Google Earth, A Cool Tool!
 

Today Google introduced Google Earth, a free earthviewer application at http://earth.google.com You need high-speed internet to use it effectively.

For some US cities, it features 3-D data. To demonstrate, run the application and turn on the 3D Building layer. Then type Tremont Hotel, Chicago, IL into the search box and click Search.

Zoom in to get a clear view of the hotel and notice the cars parked out front.

After a minute or so for downloading data (YMMV), click the tilt control and the view will gradually change from a looking-down vertical view to a looking obliquely and then looking horizontally. Press one of the "circle-arrow" buttons and you will fly around the hotel! Press another arrow and fly around the countryside wherever you want to go.

After all the oohs and ahhhs have subsided, type 1416 Shrader St., San Francisco, CA (or some other address) in the search box and prepare to be teleported across the US in seconds.

Have fun!

Too Cool
 

Goodbye Mapquest, hello Google Earth! The graphics are unbelievable. I am totally captivated by it! Thanks to the OP. With that said, i am heading back over to Google Earth. :cool:

Google Earth Rocks!
 

I downloaded it this morning and already I'm hooked! I'm contemplating subscribing to Google Earth Plus and paying the $20 per year for the additional features.

Two words: Tre Mendous ^^^^^^^^

Looks like Keyhole, rebranded for Google. It's been around a long time, and it is quite cool.

Wow, this thing is awesome! :cool:

FewMiles..

darn...doesn't work on a mac... :(

This thing has to be the all time king of timewasters. I am hopelessly addicted already. ^

It is--or rather was--Keyhole. Google bought Keyhole last year so it is a bit more than a re-branding. One nice difference is that Keyhole was $299 to purchase; Google Earth is $0.00! ^ ^ ^

Keyhole has been $29 for some time now, I wonder what they will do for me as a former keyhole subscriber?.....

(Speechless). I can see the square I live on here in Novosibirsk, Russia, and that is Siberia! :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

Keyhole was $29 after the free demo (which Google Earth recognized and told me had expired when I went to install it). Google Earth also has $20 and $400 versions with higher resolution.

I'll take a free version though. WorldWind still has some things GE doesn't, but it's neat to play with both of them. And I do mean play.

email them
 

email them, if you had a keyhole product. I got a new google earth 20$ code to use, not the pro though.

Now, the only problem I see with the product is functionality. I cannot get it to work yet on my T41, since it doesn't have a full smokin 3D graphics card. That is a limitation in my view.

They have already closed the beta:

The Earth At Night (Beta Temporarily Closed)

Welcome, frustrated would-be planet surfer.

We appreciate your interest in accessing 3D geospatial information, but due to the technical limitations of this beta launch, Google Earth has been forced to take a brief breather. Please check back with us soon.

Thanks,

The Google Earth Team

Too popular - closed
 

When trying to download it, following received:

The Earth At Night (Beta Temporarily Closed)

Welcome, frustrated would-be planet surfer.

We appreciate your interest in accessing 3D geospatial information, but due to the technical limitations of this beta launch, Google Earth has been forced to take a brief breather. Please check back with us soon.

Thanks,

The Google Earth Team

I just logged on and it's working fine.

Yes, but the downloads have been halted, those that got the application are fine.

What's all they hype about? I've seen my house from sat photos before. These aren't any different, nor is the resolution any better.

It just looks like the same stuff with a different UI.

not true
 

Not true, this version now lays data over the satellite and map data. For example, I pull up my house and then click on restaurants, and BOOM they all pop up on the map. I can search for starbucks, and then BOOM they are layed over the map.

Has anyone tried the 3d view on this, pretty cool. It interpolates the satellite data creating a real time 3D model of the area you are searching, you can fly around in it and zoom in and out. More than just neat. I have never seen that before in an online or free application.

pm
 

pm me and i'll email you the installer, or better yet, post it online.

Yes, please post it.
R.

Neat trick for restaraunts, Starbucks, etc... but I don't see the advantage of seeing the data presented that way vs on a traditional map.

Yes, you can zoom in / out, but it's really just zoom out. I can't zoom in to any higher resolution that I have already seen freely available.

well
 

well, on "other" maps, yahoo and mapquest, the topical data, such as restaurants, movie theatres, coffee shops, etc is not really presented too well. This one is like instantaneous and relevant. It is easy to see where they are going with this,

mobile!

link
 

here is the link, don't know how many dl's it will allow.

http://s35.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2...O16CPC315PJEK5

(removed: not relevant to discussion)

ha ha
 

ha ha winkydink, I saw your Post in the EMAIL preview.!!!

:-)

I feeel sooooooooo violated.

:D

I can't quite make out the logo on the plane deprting 1R at SFO...


What a great time-waster.....

I guess you haven't spent any time cruising streets with A9 search then. You'll never miss a storefront there. ^

Google Earth and WorldWind are all deriving from the same public sat. shots. I guess we'll see how Earth shakes out from a commercial, non-beta POV.

How many months has Google Mail been in beta now, and they still close at $300 give or take?! Hmmmmmmmmm... must be some kind of exhuberance... ;)

It's working right now.
R.

It's available for downloading again.

The problem with the photos is that they're outdated by (probably) 4 years or more. My neighbor's house shows an above ground pool, which they discarded the minute they moved in about 4 years ago.

Nevertheless, it certainly will be good/fun for we travelers.
R.

It all depends on the area, my region seems to be no more than 6 months old.

all depends
 

yeah, it all depends. Keyhole gets the data from the MAN, and contrary to what we might think the MAN doesn't like new photos of most metro areas. So, I think you will find strange gaps in coverage newness, depending on where the metro area is. I have been trying to place the date on the NYC satellite pictures, it certainly is post 911, but not much

Not available now to download :( anyone else got a link at all please ?

look up
 

look up about four posts

The keyhole bbs is cool, some pretty fun pinpoints there to load in Google earth :D

There area where I live has much less resolution than before.

Nothing to see there anyway :D

It is very cool :cool:

But my house is not on their maps yet :(