Google Maps has been with us since 2005. Back then, most likely, the company had no idea what would develop from the project. Today, it represents one of the most sophisticated applications of its kind and is used by a huge number of users, whether for planning trips and trips or as navigation. Google Maps can offer quite interesting and often unusual views as well as some functions that are not well known.
A view into space
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be outside the Earth while viewing Google Maps? Yes, it is possible, because the application allows you to look into space thanks to the cooperation with the ISS in the satellite view. Just choose Planet display and then zoom out to explore our solar system. There are over 20 objects to choose from, including selected planets and moons, and the map even shows specific named locations when you zoom in. It's entertaining to say the least, but also educational.
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Time travel
If someone has ever told you that time travel is an unrealistic idea, Google Maps actually does. Just click on the link in Street View mode See more dates and suddenly you can easily transport yourself 14 years into the past. The function allows viewing in different time periods, so you can compare how places have changed over the past years. In some places you can hardly tell the difference, but in others you can see the repaired facades of houses or disappearing shops. In the case of Olomouc, which is well known to me, you can for example observe what the location where the Šantovka shopping center is today looked like before construction began, then during construction and today, and I must say that it is an interesting sight with a slightly nostalgic touch. However, it is also possible to travel through time in the same way, for example near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and many other places.
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Saving time
Time can also be saved with Google Maps. Specifically, using a function Favorite times. It fairly reliably informs about the busyness of the given locality, whether it is a museum, a popular shop or a cafe. It can also be very useful if, for example, you plan to visit a branch of the Czech Post or another institution. Thanks to this data, it is possible to plan a visit at a time when you will not have to stand in long queues or squeeze in a crowd of other interested parties. So you can see the place or use its services in peace and quiet and really enjoy it (unless it's the authorities, of course).
Lists
Another lesser-known, but no less useful functionality that can be used within Google Maps is the creation of lists. This can be used, for example, when planning a vacation and places you would like to visit on the way, but also in everyday life. You can save both specific places and travel plans, create new lists and sort items according to various criteria. The procedure is very simple, enter a place in the search, for example your favorite cafe, and then click the button Impose. The Save to Your Lists menu opens where you can use Favorites, Want to Visit, Itineraries, Starred Places or Create a new list. Users who use Google Maps relatively often can easily develop a rather interesting mosaic of favorite places over time.
Privacy
You may have already discovered objects that were blurred while browsing maps in Street View mode. In most cases, this is not caused by the fact that the part of the image is not loaded, but by the fact that someone has asked to blur that part. If you don't want someone peeking at your begonias outside your window, or even your car in front of your house, you can do that too, by simply entering your home address in Street View mode, clicking on the familiar three dots at the top left and choosing Report a problem. All that's left to do is type in what you want Google to blur and you're done. It's not entirely clear how the tech giant from Silicon Valley finds out if you're actually the owner of a particular object, but in any case, it warns you that this step can't be taken back.
Maybe we've inspired you and you're taking a trip through time, into space, or just streamlining your vacation planning or saving time you'd otherwise spend standing in line, in any of these cases Google Maps can be of help.
