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New Google Earth Web Version Available Now

April 18, 2017

Went to check the Google Earth home page ahead of the press announcement this morning. Turns out there is a new home page which announces right at the top “Launch Earth for Chrome” with a big title saying “Gain a new perspective” followed by “Explore the reaches of the world, right in your browser”. Screenshot below:

New Google Earth
New Google Earth

Scrolling down the page and you see there’s a world to explore with a new feature called Voyager. And there’s a new Google Earth for Android version as well.

Back at the top, there is a button that says “Launch Google Earth” which all you have to do (with your Chrome browser only) is go to: Earth.Google.Com/web and you can see the new Google Earth which is out today!

As predicted, it appears today’s announcement is about a web-based version of Google Earth. And, it is WebGL based. In fact, I had a bit of a problem starting it because I have an old Macbook Pro (2011 model). The new version failed to load because it said WebGL wasn’t supported. What I had to do was open “chrome://flags” and select the first option “Override Software Rendering list“, select the “Relaunch” button, and then the new Google Earth version loaded in my browser. Hopefully, the vast majority of folks will either get the Android version, or not run into this issue on newer machines. And, those of you on Chromebooks will be able to open it too!

Upon launching, you get a first-time introductory tour which shows you some features. I checked out New York City (where I am now), and here’s what I got:

New York 3D in New GE
New York 3D in New GE

But, I can easily share this same view with you by simply sharing my URL. This is the same way Google Maps has worked on the desktop browser for a long time.

When you search for something, a little knowledge card appears about that place. If you click on that, the page expands and gives a lot more information about the place and links to related searches with similar information. This new version of Google Earth is very much focused on providing useful information about places.

There’s a lot more to explore and comment on this new version. But, I just wanted to get the word out now. I’ll be attending the press announcement and will report more in a few hours.

Filed Under: Google Earth News

Attending Press Announcement for New Google Earth

April 17, 2017

As was mentioned last week by dozens of media outlets, Google sent out press invitations to an event for April 18th to roll out a “brand new Google Earth” experience. I will be attending and will report on this long-awaited event!

New Google Earth

Google didn’t say much in their invitation, and we have yet to receive any press material. But, we believe this announcement will describe a new version of Google Earth that will work on desktop and mobile platforms. Our guess is that there will be a web based version on desktop OSes – most likely with WebGL, which is the predominant standard being used for graphics intensive web apps today. If it is browser based, it means more OS platforms will have access to Google Earth content. We’ll have to wait and see whether the new application will have new features beyond the current Google Earth, or a subset.

Google Earth VR Update?

There may also be announcements about new features/versions of the Google Earth VR application which was released last November for HTC Vive VR platform. There have been no significant updates to that application, and we expect Google is likely to release an Oculus Rift version (since they recently released a Rift Touch version of their Google Tiltbrush VR paint application for the HTC). Or, we may see a version for Google’s Daydream VR platform – although that will be a less-capable version since Daydream VR doesn’t currently support HMD tracking or full 3D controllers.

Other New Content

It’s also possible there will be an unveiling of more Google Earth 3D imagery (aireal imagery converted to 3D data using photogrammetry), and content especially geared towards the new versions. Google has a history of doing this for major updates to Google Earth. There was less 3D imagery added in 2016, but they may have been saving up for this announcement.

As long time fans of Google Earth, we are going to be watching closely to see if this new Google Earth will support popular features from the more than 12 year legacy of Google Earth desktop applications. Keep following Google Earth Blog during, and after, the event for all the latest news and analysis. We have been reporting on Google Earth applications and content for nearly 12 years now.

Filed Under: Google Earth News

New Google Earth Version 7.1.8.3036

January 20, 2017

Thank you to GEB reader AndrĂ© for letting us know that Google has just updated Google Earth to version 7.1.8.3036. It is a minor bugfix update but does indicate Google’s continued dedication to Google Earth.

The main thing you will notice is a slightly more modern look to the menus and other interface features. The placemark list, for example now has ‘twisties’ instead of plus/minus symbols.

One of the notable bug fixes is the Feedback option in Windows (found under Help->Send Feedback). Hopefully this means they are going to be more active in listening to suggestions and bug reports.

An interesting addition is a couple of buttons to make it easier to add images to placemarks:

Official release notes

What’s New In Google Earth 7.1.8.3036 (from the release announcement).

Bugs Fixed

  • Various security issues
  • Some files missing from saved KMZs
  • Crash in View in Maps if user logged in
  • License-related problems with Earth Pro
  • Incorrectly-localized user interface elements
  • Settings/Preferences dialog unexpected behavior
  • Windows: View in Maps frozen
  • Windows: Feedback tool broken
  • Windows: program hangs when saving search results
  • Windows: installer doesn’t clean up files
  • Mac: crash running on OS X 10.6
  • Mac: installer conflicts between different Earth variants
  • Linux (Debian): search crash
  • Linux: installer not installing needed libraries
  • Linux: spurious network warning messages
  • Linux: crash viewing Moon landmarks

Changes

  • Image picker for placemark editing
  • Remove Earth Pro “upsell” links
  • Browser Plugin (bundled and standalone) discontinued
  • High-detail terrain enabled by default
  • Windows: Qt application library upgraded
  • Linux: Earth Pro now available
  • Linux: installers now signed

Known Issues

  • Tour guide, overlays sometimes overlap Startup Tips, About dialogs
  • Windows (7): Installer drawing issues
  • Linux: Earth Pro: Movie Maker, some GPS features not available
  • Linux: Earth Pro: Import dialogs sometimes slow/laggy

