Google just closed out today’s Searchology event with an incredibly impressive application called SkyMap, made for Android phones. The application is launching today on Android Marketplace, and is definitely a must-have.
At first glance, the application seems like a basic interactive starmap. You can flick through space, looking at your favorite stars and including overlays of constellations. But the application also houses far more impressive functionality. By tapping into the phone’s compass and accelerometer, SkyMap can serve as a virtual viewfinder for space – just point the phone in any direction in the sky, and the application will tell you which stars you’re looking at.
If there’s a specific constellation you’re looking for you can search through the application’s database, and SkyMap will help you find it in the sky, using an intuitive arrow system to tell you which direction to turn. When you get close, a circle will a appear on the screen surrounding the stars that make up the constellation. It’s really a stargazer’s dream come true.
Perhaps even more exciting: this is just a taste of what’s to come from our mobile devices. Phones are quickly becoming far more than communication tools – they’re becoming tools that streamline and enhance our lives. And now they can tell what we’re looking at in the real world, serving up contextually relevant information in real time.
This has been in the MarketPlace for a while has it not ? My girlfriend definitely showed me something similar on her G1 phone while traveling near the equator (where we could actually see the stars).
This is one of the most interesting application for the Android platform. This has been on the Android platform for quite some time now, but this could be the official release.
If you have an android phone… grab this app and be amazed.
A must-have for astronomers I’m not sure how much others will use it though.
Maybe those guys that sell stars will find it useful. I can see it now, people buying up all the viewable stars to resell and tack on ads. It will be like the land rush of the late 1800s or the domain rush of the 1990s. How exciting….Not!
So how long until it’s released on the iPhone? ;)
About nine months — backward.
iPhone already has such applications, I think that Starmap is the best one (basic version is from autumn 2008, Pro version was released this spring).
See http://www.star-map.fr/ and compare this Android video with Starmap Pro video.
But to be honest, Android has one plus — iPhone doesn’t have compass. But who cares…
isnt the new iphone supposed to have a compass too ? So we should see that app on the iphone too if google doesnt want it to be android exclusive.
The app Skymap has been on the Android market for several months now. Google must have bought it from the developer and updated it. It’s much faster now with this update.
but of course no-one remembers that this sort of stuff has been old hat for Windows Mobile users for ages….
eg: http://nomadelectronics.com/
Don’t forget the free open source Stellarium for your large devices (any OS): http://stellarium.org
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