Site News

Google adds great new feature to Google Earth Pro 7.3.2

June 21, 2018

Yesterday Google released a new version of Google Earth Pro (for the Desktop version of Google Earth – not mobile) version 7.3.2. I’ve copied the highlights from their announcement post at the Google Earth and Maps forum down below. The new version addresses a number of issues with different platforms and features, but the most significant news is that Google has finally addressed a long-needed feature for manipulating places content in the sidebar. This has probably been the most frequently wanted feature by power users of Google Earth since it was first released. Yes, Google has finally implemented the ability to multi-select places content and drag and drop to different folders, or delete a multi-selected area. See screenshot of dragging and dropping items from one folder to another below:

You can get the new version now by going to the Google Earth Pro for Desktop download page. Google will be automatically updating users who already have Google Earth Pro installed (if you allowed that during your installation).

It is good to see Google continuing to support Google Earth Pro on the desktop. Especially since the desktop version has far more features and performance capabilities verses the new web and mobile versions which has most of Google’s development focus these days.

Here are the release notes from the post:

What’s New In Google Earth Pro 7.3.2

Changes:

Here are highlights of the fixes, changes and improvements we’ve made for this release of Google Earth Pro.

Places panel: multiple-item selection, moving, deletion; performance improvements.
Network security updates and fixes; improved certificate support.
CSV import improvements: support older Mac file formats, multi-line text fields.
Ground overlay editor: fix glitchy rotation, rotation handle positioning.
Print preview: fixed mouse-wheel zooming, display refresh problems.
International languages: fix missing translations, keyboard shortcuts, UI elements.
Tables tool: improved stability, layout, data synchronization.
Tour Guide is hidden by default, reflecting Earth Pro use case.
Windows: allow Earth to run concurrently in multiple user sessions.
Windows: improved appearance on high-resolution monitors.
Windows 64-bit fixes: joystick support; crash when hiding 3D buildings; COM application (e.g. Garmin BaseCamp) interface.

The announcement post also includes some notes that 32-bit versions of Google Earth will be automatically updated to 64-bit unless you specifically download the version you want on the provided link.

Google Earth Pro 7.3.1 Released

January 23, 2018

Last night Google released a new version of the desktop version of Google Earth Pro version 7.3.1 (which is free despite the confusing “Pro” name). You can download this at the download page found here: www.google.com/earth/desktop/

This new version 7.3.1 represents some significant work by Google to add “bug fixes, performance and feature improvements, and security upgrades.” – as seen in the announcement post in the Google Earth help forum here.

I am showing the full release notes below, but I want to explain some things about this version to those of you who might be confused about the different versions of Google Earth out there:

There are two distinct versions of Google Earth currently: Google Earth Pro (for desktop OSes: Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.8+, and Linux) and Google Earth for Chrome and Mobile (web-based and Android/IOS). The web/mobile version is a new partial re-write of the original Google Earth software, but is much more limited in many ways – in particular because you can’t create content with it for placing on the Earth (read review of its release last April). The desktop version, Google Earth Pro, on the other hand has all the features for creating content derived from the last 13+ years of development on Google Earth, and provides you with a wealth of built-in layers and content, as well as many ways to view content (as documented on this blog since 2005). Eventually, Google says they plan to incorporate more features in the web/mobile version. But, until then, they plan to continue to support the more powerful desktop version of Google Earth Pro. [UPDATE: I should have said “three distinct versions“, because there is also Google Earth VR. But, only a small segment of population have access to high-end VR devices which can run it (Rift, Vive, and the new Windows VR devices).]

Since the web/mobile version is a long way from replacing the desktop version, it is important to thank Google for continuing to support Google Earth Pro. This new version 7.3.1 incorporates a wide range of bug fixes, security and performance enhancements, and even some new features (a condensed list is in the release notes below) for all operating systems supported. The actual fixes are too numerous (and for most too boring) to list, but Google has been listening to feedback on the help forum and fixing those which have the greatest impact. My favorite change happens to be the fix which supports higher refresh displays which run faster than 120Hz. Also, of particular note is support for Windows 64-bit version.

Release notes:

What’s New In Google Earth Pro 7.3.1

Here are a few highlights of the many fixes, changes and improvements we’ve made for this release of Google Earth Pro.

Changes

Windows 64-bit: 64-bit application
Windows: support for SSL client authentication with secure servers
Windows: stability improvements in DirectX mode
Linux: added support for printing, embedded video and sounds
Performance improvements with large KML files
Improved support for secure connections and handling of certificate errors
Polygons spanning the antimeridian no longer sometimes disappear
CSV import tool user interface fixes and better Unicode support
Repair Tool improvements
Elevation Profile tool measurements are now more consistent
Better translations throughout the user interface
GPS device live mode functionality restored
Fixed incompatibility with high-refresh-rate displays

Known Issues

Windows: upgrading from 32 to 64-bit application resets cache
“Tables” tool user interface, stability problems

Most Popular Stories About Google Earth 2017

December 1, 2017

Although this blog has stopped regular blog postings, Google Earth still has a legacy of amazing stories and content. This post summarizes some of the most popular content found by our readers during the year of 2017.

The top 5 most popular posts (from any year) on Google Earth Blog during 2017:

Secret Mars Base Found in Google Maps/Mars – Google’s April Fools joke for 2017.
Google Earth Live – proving that a lot of people think Google Earth has live imagery. This 2012 blog post still is a top find in searches. Read this for why Google Earth imagery isn’t live.
How often is Google Earth imagery updated in the continental US
Maintaining a map of 3D City areas in Google Earth
Google Earth Historical Imagery – This 2009 article is a popular search result about one of GE’s most powerful features. Sadly, historical imagery can only be viewed with the desktop version.

The top 5 most popular posts from 2017:

Secret Mars Base Found in Google Maps/Mars – This one makes this list too.
New Google Earth Web Version Available Now – Announcement of new web version of Google Earth back in April. Read my review for more in-depth impressions.
Google Earth imagery update outlines 2016 – Timothy Whitehead maintained a great archive of all the 3D City locations for Google Earth. Unfortunately, Google stopped supporting features he used to create it, and Google still isn’t providing information about the data themselves. It still is very popular and useful.
New Google Earth version – showing that the desktop version of GE is still very popular.
Wishlist for Google Earth 2017 – Timothy wrote an insightful list of technical wishes for Google to implement for Google Earth in 2017 last January. Unfortunately, Google has done a poor job of granting the wishes with only a couple having been partially met.

Pictures from the ISS: Photos by Thomas Pesquet in Google Earth

July 28, 2017

We recently came across a site called “Thomas Pesquet in Google Earth”. It features a KML file that includes over 625 photographs of Earth form the International Space Station (ISS) by French astronaut Thomas Pesquet that were shared through social media. The site and KML were created by Jean-Daniel Cesaro who has painstakingly geolocated them and put them in placemarks in Google Earth.

The photos range from relatively close up shots to sweeping vistas and night time photos. The site is in French, but the KML file is easy to find, so head on over there and download it.

Houston Texas.

The Soyuz Capsule seen over Southern Africa.

Aurora over North America.

To explore the inside of the ISS, see the recently released Street View.

Seconds from launch? A prepped rocket on the launchpad

July 27, 2017

Yesterday we showed you a video created by satellite imaging company Planet of the launch of their most recent flock of Doves using a series of images they had captured from orbit. As we mentioned in that post, it was almost certainly a first for satellite imaging. After writing that post we were having a look around various Spaceports (also known as Cosmodromes) and came across this sight:

Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on December 4th, 2010

We can see a rocket on the launch pad with vapour streaming off it as if it has just been fuelled and the support structure (known as a strongback) is tilted back as if it is about to launch. However, after some research we discovered that it is, in fact, a test firing and not the actual launch of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. The actual launch took place four days later on December 8th, 2010.

For more SpaceX related sights in Google Earth see this post.

Wikipedia lists the world’s Spaceports on this page but does not give coordinates. Those are provided as part of a longer list of rocket launch sites. We put the information into a KML file for you to view in Google Earth.

Of special note is Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia, which is still under contruction:

Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia, under construction. 2007 vs 2016.

Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center features this rocket on display:

Unfortunately, some of the locations we were interested in do not have recent imagery. For example, the European Space Agency (ESA) launches from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana in South America. The most recent image of the key launchpads is from 2001. Also, SpaceX is building a private spaceport near Brownsville, Texas, but the imagery is from January 2016 before serious construction started.