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August 31, 2010
Tour of the proposed Belo Monte Dam Complex
Google has just released a very impressive tour showing the potential repercussions of the proposed Belo Monte Dam Complex on the Xingu River in the Amazon. The tour consists of a handful of 3D models, water animations, and a variety of other graphical elements to show the potential impact.
To be fair, Google makes it clear that they don't necessarily oppose the dam, stating on their blog entry: "This is a complicated issue with many facets, and the views of this poster do not necessarily represent the official viewpoint of Google Inc.; we support the use of Google Earth for visualizations to create dialog."
It is indeed an excellent use of Google Earth to show data in this way. You can download the full tour KMZ file
from the International Rivers site, or watch the video below:
For more information, check out the full entry on the Google LatLong Blog, or you can read the press release here:
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazon Watch and International Rivers have teamed up to create a state-of-the-art 10-minute Google Earth 3-D tour and video narrated by actress Sigourney Weaver, with technical assistance from Google Earth Outreach, in support of Brazil's Xingu River Forever Alive Movement. Download the tour or view the video on amazonwatch.org. The tour allows viewers to learn about the harmful impacts of, and alternatives to the massive Belo Monte Dam on the Amazon's Xingu River.
If built, the Belo Monte Dam would be the third-largest hydroelectric dam in the world. The dam would divert the flow of the Xingu River, an important tributary of the Amazon River, in order to produce electricity for industrial mining operations in the region. The dam's reservoirs would flood 668 square kilometers and displace more than 20,000 people. Late last week, the Brazilian government signed the concession to build the $17 billion-dollar project, ignoring local, national, and international opposition, proven financial and technical risks, and the ready availability of clean energy alternatives.
The tour and video, called "Defending the Rivers of the Amazon," illustrates the impacts that diverting the river along a 100-km stretch will have on the two indigenous tribes who have lived there for generations. It also animates the flooding associated with the dam, impacts on the region's spectacular biodiversity, and maps over 60 dams planned for the Brazilian Amazon over the next two decades.
The original concept for the Google Earth interactive tour and video emerged when Avatar director James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver traveled to the Xingu River in April, accompanied by Amazon Watch and the Brazilian environmental organization Instituto Socioambiental (ISA). After speaking with some of the indigenous tribes and riverbank families who would be directly affected, Weaver commented that the Belo Monte Dam would be "a disaster for the Xingu River, for the rainforest, and certainly for all the indigenous people and families living along the river. Their way of life will disappear."
Posted by mickmel at 7:10 AM
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August 24, 2010
New Google Earth Imagery - August 24
Google Earth has just rolled out some fresh imagery for us! Thanks to GEB reader 'ChrisK' for being the first to let us know about it.
As is almost always the case, you can use Google Maps to determine for sure whether or not a specific area is fresh. This new imagery isn't in Google Maps yet, so you can compare Earth vs. Maps to see what's new; the fresh imagery is already in Google Earth, but the old imagery is still in Google Maps. If you compare the two side-by-side and they're not identical, that means that you've found a freshly updated area in Google Earth!
[UPDATED -- 24-August, 10:28pm EST]
- Argentina: Various cities -- thanks 'pertile' and '3done'
- Chile: Puerto Montt -- thanks 'Munden'
- Czech Republic: Most of the country -- thanks 'Dawid'
- Poland: Many areas -- thanks 'Dawid', 'tomcioZG' and 'Chris'
- United States:Pittsburgh, PA -- thanks 'ChrisK'
- Venezuela: Cumanacoa -- thanks 'wroman'
If you find any other updated areas, please leave a comment and let us know!
Posted by mickmel at 5:10 PM
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Google Earth 1.1 Released for Android
Roughly seven months after it was first introduced, Google Earth for Android has just received a major update to version 1.1.
The big update in this version is underwater bathymetry! This feature was first introduced on the desktop in Google Earth 5, but this is the first time that the bathymetry feature has become available on a mobile phone. It also includes a new "Explore the Ocean" layer that features photos and videos which share stories from the sea.
