Google Maps’ latest feature lets you measure distance & draw on the world

Thanks to Google Maps’ new measurement tool, this reporter now knows his apartment is exactly 2.88 miles from VentureBeat’s New York office and 2,556.26 miles from VentureBeat’s San Francisco office.

You, too, can acquire such distance-related knowledge by using the updated Google Maps web app — just right click and select “Measure Distance” to begin dropping points on the map. Each click on an empty area creates a new point, while clicking on an existing point removes it. You can drag existing points to tweak their position.

The tool may be useful for runners or cyclists looking to measure their routes by distance. You can also use the tool to make fun drawings, as Google demonstrated.

More specialized apps including Free Map Tools and GeoDistance already offered this functionality on top of Google Maps, but now it’s part of the core Maps feature set.

Above: A man-shaped route through Central Park.

Image Credit: Google

More about the companies and people from this article:

• Google

Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major glob.