I wrote an article in August talking about Google Earth and Google Maps. There have been a number of new features added to both products since I wrote that, but first, I would like to write some more about the features in Google Earth. Google Earth does a great job mapping the Earth. Roads, borders, 3D buildings, parks, dining, lodging, shopping and other data are all available. Google Earth uses a feature called layers to display this content as well as content from 3rd party websites. Users can turn on and off layers to reveal placemark links providing various content on the map. For Example if you have the Wikipedia layer turned on you will see icons on the map that link to articles on the wikipedia website.
Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia anyone can edit
Some of the other layers include.
Discovery Network liks to geographic related videos. Categories include National Parks, U.S.Cities, Road Trips, Europe, Africa, Landmarks, Atlas, Sunrise Earth and Planet Earth.
Gigapxl Project http://gigapxl.org/ - Extremely high resolution photos allow you to zoom in to see the smallest of details Turn on the Gigapxl layer under Featured Content in Google Earth.
One of the new features recently introduced in Google Earth is the ability to link YouTube videos. As you explore the globe with the YouTube Layer on, you will find videos from those locations.
This Google Earth YouTube screen shot shows Times Square with the 3D building layer turned on.
Google has been busy here on Earth, but they have also been quite busy in outer space as well. The newest version of Google Earth includes an "Explore the Sky" button.
Essentially, Google Sky displays the night sky directly overhead using Hubble telescope images. Users can zoom into distant galaxies, turn on and off constellations or explore the planets. Here is a YouTube Video Demonstration
Here is another video with astronaut Sally Ride.
In the last article I wrote about a new feature on Google Maps called "Street View". Street View enables users to view street level images in 360 degrees. User's can move through the streets, pan, tilt and zoom the street level images. 6 new cities have recently been added Chicago, Portland, Philadelphia, Tucson, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh. The other cities are: Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Diego, and San Francisco for a total of 15 cities. Street View Map The cities with the camera icon have Street View.
Six New Cities YouTube Video:
Google Maps not to be left Earth bound has introduced http://www.google.com/moon/ which map the six Apollo missions to the Moon. The user is presented with placemarks for the six missions. Click on one of the mission placemarks and you zoom in closer and placemarks for that mission are displayed. Click on these and an information window pops up with a description and photo from the location as well as links for additional information. Some of these pop ups are "Street View" like images that can be panned, tilted and zoomed. Very cool and a great way to explore the Moon and learn about the Apollo missions.
Google Earth and Google Maps are both helping to fulfill Google's mission, "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful".
Personal Plug: On a side note, I have just completed a project for
Sonoma County Transit mapping over 1,200 bus stops and over twenty bus routes using Google Earth and Google Maps. Click here to see
my work. Take a virtual bus ride!