TORONTO – Google has introduced a new tool called Google Earth called ‘Tour Builder‘ that will allow users to map out and share life events using photos and videos.
The feature, still in beta phase, allows users to create a map – just like they do on Google Maps – using Google Earth’s 3D imagery of the world. As users drop pins to mark different locations on their tour, they can add photos, videos and text.
“We originally created Tour Builder to give veterans a way to record all the places that military service has taken them, and preserve their stories and memories as a legacy for their families,” reads the FAQ section of the Tour Builder website.
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“But we also thought it could be a useful tool for anyone with a story to tell, so we made it available to everyone.”
Google also hopes that the tool will encourage teachers to embrace technology in the classroom and use Tour Builder to teach lessons about geography or history. The Internet giant includes an example of New Jersey high school teacher Bobby Lake who built a map of the geography of the Revolutionary War.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYnQ8A7QNig
Other examples Google has featured include a map of electronic musicians MNDR and Chromeo on tour, showing different venues from Toronto to Los Angeles, and a look at one woman’s journey in Japan at the end of WWII.
To create a story on Tour Builder, users must first download and install the Google Earth plugin (available for Windows and Mac OSX 10.6 and over). After logging into the Tour Builder website, users can give their new map a title and begin dropping pins. Like any Google Map a Tour Builder map can be set to public or private.
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