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The Year 2008 in Google Earth

December 21, 2008

Google Earth had a great year in 2008 thanks to its continued growth in popularity, new features, and an enormous growth in new content both from Google and the people who use Google Earth. According to Google there have been over 400 Million unique installations of Google Earth since it was released in 2005. There were 8 major updates to Google Earth imagery in 2008. The Panoramio photo layer grew by millions of photos thanks to people all over the world. From a broader perspective, Google also put a great deal of effort into expanding and blending technology for both Google Earth and Google Maps. There’s a Google Maps version of Sky, Street View works in Google Earth, Google Earth can now be viewed in a browser along side Google Maps, Google Earth is available on the iPhone, Google Maps gets several layers from Earth, and the list goes on. Also, Google’s 3D Warehouse grew in size (with millions of new models added), and many new features (Street View, more social networking features, plugin support, and more). And let’s not forget the Google Earth file format – KML became a standard.
Read below the fold for a summary of highlighted news and content for Google Earth from 2008 (see also a similar summary from Google Maps Mania):

  • January:
    • 2 million new photos in Panoramio
    • New Layers and Updates
    • Update to Google Sky
  • February:
    • Google Earth Outreach program added useful tutorials and content
    • February Imagery Update
  • March:
    • Google Maps gets Sky
    • 94 more countries with Roads, and other layers updated
  • April:
    • April Imagery Update
    • New Outreach Layers plus GreenPeace
    • New York Times LayerA
    • Google Earth 4.3 released – Day/night, Street View, better 3D buildings
    • More Sky layers
  • May:
    • May Imagery Update
    • Google News Layer
    • Google Earth Plugin for Browsers Released
  • June:
    • June Imagery Update
    • Disney World in 3D
    • More 3D cities
    • EarthSwoop is released
  • July:
    • Street View for Tour de France
    • Webcams layer for Google Earth
    • July Imagery Update
    • Imagery Update for Beijing Olympics
  • August:
    • New Layers and Photos
    • Google launches 3D Beijing Olympics
    • WikiLoc added as a layer
  • September:
    • Google Satellite – GeoEye Deal
    • September Imagery Update
    • Google Earth API Demo Gallery
    • Post Hurricane Ike Imagery Release
  • October:
    • More textured 3D Cities – Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia and more
    • October Imagery Update
    • Google Earth for iPhone Released
    • Street View for Spain and Italy Released
  • November:
    • 3D Warehouse Uses GE Plugin
    • Ancient Rome in 3D
    • New 3D Cities: Pittsburgh and Seattle
    • 360Cities.net now Google Earth Layer
  • December:
    • Street View for New Zealand
    • Google Earth Plugin for Mac OS X
    • Google Doubles US Street View
    • Google Earth Plus Discontinued
    • December Imagery Update
    • New York City in Photorealistic 3D
    • Watch for Google Earth Santa Tracker Dec 24th

About Frank Taylor

Frank Taylor started the Google Earth Blog in July, 2005 shortly after Google Earth was first released. He has worked with 3D computer graphics and VR for many years and was very impressed with this exciting product. Frank completed a 5.5 year circumnavigation of the earth by sailboat in June 2015 which you can read about at Tahina Expedition, and is a licensed pilot, backpacker, diver, and photographer.

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PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

Comments

  1. Tim says

    December 24, 2008 at 3:41 am

    It is perhaps a fine point, but not quite accurate or true to Google’s intent to say the “Google Earth file format…became a standard.”
    KML is not a file format, and we should be thinking of it as more than the Google Earth format…
    “Management and further evolution of KML, the XML specification that Google Earth (Keyhole) developed, was transferred to the OGC international standards organization, of which Google, Microsoft, and others are principal members.”

  2. Joe says

    December 30, 2008 at 7:15 pm

    I know this is off topic, but why did I have to install Chrome when I installed Google Earth just now? I wasn’t given the option to choose not to install, just like I wasn’t given the option to choose not to have icons placed on my desktop and taskbar. Wreaks of Internet Explorer.

  3. Johann says

    January 18, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    Google`s display of coastal towns of South Africa and South Africa in general is dated May 2006 – does a current version exist and how do I acess it. The outdated version (display) is of no use to me



PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

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