Google Maps Now Shows Floorplans of Retail Stores

Google Maps has unveiled maps of 10,000 indoor locations around the world, providing the floor plans for retail stores, airports and more.

The indoor floor plans have already been available to Android users for some time, but the maps have just recently become available to anyone with a Web browser.

“Simply zoom in on a building on Google Maps and you’ll automatically see a detailed floor plan with helpful labels for gates at the airport, stores within the mall, departments within a retail shop, as well as ATMS, restrooms and more,” the company said on their Google+ post.

Google is also allowing retail and venue owners to add their own floor plans to the system.

Ash Cloud Goes Around the World in 14 Days

Ash from a Chilean volcano that has been erupting for nearly two weeks has circled the globe and come home again.

The cloud — which has disrupted flights in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Australia and New Zealand on its around-the-world trip — on Friday forced Chilean officials to cancel domestic flights for the first time since the Cordon Caulle volcano began erupting June 4.

LAN airlines suspended flights to the cities of Puerto Montt, Coyhaique and Punta Arenas in the far south of the South American country. While ash from Cordon Caulle has wreaked havoc with air travel abroad, it had left Chile's internal flights largely untouched until Friday.

On Thursday, the government of the Argentine province of Neuquen declared an economic emergency to aid towns where falling ash from Chile's volcano is endangering livestock and keeping tourists away.

The decree by Gov. Jorge Sapag will mean that those affected can receive tax benefits, among other measures.

The ash has blanketed towns across the border in Argentina.

In the area of Villa La Angostura up to one foot of ash has accumulated on the ground. The eruption came just as resorts in the mountain towns were preparing for ski season.

Argentina's regional airports in Patagonia have also been shut down for more than a week due to the cloud of fine grit, which can damage airplane engines.

Air Traffic Controller Falls Asleep

And you too can listen live.

I have to admit, I have the LIVEATC app for my iPad so I can listen to air traffic controllers and pilots as they fly into and out of various airports.

If I would've been listening to the feed coming from Washinton Reagan in the wee hours of Wednesday morning I would've caught this...

A veteran air traffic controller who was staffing the tower at Washington Reagan National Airport early Wednesday has admitted he was napping when two airplanes tried unsuccessfully to contact the tower.

One plane was able to talk with a regional controller and pulled the jet from 400 feet to 1,000 feet, circling the airport before landing safely a few minutes past midnight. Around that time, another aircraft from Chicago was coming into range.

While the airport usually has two traffic controllers working during the day, only one controller works the overnight shift. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood ordered the Federal Aviation Administration to add a second controller to midnight traffic at Reagan. "It is not acceptable to have just one controller in the tower managing air traffic in this critical air space," he said.  The incident at Reagan garnered national attention because it is located just a few miles from the Pentagon, the White House, and the U.S. Capitol.

It's a great app, and you can listen to airports all over the world.  Too bad I never get to hear anything that interesting.