Google Earth Review

Yesterday, I downloaded Google Earth version 4.3. I've been using Google Earth for some time now (although not on a regular basis), and I think they've made it better than ever!

The basics - Google Earth is an interactive globe/mapping hybrid. Zoom in to any place on earth, or search for it and let Google Earth do all the work. You can put pins on any place, give it a label, and save it for later viewing. While browsing around in the viewer, you can zoom, tilt, rotate and move. This is done by way of controls at the top right hand of the screen. They conveniently hide when your mouse is not hovering on them.

The most useful function of Google Earth is layers. Turning these on shows you a wide variety of things - street names, restaurants, schools, and user content. Beware, though, that sometimes the layers aren't completely accurate. If you are trying to find a specific place, enter its address in the search bar instead. The best layer, in my opinion, is the 'transportation' layer. When I turn that layer on, I can see all the bus stops on any route in my city. Very useful if I need to know exactly where to be dropped off!

The coolest thing about the new version is the inclusion of Street View for select American cities. This has been on their maps for a while and is quite controversial, but for me the cool factor trumps controversy. Street views are just that - views from the street. What does it matter if the person seeing you is at their computer or walking past you? The images aren't usually high-resolution anyhow.

Enough digression - let me discuss the Street Views and how they function. Just turn on the 'Street View' layer and, if you're looking at one of the 'magic' cities, you will see little camera icons popping up all over. Double click one of those icons, and you will be brought into a 360 degree view of that part of the street. You can turn the view around and see everything (although it would be nice to see vertically, especially in the NYC view). Want to see the next view? Click the little camera icon next to your current view. Want to go farther, faster? Exit the Street View and click on another camera icon at the place you want to view.

I think the Street View is a logical extension of the satellite view on Google Earth. Once you use Street View, the regular view won't be enough for you. I hope Google adds Street View for other cities in the future (including cities in other countries, of course).

Google Earth is much more than a map service. You can see the current weather, and even the stars! That's right, you can do some amateur astronomy right from your computer. Maybe they should call it Google Universe now?

Google Earth's layers and information are built on a coding language called KML. Anyone who knows how to use this code can make their own layers and use them in Google Earth. Google has a directory with some of these user-created layers. I started using them today, and I really enjoy Virtual Tourism videos. If Street View is the next level, this feature is another level beyond that!

Google Earth is mapping technology taken to the extreme. Sure, you can get by with regular mapping services, Google's included. But you can't zoom around in a map. You can't use layers in a map, not like you can with Google Earth. It's useful, fun, and one of the best programs around!

You can download Google Earth as part of the Google Pack here or download the program directly from here.