Audi's system will use a UMTS modem to allow data transfer for the navigation system, downloading maps and integrating Internet search into the multimedia interface so a user can ask it to search for "Cabinet maker" and then pull the results up on the display. The onboard computer also matches street data with the Google Earth 3D terrain model to provide route guidance over the map.

A few years ago this was show at CES as a future concept. Well, the future is here.

The new Audi A8 – with Google at the leading edge of Connectivity

In early 2010 Audi will be bringing the next generation of the A8 to the starting line. The new flagship and its online services further demonstrate the brand's proverbial Vorsprung durch Technik, by bringing a variety of Google services and information to the luxury sedan via the internet. The services will be available in selected markets.
The new A8 has set the bar at new heights with regard to multimedia technology. Its multimedia interface (MMI) navigation plus features among other innovations, a highly evolved operating concept incorporating a touchpad – known as MMI touch. Also included are an integrated hard disk for navigation, phone and audio data and a graphics processor capable of generating high-quality, three dimensional images. The MMI analyzes navigation data predictively, relaying information to the control units managing the automatic cruise control with Stop & Go, adaptive lights and the 8-speed tiptronic gearbox so that these systems can precisely adapt their function to conditions well in advance.
Equally state-of-the-art are the Audi online services which allow the new A8 to retrieve up-to-date information from the internet via the optionally integrated GPRS/EDGE modem in the MMI navigation plus. The user can search online with Google for points-of-interest directly from within the MMI, the versatile search engine accepting such free text search queries as "delicatessen" or "shoe boutique".  The results are then displayed on the onboard map or used as destinations for route calculation.
Highly comfortable: Destination planning at home
The data connection enables a further comfortable feature. A8 customers can plan their navigation destinations in Google Maps or the Audi web portal at home or in the office and retrieve these on demand in the car.
In mid 2010 Audi will further enhance its suite of online services with a new UMTS modem. This enables faster data transfer as well as simultaneous voice and data connections, and allows Audi to set a world first with the integration of Google Earth in the MMI navigation plus. High resolution three-dimensional satellite and aerial imagery for the entire globe and a worldwide database of photos and information articles are only some of the fascinating new features. With Google Earth on the MMI's 8 inch LCD display the new Audi A8 allows its occupants to discover the world from above. The Google Earth imagery and 3D terrain model are combined with the detailed street network from the onboard navigation database as well as calculated routes in a seamless integration of online and offline content.
To use the new online services the customer simply needs to insert their SIM card in the MMI Navigation plus or pair their mobile phone with the MMI over the Bluetooth SIM-Access-Profile. Aside from the Customer's existing mobile phone data plan, no additional contracts are required.
First shown as a prototype with Google in January 2006 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas/USA, the new online services can be experienced in the new A8 as a result of a close collaboration between Audi and Google development teams worldwide.

Areas suffering from deforestation (including illegal logging) can be analyzed and detected instantly, with Google's ultra-fast satellite imagery-processors turning out reports that could be handed over to the government or anti-forestation groups. Normally it'd take several days for that sort of report to be processed, but as Google's invested so much in Google Earth, and it's high-speed servers, they're the perfect company to help tackle the growing problem. [Fast Company]

Liquid Galaxy is an outgrowth of an older project called Street View Holodeck, which grabbed Street View imagery from all angles to simulate the effect of driving down the road, albeit twitchily, as if you were slightly dosed on some kind of low-grade hallucinogen. Liquid Galaxy takes the same hardware—a rack of anywhere from four to eight HDTVs, mounted vertically—connected to a bay of computers, and lets you fly.

What's the experience like? You'll have to ask a Google's Jason Holt, one of the few people to man the controls of this not-quite-a-flight-simulator, uh, thing:

The effect was pretty stunning: all of a sudden, flying around in Google Earth really felt like flying, and exploring the ocean trenches was like piloting a submarine. When you splashed through the sea surface you cringed slightly, expecting to get wet. You could even command your own lander down to the Moon or Mars. It was amazing to all of us how much more impressive Google Earth felt when we were surrounded by screens and able to turn our heads to look around (and even walk around). It felt more like a ride than a computer program, something between an observation-deck and a glass-walled spaceship.

