Comments on: Google’s Building Maker and the importance of fun http://www.techiteasy.org/2009/11/16/googles-building-maker-and-the-importance-of-fun/ A Technology and Business Weblog provided to You by a Global Group of Friends. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:29:11 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: kari http://www.techiteasy.org/2009/11/16/googles-building-maker-and-the-importance-of-fun/#comment-5185 kari Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:45:48 +0000 http://www.techiteasy.org/?p=2401#comment-5185 Well, while a lot of stuff happened in the virtual reality, Metaverse, in Snow Crash, they did have a pretty cool implementation of google in the real world, where one could get real-time (or historical) satellite feeds on a map among other things. Sure, it didn't play any big part in the story, but it was there. The service was called... Earth. > A globe about the size of a grapefruit, a perfectly detailed rendition of Planet Earth, hanging in space at arm's length in front of his eyes. Hiro has heard about this but never seen it. It is a piece of CIC software called, simply, Earth. It is the user interface that CIC uses to keep track of every bit of spatial information that it owns - all the maps, weather data, architectural plans, and satellite surveillance stuff. Sounds pretty similar, don't you think? Well, while a lot of stuff happened in the virtual reality, Metaverse, in Snow Crash, they did have a pretty cool implementation of google in the real world, where one could get real-time (or historical) satellite feeds on a map among other things. Sure, it didn't play any big part in the story, but it was there. The service was called… Earth.

> A globe about the size of a grapefruit, a perfectly detailed rendition of Planet Earth, hanging in space at arm's length in front of his eyes. Hiro has heard about this but never seen it. It is a piece of CIC software called, simply, Earth. It is the user interface that CIC uses to keep track of every bit of spatial information that it owns – all the maps, weather data, architectural plans, and satellite surveillance stuff.

Sounds pretty similar, don't you think?

]]> By: Vincent van Wylick http://www.techiteasy.org/2009/11/16/googles-building-maker-and-the-importance-of-fun/#comment-5184 Vincent van Wylick Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:34:35 +0000 http://www.techiteasy.org/?p=2401#comment-5184 Making an awful big jump from Snow Crash to Google Maps, I think… but maybe you're right and eventually we never have to visit anywhere again and can still experience it. *watch this space* as I'm starting a company focussed on just that. :) Making an awful big jump from Snow Crash to Google Maps, I think… but maybe you're right and eventually we never have to visit anywhere again and can still experience it.

*watch this space* as I'm starting a company focussed on just that. :)

]]> By: Vincent van Wylick http://www.techiteasy.org/2009/11/16/googles-building-maker-and-the-importance-of-fun/#comment-5189 Vincent van Wylick Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:56:59 +0000 http://www.techiteasy.org/?p=2401#comment-5189 i.e. mobile GPS and augmented reality in mobile phones. I see a very different (parallel) future ahead of us than envisioned in Snow Crash, although I wasn't kidding about *watching this space.* i.e. mobile GPS and augmented reality in mobile phones. I see a very different (parallel) future ahead of us than envisioned in Snow Crash, although I wasn't kidding about *watching this space.*

]]> By: Vincent van Wylick http://www.techiteasy.org/2009/11/16/googles-building-maker-and-the-importance-of-fun/#comment-5188 Vincent van Wylick Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:54:00 +0000 http://www.techiteasy.org/?p=2401#comment-5188 except for the fact that we use Google Maps/Earth as a supplement to real life, while in Snow Crash it was a substitute. except for the fact that we use Google Maps/Earth as a supplement to real life, while in Snow Crash it was a substitute.

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