If your phone is running Android 2.2 (Froyo), there are even more goodies in this release:
• "Move to SD" is enabled, to free up some space in your internal memory.
• Some of the "Explore the Ocean" items have Flash videos in them, which can be viewed directly in the app thanks to Flash 10.1 being available on your device.
• Two-finger "look around" mode, similar to the iPhone. This has been my biggest issue with the Android version of Google Earth, as the iPhone version was much easier to use. It was apparently a firmware issue, since this only works on Froyo, but I'm glad to see it was finally added. This makes it much easier to browse around the globe. As suggested on Ogle Earth a while ago, simply turn the phone sideways and use both thumbs on the screen. It works great!
For more information about this release, please visit the Google Lat Long Blog.
If your phone is on Android 2.1 or higher, go download/update Google Earth right now. This is a superb update, and it's well worth your time to get it. While you're there, grab a copy of the free Google Earth Blog app so you can keep up with the latest GEB news on the go!
Posted by mickmel at 7:11 AM
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August 23, 2010
Important Basics for Google Earth
[IMPORTANT NOTE: this post was initially written for Google Earth versions 4.0 through 4.2, but has been updated with tips covering Google Earth 5.2. For more info, you can read tips on navigating from the GE User Guide.]
If you are new to Google Earth (GE), or looking for ways to improve how you interact with GE, then this entry may be of help. Additional resources are referenced below. Note: this blog entry assumes you are using Google Earth 5 or higher. For tips on Google Earth 4, you can view the Google Earth 4 user guide.
Learning to manipulate the mouse and keys to control GE is crucial to getting the most out of sightseeing the Earth. The first important thing to know is how to zoom in closer to the Earth. You have many ways to do this: double-click your mouse button (left button, if you have multiple buttons, to zoom in, right button to zoom out); use the mouse scroll-wheel (if you have one); use the + and - keys; or use the PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN keys to zoom more quickly. You can also use the navigation gadgets - the "+" and "-" buttons with slider on the far upper-right to change your altitude. The mouse scroll-wheel is probably the favorite method of most typical GE fans. All of these methods adjust your altitude above the Earth's surface. You can see your height above sea level in the lower right of the GE viewing window. You can move the Earth to position it where you want to see by clicking a point with the left mouse button and slide the cursor to the middle of the viewing window.
At first, many people don't realize Google Earth is much more than a map with aerial and satellite photos attached. GE uses data from NASA Space Shuttle missions which provides 3D terrain data for the entire land surface of the Earth. Let's demonstrate this.
Click on this link to go to GE and fly to Mount St. Helens. Beautiful view right? But, try this: hold your SHIFT-DOWN key combination and watch GE tilt your view so you can see Mount St. Helens as a 3D mountain (if you don't - check to see that the "Terrain" layer is turned on). Very cool right? SHIFT-UP will tilt your view back up. You can also use the slider control at the upper right of the navigation control for tilting. A nice tip: hit the "u" key to tilt back straight up automatically. The "r" key will reset to north and tilt up.
An easier way to tilt and pan your view is to click and hold the middle mouse button or scroll wheel button (those of you who have a Mac with one mouse button have to use the above key or navigational control techniques - but, I would recommend getting a 3-button mouse). While you're holding the middle button if you move your mouse forward and backwards it will tilt the view. Side to side will pan your view around the point you are looking at.
While some of the tips no longer apply, this short 2 minute video tutorial from Google can help cover some of these navigation basics.
Related Resources:
- GE 5 User Guide
- GE 4 User Guide
- Google Earth Basics by Google Earth Blog
- Using Google Earth - Blog by a Google Earth documentation specialist
- Common Questions About GE
- SpaceNavigator - An advanced 3D mouse device for GE
Posted by FrankTaylor at 8:15 AM
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August 20, 2010
More imagery from Pakistan flooding
Unlike the imagery that we showed you last week that covered a large area of Pakistan, the imagery we're showing today is quite zoomed in. However, it really shows the devastation facing the area.