Sadly, the only way to try one of these things is to catch it while it's on the road, at a selection of trade shows that you aren't invited to. That said, if you were planning on going to the American Geophysical Union Conference later this month anyway, don't forget the dramamine. Or the beer. [Google]

Along with the custom maps, the update brings more languages and better performance. Anyone managed to get the update yet? [Google Lat Long Blog]

One day Larry and Sergey bought Android, and I didn't even notice. Think about the strategic opportunities that has created. Sergey found Google Earth one day while he was surfing on the Web. And then he walked into my office and told me he bought them. "And I said, "for how much," Sergey?" And it turned out to be a few million.

Think about it: Google goes around buying companies, and the CEO doesn't even know about it. Now carry that forward to its logical conclusion.

Man, who would've thought Fake Steve nailed it that hard? [Media Memo via Alley Insider]

Right now, all the data displayed is anonymous, which makes up for a cool looking technology. You could see a football game in real time or the actual traffic in your route to work. Eventually, you will be able to see clouds moving, the weather changing, and even birds move in real time.

Now, put on your tin foil hat and imagine.

Imagine that someone is able to tag you in some way. In theory, it could be as easy as having access to one of the CCTV cameras and this system. You mark a car on the screen and, provided that you have enough cameras along the way, the technology would be able to follow the vehicle wherever it goes. In England, for example, this will be really easy to do, because there are CCTV cameras absolutely everywhere. And let's not talk about RFID tags.

Of course, I'm sure that no government agency will be interested in using this for controlling someone's movements. Why would they?

Now, excuse me while I go pack and move to an island in the Maldives. [PopSci]

According to the lighthouse of journalism and one of its experts—reader and security guard Jason Cooke, 25, of Nottingham—this is it. The real monster. Jason's scientific description leaves no room for doubt:

I couldn't believe it. It's just like the descriptions of Nessie.

But if that white thing is the Loch Ness monster, what are the blue thingies next to it? The top one seems like a giant snake. The lower one... I think the lower one may be a Loch Ness monster's monster poop. And the snake is pissed off because it hates floaters, so it's running away. For shame! [The Sun]

I can't count how many times I've been been through the Apollo 11 mission—in movies, books, documentaries and elsewhere—but I still found the Google Earth reenactment, with its Sketchup-modeled spacecraft and informative voiceover, completely engaging. Historical image data, Street-View-like landing site exploration and Google Earth's requisite zooming and swooshing are enough for anyone to get lost in for a few minutes, and for NASA nerds to get sucked in for an entire afternoon. [Google]

Curtis describes the project like this:

This Google Earth project offers an extensive mapping of North Korea's economic, cultural, political, and military infrastructures. Through the topic menu, users of this program have easy access to geographical information on North Korea's agriculture projects, aviation facilities, communications, hospitals, hotels, energy infrastructure, financial services, leisure destinations, manufacturing facilities, markets, mines, religious locations, restaurants, schools, and transportation infrastructure. In addition to locations of economic interest, this map also displays anti-aircraft locations, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and Northern Line Limit Line (NLL), incarceration facilities, political monuments, political residencies, military bases, and nuclear facilities.

As you can see, it really includes everything you can think about, from nuclear power plants to military communication towers to ostrich farms to not-secret-anymore prison camps. And of course, all surrounded by all kind of crap and poverty, all courtesy of Kim Jong-il, one of the biggest asses in the history of evil dictators.

How did Curtis get all this info? Easy—and risky: Using his own trips and a network of curious amateur spies who have been visiting the country through these two years. Truly impressive work. [Get it here via Gadling—Thanks Genevieve]

The painting stood for almost a year until a helicopter noticed it and contacted the Sun newspaper. The Sun followed up by contacting the owner who thought the whole thing must be some sort of joke:

He said: "It's an April Fool's joke, right? There's no way there's a 60ft phallus on top of my house."

