Flat maps are so 7000 BC. With modern computers, we have the technology to render the world in its true form (ignoring conspiracies): a globe. Or oblate spheroid, if you prefer. Which is why it’s a surprise it took Google this long to adopt a rotatable, third-dimension for Maps.
There’s nothing on Google’s official blog for Maps that mentions the change, which could suggest it’s still in testing. Not that there’s much to test — it doesn’t really add much to the site’s functionality, other than coolness and the thing is still called “Google Maps”.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2017/11/the-men-who-believe-the-earth-is-flat/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/flatearth.jpg” title=”The Men Who Believe The Earth Is Flat” excerpt=”Let me tell you about John. John is a great guy. A good Doctor. A loving husband and a great Father. John is all these things and more. But one tiny detail, not evident. Not immediately. John believes the earth is flat. John absolutely believes the world is flat.”]
At first I thought it might be a two-stage thing, switching from 2D to 3D when you zoom out far enough, but if you look carefully, you’ll sense a “globe-ness” when you navigate around regardless of distance, which suggests it’s permanently 3D.
Fingers crossed this is a prelude to what I like to call “Google Galaxy”, where you can zoom all the way out and see the entirety of the Milky Way. A man can dream.
[Google Maps, via Ausdroid]