This image comes courtesy of GeoEye, who published the image on their site yesterday.
Too see the imagery up close, you can view the high-res version on their site, or download this KML file to see it as an image overlay. Viewing it in Google Earth and toggling to see the before/after comparison is quite shocking.
As before, we encourage you to visit Network for Good to see how you can help with the flood relief efforts.
Posted by mickmel at 4:45 PM
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Gulf Oil Spill: Defenders of Wildlife
Since the Gulf oil spill began in April of this year, we've showcased a variety of resources related to the event. It started with a simple overlay and later led to more advanced files like this comparison tool and Google's Crisis Response page.
The latest tool to be released comes from the "Defenders of Wildlife", in the form of an impressive "Gulf Oil Spill Response and Recovery" map.
As explained on the Google LatLong Blog, here is what makes this tool so useful:
This Gulf Oil Spill Recovery map was created using the Google Maps API and the Google Earth API. It allows any users, whether they're part of a non-profit group or concerned citizens who want to report what they observe in their backyards, to upload stories, photos and video to the common shared map. The result is an impressive illustration of all the projects - from beach cleanups to air monitoring surveys to sediment sampling - going on in the region to help rescue and restore affected species and their habitats. The map also shows numerous steps that the Obama Administration is taking to mitigate the near- and long-term impacts of the spill. As the map evolves, you'll be able to see how the marine environment and coastlines recuperate from collaborative efforts by average people, non-profit organizations and government agencies.
For more information, you can visit the Defenders of Wildlife website or watch the video below to see what they're all about:
Posted by mickmel at 8:01 AM
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August 19, 2010
Andy Dell is putting Hounslow on the map
Andy Dell is building some great 3D models of his local area, to the point where the Hounslow Chronicle did a story about him and his work (which I discovered via the 3D Warehouse Twitter account).
As you can see from the image above, he does excellent work with great attention to detail. The image above (of the Duke of York Pub), notice the roof overhang, expanded bay windows, tables, the Pub sign, the fence in back, etc. It's very well done.
So far 21 of his models have been accepted into Google Earth, which you can view in the Google 3D Warehouse.
The rest of Hounslow is still pretty bare in Google Earth, but with people like Andy on the job it'll be coming to life a little more every day.
Posted by mickmel at 8:29 AM
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August 18, 2010
Boat race replays in Google Earth
We've talked before about how you can use Google Earth to record and show GPS tracks from various events, such as off-road running races and biking across Poland. SFGate has a great story about using Google Earth to show realistic replays from a sailboat race.
Using the new "track" feature in Google Earth 5.2, they import the GPS data into Google Earth to make it work. They also took the time to model the area with 3D boats and buoys (available in the 3D Warehouse) to make it more realistic.
Google Earth product manager Peter Birch is referenced numerous times in the article, because he often races on a Catalina sailboat and Google Earth is obviously a huge part of his life. He's quoted as saying that the track technology "is something we've been working on for a long time", and I wouldn't be surprised if Birch used data from races like this to help test the features as they were being developed.
Being able to watch replays of the race from any angle gives the teams a great way to understand (and hopefully correct) their mistakes before the next race. Check out the SF Gate article for the full story.
To learn more about creating tracks, this section of Google Earth Help has a lot of great information.
Have you made any neat tracks using Google Earth 5.2? Tell us about them in the comments!
Posted by mickmel at 9:04 AM
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August 17, 2010
New Update to Google Earth: Version 5.2.1.1547
Google has just pushed out version 5.2.1.1547, replacing version 5.2.1.1329 for most people. The "check for updates" feature doesn't seem to be finding it yet, but if you download Earth from their servers (earth.google.com), you'll get the new version.
As far as I can tell, there aren't any official release notes available yet. However, you can find a few tidbits about the release in this thread in the KML Developer Support group.