Oh yes, Mr. McInnes, there is definitely a 60-foot wang on top of your house. Now what are you going to do about it? Does it involve a belt? A lifetime grounding perhaps?

The boy's father appeared to take the prank in good humour.

But he said: "When Rory gets home he will be given a scrubbing brush and white spirit and he can go and scrub it off."

Oh yeah, that will teach him. Rory did get his comeuppance...in a way. Despite his prank, the house roof remains penis-free according to Google. [Telegraph]

Conclusion 1: This Is Atlantis, Dammit!

The enigmatic lines were found under the sea off the north-western coast of Africa. This location is awfully close to one of the spots Plato, Legendary Smart Dude, had pinpointed as a possible resting place of Atlantis. In addition, the site is about the same size as Plato described. And if we accept Google's explanation, why is this the first such grid we've seen, in this very suspicious location?

Conclusion 2: It's Not Atlantis, Dammit!

Google claims that the lines are remnants of the sonar traces left by boats as they surveyed the area. Plus, Plato described Atlantis as being designed as a series of concentric circles, not a grid. Sub-argument: Plato's description of Atlantis was fictional, and the entire internet is really bored.

I think the arguments speak for themselves. ATLANTIS IS OBVIOUSLY REAL! [CNET, Google]

Hanke is the guy directly in charge of both Google Earth and Google Maps, and he's not at a loss for words when defending his product with all the ferocity of a proud little league parent. From The Sydney Morning Herald:

"The evilness is in the philosophies and the desires of those that want to do evil. They will use the tools at hand to do that, whether it's throwing a Molotov cocktail, or shooting a rifle or using some piece of technology as part of the process."
...

"If Google Earth didn't exist, would they have used a tourist map they could have bought or was the real intelligence actually coming from an on-the-ground informant who was working in the hotel and drawing layouts of everything on a napkin?"

The basic argument seems to be, do you blame the gun, the gun owner or the gun manufacturer when some innocent civilian gets shot? And in Google's case, they are even another step beyond this greyness, maybe the publisher of a general interest book on ballistics—I don't know, this metaphor is going down in flames quickly.

Read a lot more from Hanke at this link: [SMH]

It looks really incredible, and we're totally installing it right now. Can't wait to see what the historical imagery turns up! [Google Earth via Twitter/Harry McCracken]

Police weren't specifically looking for the farm at the time of the bust, but were using the mapping software for a larger investigation when they serendipitously stumbled upon the farm in question. As a result of Google's Big Brother technology, the police confiscated 1.2 tons of marijuana, arrested 16 people, and collected $900,000 in cash and valuables.

That sound you hear? It's rastas around the world softly crying themselves to sleep (every time a pound of high grade is confiscated, one dies). [AP via Breit Bart]

Julian Bayliss was looking around Google Earth for a new conservation project when he came across patches of green in Mozambique that appeared to be previously unexplored. Sure enough, those green patches were "7,000 hectares of forest, rich in biodiversity" that had been left untouched by scientists thanks to minor blips like miserable terrain and constant civil war.

An expedition launched in the fall to Mount Mabu discovered three new species of butterflies, a new Gaboon viper than can kill a human in a single bite, along with all kinds of other wildlife, like 200 types of butterflies and tropical plants, all in a matter of weeks.

The expedition leader, Jonathan Timberlake, says that this could just be the beginning—Google Earth might help scientists find other undiscovered pockets of biodiversity in areas like Mozambique and Papua New Guinea that haven't been fully explored. I've got my fingers crossed for hobbits and Big Foot. [Telegraph - Thanks Adam!]

