Google Apps Hacks

225  - GEOTAG YOUR PHOTOS AND SHARE THEM ON GOOGLE MAPS

HaCK

# 92

HaCK 92:

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Connect photos to locations, and drop the whole bundle onto

Google Maps for easy sharing.

Geotagging is the term for adding location information to images (among other media and data).

Maybe that beautiful sunset was photographed in Ibiza, Spain, or the porcelain hamster snapshot

is from an antique shop in Chicago. You know, and maybe your friend knows, but the computer

programs dealing with your pictures may not know—though if you teach them, they can add a

bunch of otherwise unavailable extra services on top of your photo albums.

In Google’s Picasa Web Albums (http://picasaweb.google.com), geotagging is easy and visual. Just

locate your album and within it, your photo. Now in the bottom right of the page, as shown in Figure

9-17, you will notice a link reading “Add location.” Follow this link and a map dialog pops up where

you can set the location where the photo was taken. For instance, I’ve entered “ibiza, spain” into the

search box (no quotes), as shown in Figure 9-18, checked the map for accuracy, and conrmed with

the Save location button.

Your photo will now display a small map next to it whenever you view it. Repeat this process of

geotagging for all of your photos where it makes sense. Note that you will be able to drag and drop the

location