Google Earth Blog

The amazing things about Google Earth


Frank Taylor

Geosnapper.com Photos

Just found another photo finding network link which, based on your view, will show the nearest photos in the Geosnapper.com database. This link was posted by technomagination at the GE Community site here.
This network link works just like the Geotagged Flickr network link I wrote about earlier.

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.

Google Earth Uncensors


The recent update to the Google Earth database puts back the US Capitol Building and the White House which were blurred out in the earlier database. This is apparently in response to the complaints from some worried about how Google Earth photos could be abused by terrorists (despite the fact that all of these photos are readily available from many other sources). I guess Google Earth has taken the position they shouldn’t censor anything if the data is readily available.

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.

New Cities Added

Google Earth has just updated their database with new imagery enhancing the resolution for over 100 cities around the world. You can read their announcement at the Google Earth Forums. Like other updates Google has made in the past, there are probably other places updated not in their list. Yet another reason to go exploring Google Earth!

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.

Geocaching Google Earth

Even if you have never heard of Geocaching, you’ll find the following network link an interesting way to explore the Earth. What is Geocaching? It’s a recreational byproduct of the GPS and the Internet. From the Geocaching FAQ:

The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache.

[Read more…] about Geocaching Google Earth

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.

First of Many Games in Beta

This is just the beginning, but the guys at GoogleEarthHacks have created a game using Google Earth. This is a war game which they claim is largely text-based. The object is to grow armies which you place at various cities and try to hold the cities. There is a GE KML file which lets anyone view the “action” (more like a status) of the game.

icon

This is the first of many games I’m sure will be created using GE as a visualization tool. I expect to see more direct, or interactive, use of GE to play a game soon.

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.