or using the controls on the left of a map.
Google MAPS is only one of a whole suite of Application Goggle now has available. These products include Gmail (web-based email), Google Calendar and Google Talk just to name a few. Another application offered by Google is Google Docs. This is an online word processor and spreadsheet application.
This week's task will introduce you to some Google applications including Google Maps and Google Docs. Hopefully you will be familiar with the Google project to digitise books and make them available online from Google BOOKS in Week 5. Next week you will be able to join these applications together on your new Google homepage.
Discovery Resources
- List of Google products
- Tour of Google Maps
- Wikipedia entry on Google
- Wikipedia entry 'Criticism of Google'
Discovery Exercise
1. Try finding your University of Queensland campus and your home on Google Maps.
2. Use Google Maps to find directions from one location to another. For example, from the St Lucia campus to the Ipswich campus. For this, you'll need to know both the start and finish address as a street location. Try finding directions from one location to another by going to 'Get directions' mode.
3. Log in to Google Docs and create a new 'Document'.
Notice the 'File' button near the top left. This gives you access to save or print the document, or to 'Export'.
Saving the document keeps it in your Google account, so you can access it from any computer.
When you want to send the document to someone as a Word document, you would use 'Export as Word'.
4. Finally, create a post in your blog telling the world about Google MAPS and Google DOCS. What did you think?
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