Based on that information, it seems that this release fixes a variety of bugs in regards to 3D/polygon handling. Grab the update here and if you notice any other changes, please leave a comment and let us know!
Posted by mickmel at 8:04 AM
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Google Earth Enterprise 4.0 released
Called "The ultimate geo mashup platform", Google Earth Enterprise 4.0 has been released. You may be familiar with Google Earth Enterprise, as it has been used for projects such as Louisiana Earth.
Among the new features in GEE 4.0 is one called the "Portable Earth System". In many uses of GEE, people need access to their information in places where internet connectivity is limited or simply non-existent. Here is how that feature works.
Other enhancements in GEE 4.0 include Mobile Access via the Google Earth client on Android, full support for Google Earth 5.2 and the latest version of the Google Earth Plug-in.
For more on GEE 4.0, you can check out the full write-up on the Google LatLong Blog.
Posted by mickmel at 7:25 AM
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August 16, 2010
Read Ayn Rand
Here is a pretty funny story -- Nick Newcomen apparently had some free time on his hands, so he drove 12,238 across 30 states with a GPS logger to "write" a message for all to see:
You can read the full story over on Gizmodo, but it appears that Nick was a pretty big Ayn Rand fan.
To see it for yourself, you can view it on his site
or download the KML file to view it in Google Earth.
Posted by mickmel at 8:51 AM
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3D buildings in Yokohama, Japan
Google has pushed out their latest 3D buildings update (via @3DWH), and this one includes one new major 3D city: Yokohama, Japan
If you want to fly there and see Yokohama for yourself, you can simply use this KML file.
In addition, it appears they've loaded the rest of the buildings from Bowling Green State University that we told you about a few weeks ago.
The buildings in both locations look excellent, and there are certainly many other new buildings scattered around the globe. Did any of your 3D models get added with this update? Leave a comment and let us know!
Posted by mickmel at 8:36 AM
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August 13, 2010
Imagery of the flooding in Pakistan
UPDATE, 13-August: Google has now put out a blog entry with a lot more info from their Crisis Response team about the flooding -- read it here.
A few days ago we told you that Google was seeking imagery and data for the flooding in Pakistan. While they're still working to acquire more data, NASA has released some imagery of the country and it's quite stunning.
You can view/download the images on the NASA Earth Observatory site. You can also view it by downloading this KML overlay -- be warned that the image is approximately 9 MB, so it'll take a little while to load.
If you wish to offer your resources to help, Network for Good has a list of organizations that are accepting contributions, along with a description of what each organizations will do with your donation.
Posted by mickmel at 7:54 AM
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Is that a body in Street View?
For those people concerned about privacy in Google Street View, this almost takes it to a new level. A story has been going around that Google accidentally captured images of the body of young girl in the street outside her home. Frankly, the images are quite convincing:
Fortunately, the girl is perfectly fine and was just playing around. Her name is Azura Beebeejaun, and she's simply amused by all of the attention! She said she was just playing with friends when the car went by.
It's possible that Google will remove the image, but in the meantime you can view it in Google Maps here or in Google Earth with this KML file.
What's the strangest thing you've seen in Street View?
Posted by mickmel at 7:25 AM
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August 12, 2010
Google Earth For Sailors and Travelers
A big part of the experience of sailing around the world is meeting up with other sailors doing similar routes. In French Polynesia, we have had numerous opportunities to meet up with the crews of boats we have met along the way, and many new boats as well. As a big fan of Google Earth, I have been making sure to share tips on some of the ways I am making use of Google Earth as we sail. Many of these tips apply equally to many other forms of travel. One thing is apparent, few people realize some of the less-known, but best features of Google Earth for travel.
