Google Earth: A 3D interface to the planet

[Zed]

http://earth.google.com/index.html

Installed this most excellent application (10mb) today and had the family gathered around the pc for an hour checking out different cities of the world. Works best with Broadband or faster.

10 out of 10 from me!!

[sAsLEX]

http://www.googleearthhacks.com/

has some good stuff on it too

[Wolf]

Yep, it's pretty cool. Need broadband to get decent speed out of it, though, so I can't use it at home.

One of my workmates showed it to me ages back - he kept "flying' into buildings in NYC while shouting praises to Allah. It's so hard being a pagan when Christians like him are more OTT than me... He's also the guy who, while we were in the Warehouse, rearranged some of the male and female "kissing dolls" on display into male-male and female-female pairs! That bit in the "Lord's Prayer" is quite apt for him - he doesn't need to be led into temptation, he finds it more readily than I do!

[skelstar]

From what I can see its not supporting the Mac. Suck.

[riffer]

Yeah well it may not support the mac at present but at least it has an accurate picture of Infinite Loop, Cupertino, unlike a certain Seattle-based competing product...

which for some strange reason shows an empty lot.

[Joni]

Im gonna get me Maaa to make a big sign that says "hi Jo"... then I will have a lookie at Johannesburg

[Pixie]

Googlemaps works ok for dial-up

[phantom]

yeah been playing with it at work for a while now. Its interesting that if you "fly " to the white house and several other sensitive buildings that it's effectively greyed out ( can't see NZ's spy base either )

[Zed]

Its interesting that if you "fly " to the white house and several other sensitive buildings that it's effectively greyed out ( can't see NZ's spy base either )

Understandably so I suppose.

Does anyone know if this program is unique or are there other more sophisticated ones available? I see Google advertises a $400 Pro version too, not that I'm that keen, but it would be an awesome tool for business or educational purposes.

I think to be able to view our world like this is a massive achievement in IT!

[bungbung]

Have a look at a similar NASA program called "world wind" it wraps satellite and aerial pictures over contours.

[Zed]

Have a look at a similar NASA program called "world wind" it wraps satellite and aerial pictures over contours.

Great, thanks. Downloading the 45mb file now...better leave the pc for 1/2 an hour.

[Hitcher]

Oh my god! It isn't flat after all...

[zadok]

Good application. SpeedMedic put me on to it. Some areas are 'greened out' I have found. Those areas don't allow a close view. This includes my house! Don't know why that is.

[Wolf]

Good application. SpeedMedic put me on to it. Some areas are 'greened out' I have found. Those areas don't allow a close view. This includes my house! Don't know why that is.

Fess up. What Agency do you work for? Fucking spook. Bet you've got billions of dollars of tax-payer-funded surveillance equipment in your basement next to the modified Aston Martin. Wait, you're in Aussie so that would be an HQ Holden with submarine conversion and beer fridge.

[SPORK]

I remember on the Somethinawful.com forums that for a brief time there was no fuzziness or whatever covering up Area 51, or the White House, or King-Kongress, or anything. I was going somewhere with this, but now I've forrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr