Google + Keyhole = Google Earth
I don't see anything in the email about being quiet about this so here goes with some cool new mapping features. Friday I received an email from Google inviting me to download the beta of the soon to be replacement for Keyhole. Google Earth.
Compared to Keyhole, you will notice changes right away with the interface. Integrated Google searches and a large number of landmarks that can be turned on and off.
3D Buildings
Lets start with the big things
first. On selected US cities, you can view a grey scale 3D rendering of
the city skyline. Pictures are worth more then words so I'll let the
screenshots do the talking.
Public Transit
View Railroads, Subway lines and
Bus routes along with all their stops. Or select multiple locations and
have Google give you directions.
Land Rendering
This was in Keyhole but it's still amazing. Screenshots really can't capture how amazing it is to freely move around a 3D world.
Coverage
The coverage area has been increased over the past month.
Animation
You can select places or simply draw a
path and then play an animation that will follow it. Or simply just
measure the distance between point A and point B.
Other things to note:
- GPS, Road Directions
- It's easy to get lost when zoomed in close and fast mouse movements.
- Screenshots are as easy as File > Save Image
- Arrow key navigation is slower then Keyhole was
- The side menus bounce around based on the number of search results.
- Tons of layers to turn on and off.
Have you read "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson? He predicts an advanced program that sounds a lot like this therein...can't wait to see what the future holds for this kind of concept.
The program in "Snow Crash" is in fact called Earth. Given that, it's possible, perhaps even likely, that Google's program is explicitly modeled on it.