Here are some important tips on Google Earth's lesser-known features that every sailor (and many other travelers) should know:
1) Google Earth can be used without an Internet connection - As we are traveling, I actually use Google Earth more without an Internet connection than with. Many people aren't aware that Google caches the last 2 GBytes (if your cache is set to the maximum) of imagery/layers you last loaded. What I do is visit the places I'm about to travel to (in particular the anchorages) and make sure to load the imagery of those places most important to me. It's important not to load too large an area or the cache will start forgetting the older stuff. Once we are on a passage (with no easy way to be on the Internet) we can still load Google Earth and view those last places loaded. I can view what the appraoch to an anchorage is like, and the places we plan to visit while reading other guide materials or charts we have. Read more about using Google Earth off the Internet.
2) The Ruler - I frequently make use of the Google Earth ruler to measure distances between places we are going, or the places we have already traveled. You can change the units (I frequently use the "nautical miles" units) to help convert to local measures. Also, you can trace out paths, not just single measurements (look for the tabs at the top of the window that pops up to find the "Paths" tab). This is very handy for measuring routes. As a sailor, I often use this feature to check distances on passages, determine the best places to anchor, estimate dinghy runs, and distances we'll have to walk to grocery stores and customs offices.
3) GPS Tracks - if you have a GPS, you can take your saved GPS tracks and use many free programs to convert your track to GPX. Some GPS programs will even output your GPS tracks directly to Google Earth's KML. But, Google Earth will read GPX files as well. Simply open your KML or GPX file of your track. The new Google Earth 5.2 presents you with a new option to save your file as a "track". This lets you play back the track with some new features like the time slider. I also recommend a free online program called "GPSVisualizer" to generate highly customized GPS tracks for use with Google Earth.
4) GPS in Real-time - Google Earth can connect directly to many GPSes. Look for the option under "Tools->GPS". If you have a Garmin with a USB connection, it is very simple. You can also use the NMEA option to connect. Read more about that in the Google Earth user guide. Once you have your GPS connected, Google Earth can show your position in real-time. It makes Google Earth into something like a 3D "chart plotter". Google Earth is not to be used for navigation purposes. The data is not intended for that, so it is not guaranteed to be accurate enough to sail by. However, using it as an additional reference has proven to be very effective. The satellite is often (but, not always) good enough to see underwater obstructions (such as coral heads, rocks, and even sunken ships). It has also been handy for seeing the best route through passes. In fact, I have often found GE imagery is more accurately placed than my electronic charts. You need to remember some of the imagery can be several years old though. The imagery is definitely not real-time (read about Google Earth imagery).
5) Many other uses - I also share our position reports, GPS tracks, and photography using Google Earth. You can share your photos for free with Google's Panoramio - which lets you map the positions of each photo when you upload them (or you can do the geotagging with another program). The photos will later appear on Google Earth and Google Maps for everyone to see as icons when the Panoramio/Photos layer is turned on. I also take 360 Panoramas and upload them to 360cities.net, which are also viewable on Google Earth, or you can put them on your web site (see example). Most importantly, I often use Google Earth while on the Internet to do research on the places we are going to find information and pictures about popular places to visit. Turning on the Panoramio layer is a fast way to find popular places (more photos in the most interesting spots). I also showed a bunch of sailors how to use Google Earth to show the best place to watch the solar eclipse that occurred over the central Pacific waters on July 11th.
These are just a few of the many ways I use Google Earth while sailing/traveling. They are all free, and easily available to anyone. All you have to know is that they exist, and how to use them.
Posted by FrankTaylor at 9:16 AM
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August 10, 2010
New Google Earth Imagery - August 10
Google Earth has just rolled out some fresh imagery for us! Thanks to GEB reader 'Cristobal' for being the first to let us know about it.
[UPDATE 12-August: Google's blog post about the update has been released, and the KML file has been updated]
As is almost always the case, you can use Google Maps to determine for sure whether or not a specific area is fresh. This new imagery isn't in Google Maps yet, so you can compare Earth vs. Maps to see what's new; the fresh imagery is already in Google Earth, but the old imagery is still in Google Maps. If you compare the two side-by-side and they're not identical, that means that you've found a freshly updated area in Google Earth!