The Google Earth Blog estimates that the new New York City (captured here with Google Earth Pro) has seen an update with hundreds, if not thousands of new buildings. That wild estimate sounds right to us, as here's what the skyline looked like in January 2007:
Sure, this is just one city, but it's a sign of where Google Earth can go. Scratch that, it's a sign of where Google Earth is going. Really, really, really neat stuff (that will be a gloriously mundane commonplace in a few more years). [Google Earth Blog via CrunchGear]

Overall, the whole thing works really well. Performance is good, at least over Wi-Fi, though it can get occasionally janky. Google has overlaid areas of interest with Wikipedia and Panoramio links that pop up with info or sweet photos in an in-app browser, in addition to giving it the iPhone-standard "locate me" GPS powers to find stuff around you. It's free, and zipping around mountain ranges with a fingers like a demigod just 'cause you feel like it is awesome-o, so definitely grab it now. [iTunes]

The 72-inch IR-pen screen is priced at $3,000, and a similar version that uses camera triangulation from cameras mounted on the top of the bezel for actual finger touch control will set you back $4,000. As you can see in the video, the finger-touch seems to be a bit finicky, but the IR pen control is smooth as silk. [CEDIA 2008]

nLighten Technologies introduces three 60 inch & 72 inch Touch Screen DLP
Rear Projection Displays
Superior Pictures & Easy Intuitive Display through Superior Technologies

Denver/CEDIA EXPO 2008 – (September 3, 2008) – nLighten Technologies Inc. an innovative
products provider, as well as manufacturer of specialty displays and residential displays,
today introduced its 72 inch finger touch screen, DT7200. This new product adds to its
core line ups of 60 inch and 72 inch pen touch DLP Rear Projection Displays, IT6002 and
IT7202. The product is ideal for conference room, point of information display, or
classroom. nLighten is committed to fulfill the fast growth for high-definition super large
display with touch screen capability.

Keeping pace with market trends, the nLighten DT7200 offers high definition resolution
(1920 x 1080: 1080P) which enables users to take advantage of the latest high definition
video or PC content and enjoy true HD video playback without compensating clarity of
pictures. In addition, the superior technology of Texas Instrument’s DLP-engine provides
greater contrast and deep black levels for richer detail in dark scenes on 72 inch large screen
DT7200 incorporates high sensitivity camera sensors for faster response, a much superior
product as it compare to other technologies that use films or coatings over the screen,
eliminating ghosting, and trailing images.

nLighten’s IT6002 and IT7202 have pen touch feature which turn your conference room,
classroom or media room in your residence into an interactive room. IT6002 and IT7202’s
large touch-sensitive displays invite your audiences to focus on the presentation materials
and retain information easier.
h&72inch TouchScreenDLP
riorTechnologies
Collaborating large screen high definition displays and touch function, nLighten’s new
DT7200, 72 inch Finger Touch screen DLP Display, and IT6002 and IT7202, 60 inch and 72
inch Pen Touch screen DLP Displays, offer fast and precise response to the movement and
can be enhanced by featuring nLighten’s software solution for interactive eboard
application.
“Touch screens are an efficient and intuitive way to access and interact with on-display
information, and appeal to a wide variety of users and applications”, said nLighten President
Jack Kuo. “The technology of finger touch compliments nLighten’s standard display line
ups.” “We recognize the increase demand for touch screen capability with large screen size
displays from our channel partners. “
nLighten is showing all three True High Definition Touch Screen DLP Rear Projection Displays
at CEDIA EXPO 2008 booth #826, September 4 ~7, 2008, Denver, CO.

About nLighten
nLighten Technologies Inc. is a research and development of large screen size HD DLP
Display. With office located in Fremont, CA, and its manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China,
nLighten is becoming a global leader of specialty display technology providing large screen
high definition monitors and ATSC TVs for most demanding environments such as
conference room, classroom, and home theater. Home theater Enthusiasts depend on
nLighten to provide superior performance when image quality is the highest expectation.
For more information, visit www.nlighten.com.
Phihong USA Corporation, a subsidiary of Phihong Technology Co., Ltd. , Taiwan, is the
exclusive distributor to market the full line of nLighten products and does the technical
supports for North American market.