Filed Under: Google Earth News, Site News Tagged With: software update

Google Releases Google Earth VR for HTC Vive

November 16, 2016

Google has released a free new version of Google Earth on a totally different computing platform: Virtual Reality (VR). Google imaginatively calls it Google Earth VR. Specifically, for now, this version is for the HTC Vive which is the only consumer platform with dedicated 3D controllers for interacting in VR. Download link for GEVR (from the official Steam page). You can watch the Google Earth VR demonstration video from the Google announcement below:

Based on my reviewing it today, Google is taking great advantage of VR with the new version. You can view the Earth, and all its places, in an entirely different perspective. Because, now Google Earth’s 3D content is fully stereoscopic 3D, and immerses you in cities, valleys, mountains, etc. You can use the 3D controller to fly yourself around, or drag the sun to get a different sun angle, or see the stars at night above your chosen landscape or city. Google has chosen to give you a non-human scale, so when you are viewing places like cities – you feel like a giant who can reach out and hug a skyscraper, or give a hug to Half Dome or the Matterhorn. Since the Vive allows you to move around your room, you can literally walk around mountains, canyons, buildings, and more. [EDIT: It is possible to change setting in the menu options so you can feel more human scale sized].

Google starts the program by offering you a basic tour which flies you to several well-known locations on Earth. The first time you experience it, you will probably have a strong “Wow” feeling as the scenery is stereoscopic 3D, and you can look in any direction. I sure had that reaction myself! In addition, Google uses 3D audio and music for the tours. In some places you hear city street sounds, in one you hear the church bells of a nearby cathedral, and in nature shots you might hear some wind or car noises from a nearby highway. It definitely adds to the realism of the scenes.

After the tour, you end up with a full view of the Earth in space (an amazing experience), and are then given tips on using the controllers to drag the Earth, and fly down to see whatever place you like. You can also pop up a menu that gives you choices of other tours, and selections of cities and places you might want to visit. The controls also enable you to take screenshots. One of my favorite features is that you can point the controller at the sun and drag it across the sky, or below the horizon to make the sky switch to night (where you will see the stars and milky way in all its glory).

There’s more to learn about the interfaces than you might first realize. One surprise I got is that if you point at the controller in one of your hands (the one which shows a globe with the current position) with the other controller, the globe grows to a larger version of the Earth with a pin showing your current position. You can then use the other controller to rotate the earth, and point at a rough position on the globe and drop a new pin to fly to that location. This is a very cool feature and immediately reminded me of the scene in the book “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson, that one of the original developers of Google Earth said was originally an inspiration for the first version of our favorite program.

Google Earth VR Controllers selecting location
Google Earth VR controllers selecting location

It’s great to see Google finally release something new and exciting for Google Earth. A new version of Google Earth has been rumored for over two years for the desktop/mobile platforms that will be a complete re-write. But, we have yet to see even a test version in the wild for the new Google Earth. So, we are still waiting.

Since I’ve been spending the last year working with VR technologies, I’m particularly glad to see Google Earth for this new exciting immersive platform. They have released the program for the HTC Vive via the Steam gaming platform (the Vive was largely developed by the makers of Steam at Valve Corporation), which is the biggest platform for VR content. Considering the cost for HTC Vive ($800 – not including a beefy PC and graphics card), and it having been released less than a year ago, there are estimated to be fewer than 300,000 Vive owners at this point. Still, for Google to release now is a big statement about the future of VR. I suspect versions for Oculus Rift and Sony Playstation VR, and quite probably for Google’s new Daydream View VR platform.

Some other observations about Google Earth VR:

1) They use a “comfort mode” technique (dwhich you can turn off in the menus) which shrinks your view while you are “flying” in Google Earth. This minimizes your peripheral vision and thereby helps lower visual-induced motion sickness. It’s actually quite effective. I tried turning it off in the menu and definitely felt less comfortable when flying inside VR. Once you stop moving, you get the full 360 panorama back, and you can still swivel your view while flying.

2) If you are looking to buy the Vive, HTC is now bundling Google Earth VR with it. Which is kind of silly when you consider its a free app, so it’s not exactly a value add.

3) An important note is that the Google Earth 3D terrain is simplified in in detail for GEVR compared to what’s available in the desktop version of Google Earth. [EDIT: Turns out GEVR made me realize Google at some point reduced 3D terrain fidelity for some places where formerly they had higher resolution data. After checking the desktop I found both GEVR and desktop GE now have lower resolution in formerly higher resolution locations.]

4) If you are standing in your room with your Vive (as most Vive users do), then you will notice you never are lower than about 50 meters off the ground. If you want to look closer at the ground, you can get your head closer to the ground (where you are standing) and look closer. This might not be obvious at first, so I thought I would mention it.

Filed Under: 3D Models, Google Earth News, Sightseeing, Site News Tagged With: google earth vr

Google Earth weather layers being dropped

October 3, 2016

The Google Earth weather layers “Conditions and Forecast” and “Ocean Observations” have been broken for some time. We did a post on it in July this year, but at that time it had already been broken for several months. Google has now announced that it will be dropping the layers from Google Earth on October 10th, 2016.

Dropping the layers is certainly better than leaving them broken in Google Earth, as there is currently no indication that they are not displaying the correct information. What do our readers think of this move? Was the layer useful to you? Would a KML file with similar functionality be useful? Let us know what you think in the comments.


The Google Earth “Conditions and Forecast” and “Ocean Observations” weather layers.

Filed Under: Google Earth News, Weather Tagged With: weather

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