[UPDATED -- 11-August, 7:16am EST]
- Angola: Luanda and Cataumbela -- thanks 'Snakeye'
- Argentina: Buenos Aires -- thanks 'Cristobal'
- Australia: Various areas -- thanks 'Pete'
- Chile: Coquimbo and La Serena -- thanks 'Cristobal'
- China: Dalian, Nanning -- thanks 'Cristobal'
- Japan: Various cities -- thanks 'Munden'
- Poland: Dobrzyn and Wisla -- thanks 'Przekek'
- Thailand: Sattahip -- thanks 'Munden'
- United States: Chicago, IL -- thanks 'ChrisK'
- Uruguay: Various areas -- thanks 'Roberto'
- Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City -- thanks 'Cristobal'
If you find any other updated areas, please leave a comment and let us know!
Posted by mickmel at 2:57 PM
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Google still seeking map data for the Pakistan floods
As we've shown in the past, Google offers up fresh imagery as quickly as they can after a major disaster. The best recent example was the earthquake in Haiti, but other examples include the gulf oil spill and Chile earthquake.
Google is trying to update their imagery and maps in Pakistan in response to the recent floods, but they're having a hard time because it's too cloudy and satellites simply can't capture new imagery through the clouds.
As a result, Google needs your help. They are "looking to collect and aggregate imagery and user generated KML, or other map data, with the goal of making this content more accessible to both crisis responders and the general public."
If you have any data that may be of value to them as they work to capture it all, please send it in.
The weather forecast for the country is becoming a bit more favorable, but still not excellent in the short term. If you happen to have data you can send that could be helpful to them, please do.
Posted by mickmel at 7:20 AM
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August 9, 2010
The Tempe Town Lake Drain
The NASA Earth Observatory captures a lot of amazing images of our planet, and their Image of the Day highlights a particularly interesting image each day.
Their most recent imagery is of Tempe Town Lake in Tempe, Arizona. On July 20, the rubberized dam on the west end of the lake ruptured and sent 977 million gallons of water down the Salt River.
The imagery they released isn't quite as sharp as the default imagery in Google Earth, but it still shows the massive decrease in the size of Tempe Town Lake.
If you want to see it for yourself, you have a few options. First, you could simply view a jpg image of the July 28 imagery. You could also download that imagery as an image overlay (KMZ) that I created from the July 28 imagery.
If you don't follow it already, I highly recommend you follow NASA's Earth Observatory Image of the Day; they show off a lot of great stuff!
Posted by mickmel at 7:39 AM
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August 6, 2010
The Decade Volcanoes
Inspired by some recent Volcano-related posts over at Google Sightseeing, I thought it'd be neat to look at the 16 "Decade" Volcanoes around the world. Decade Volcanoes, according to Wikipedia are "the 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas."
Like most mountains (as we saw earlier this year), these volcanoes look stunning in Google Earth. They're listed below in alphabetical order. Click the "KML" link for each one to view it for yourself in Google Earth.
Avachinsky-Koryaksky - Kamchatka, Russia - KML
Colima - Jalisco and Colima, Mexico - KML
Mount Etna - Sicily, Italy - KML
Galeras - Nariño, Colombia - KML
Mauna Loa - Hawaii, USA - KML
Mount Merapi - Central Java, Indonesia - KML
Mount Nyiragongo - Democratic Republic of Congo - KML
Mount Rainier - Washington, USA - KML
Sakurajima - Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan - KML
Santa Maria/Santiaguito - Guatemala - KML
Santorini - Cyclades, Greece - KML
Taal Volcano - Luzon, Philippines - KML
Teide - Canary Islands, Spain - KML
Ulawun - New Britain, Papua New Guinea - KML
Mount Unzen - Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan - KML
Vesuvius - Naples, Italy - KML
Are there are volcanoes that you find particularly interesting? Leave a comment and let us know!
