Track Santa on Christmas Eve!
Tracking Santa in Google Earth and Google Maps has become as much of a holiday tradition as stockings and Christmas carols. Visit www.noradsanta.org on Christmas Eve to follow Santa around the globe. Watch him fly over world wonders like the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Egypt, as well as famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and the Golden Gate Bridge - all in 3D! The journey begins at 7 a.m. GMT on December 24th at www.noradsanta.org.

48-screen Liquid Galaxy in Paris
Liquid Galaxy is an entirely new way to explore Google Earth. We are excited to share that the first 48 screen Liquid Galaxy is now on display in Paris. What started as a 20% project to support the new Google Cultural Institute resulted in a stunning display of the Earth in almost 100M pixels. The view is even sharper due to a refresh of the entire Paris area with higher resolution imagery. Can’t make it to France in the near future? Preview it at home by downloading this KML file.

Exploring Ancient Ruins in 3D
From his office chair in Perth, Professor Kennedy has remotely identified thousands of archaeological sites without having to step foot on Saudi Arabian or Yemeni soil. Historically it has been difficult to undertake ground surveys and aerial photographs of these areas are seldom available for research. By carefully studying satellite imagery of the Arabian peninsula in Google Earth, Professor Kennedy has unearthed an enormous record of archaeological sites, from ancient geoglyphs to stone Wheels to Pendant-shaped tombs and animal traps called kites that could be up to 9,000 years old.

Mapping now easier with the new Map Maker
With Google Map Maker, you can easily help ensure that the changing world around you is accurately reflected on the map. Add your favorite gift shop, the nearest tree farm, or even the golf course where you once got that hole in one. With 2012 approaching, we're getting a head start on our New Year's resolution to shed some excess weight and improve our overall appearance. Now, we’re revealing a new version of Google Map Maker to help users map the places they know best and make their hometowns sparkle on Google Maps. Visit the Google Lat Long Blog to find out more about this update.

New indoor Maps
“Where am I?” and “What’s around me?” are two questions that cartographers, and Google Maps, strive to answer. With Google Maps’ “My Location” feature, you can see where you are on the map to avoid walking the wrong direction on city streets, or to get your bearings if you’re hiking an unfamiliar trail. Google Maps also displays additional details, such as places, landmarks and geographical features, to give you context about what’s nearby. Now, Google Maps for Android enables you to figure out where you are and see where you might want to go when you’re indoors.

New and Updated Imagery
This month, our imagery team added hundreds of new images to Google Earth and Google Maps, including high-resolution aerial updates for the US, Paris, France and Catalonia and Zamora, Spain. Also available, are high-resolution satellite updates for Australia, Chile, Mexico, Qatar, Swaziland and more. Zoom into the Louvre in Paris, or explore the areas around Palm Springs, California by opening this KML file directly in Google Earth. Don't forget you can use the View > Historical Imagery feature to scroll through past imagery through a time slider.