Posted by mickmel at 8:47 AM
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August 5, 2010
86 3D buildings from Bowling Green State University
Yesterday, the Google 3D Warehouse Twitter account (@3DWH) mentioned that Bowling Green State University had 86 3D models from their campus in the 3D Warehouse, so we had to check it out. They've since added another one more building, bringing the total to 87. The buildings are remarkably detailed, and include things such as accurate steps and realistic fences, as seen below.
None of the buildings are in Google Earth yet, but I'd expect them to arrive in the next 3D model update; probably later this week. [UPDATE: Most of the buildings are now in Google Earth.] In the meantime, you can download this KML file to see the locations of the buildings, and then choose to load the full 3D model for any that interest you.
Universities seem to be adding buildings at an increasingly rapid rate. We've recently told you about Northeastern University and Boston University, and I expect we'll see more in the coming months.
Posted by mickmel at 9:01 AM
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August 4, 2010
The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Archive
It's been 65 years since the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, and the number of survivors is continuing to dwindle. The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Archive is an attempt to capture first-hand stories to save for history.
From their site:
This project enables to access all of those resources from all over the world, which was formerly unable to do so. Moreover, by mapping the information with topographic data, the user can enhance the experience of what it was like when the A-bomb struck Nagasaki, in detail. "Nagasaki Archive" is an attempt to reorganize all of those information on a digital virtual globe (google earth). In order to make Nagasaki the last place on earth where the A-bomb struck, we hope that many people to interact with and learn from "Nagasaki Archive".
You can see photos from the same angle they were taken 65 years ago, and also you click the portrait of survivors to read their experiences and wishes assosiated with the actual location they were exposed to A - bomb.
It seems like an excellent use of Google Earth to try to preserve some history, and the implementation of it is quite solid. Much of the site is in Japanese, but they're translating as much as they can into English.
You can try it yourself on their site here.
Posted by mickmel at 7:29 AM
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August 3, 2010
Finding illegal pools with Google Earth
The town of Riverhead, NY, located on Long Island, has recently started using Google Earth to track down backyard pools that don't have the proper license.
So far they've found around 250 pools that hadn't applied for the necessary license. When contacted and given the choice between paying the fee or facing heavy fines, most owners have paid the fee. So far the city has collected around $75,000 in fees.
There are two ways to look at a situation like this. The first is that it's a great use of Google Earth; the other is that it feels like big brother is watching. Which side are you on?
This situation reminds me of a few other stories we've written about in the past. Nearly five years ago, Frank shared the story of a tax assessor using Google Earth to spot changes in house lots (new buildings, sheds, etc) and making sure the proper taxes were paid on them.
The other story is even closer to this one; a pool guy finding prospective customers by only sending his mailing to homes that have pools. It took quite a bit of work to develop the list (search in Google Earth, determine the address, build the list), but now he has an excellent list of targeted prospects for his business.
Have you heard of any other examples like this? Let us know!
Posted by mickmel at 7:13 AM
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August 2, 2010
EPA data now featured in Google Earth Outreach
Last month, we showed you the KMZ file that the EPA released that had a ton of data about the Gulf oil spill.
Google has now featured that data on their Google Earth Outreach site. The depth of information available in this file is quite remarkable, and it's a superb resource for those that need more information about the spill.
Information available in the KMZ includes:
- View EPA air, surface water, sediment and waste sampling locations in Google Earth, which are linked to explanations and information throughout this site.
- See EPA air monitoring locations and results for total Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Particulate Matter (PM).
- Link to EPA data, aerial photography and other information collected by our air sampling plane, the ASPECT.
- Get National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency's (NGA) map of boom locations and daily tracking updates of the oil spill.
- See aerial photography and satellite images from NASA, NOAA and the European Space Agency's satellite ENVISAT.
To keep up with the latest items featured by Google Earth Outreach, you can check out their website or follow them on Twitter at @EarthOutreach.
Posted by mickmel at 8:12 AM
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