Thursday, March 28, 2024

Google Earth celebrates it 10th birthday

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On June 29th, Monday, Google Earth celebrated its 10th birthday.  I know 10 years is a blip on the timeline, but for digital content and tech, 10 years is old.  10 years ago was 2005; we didn’t have the iPhone from Apple, and mobile companies like Nextel and Cingular were dominating the cellular networks. The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2005, and like Google Earth, 10 years later they still rule their domain.  Although Google didn’t need to cheat to be great. Even the almighty Facebook was just over a year old.  More importantly, online maps and GPS were expanding, allowing drivers to migrate away from ancient paper maps and Google Earth was at the forefront of that expansion.  It was also free and still is free to this day.

How times have changed and let’s discuss the changes and value in Google Earth that have occurred over the last 10 years.

I remember when my older brother, Klinton, told me to check out Google Earth; he was a big fan of Google and their beta products so he was always the first to know about Google’s latest releases(although now he has an iPhone so I have disowned him).  I opened up Google Earth and started exploring the world in a new and interactive way I was never able to do using a good old globe.  I could type in a destination and then zoom in on a satellite image, something I could never do before, and I visited places from Hawaii to China all in a matter of seconds.  The Forbidden Palace is quite a sight to see on Google Earth.

When was the last time you used a globe for directions?

When was the last time you used a globe for directions?

More importantly Google Maps had a large impact after Hurricane Katrina, with before and after satellite imagery so rescue workers could locate where people were stranded after the flooding.

 

The benefits of Google Earth didn’t stop there as it has helped enable people of all ages discover new coral reefs, journey to the moon, find long-lost parents, clear land mines and much more.

 

 

Google Earth Voyager

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Google Earth 10th birthday opening page

Voyager is available in the desktop version of Google Earth and it takes you to the newest and most interesting imagery around the world.

From the Google blog:

In this first edition of Voyager, you’ll find five sections to explore:

  • Street View: highlights from Street View, including the Taj Mahal and the Grand Canyon
  • Earth View: striking landscapes around the globe as seen from space (more below)
  • 3D cities: a showcase of cities and towns available in photorealistic 3D (don’t forget to tilt!)
  • Satellite imagery updates: a map of our most recently published satellite imagery
  • Highlight tour: with thousands of Voyager locations to choose from, take a quick tour of a few to whet your appetite

The Kemgon Gompa - available in the Street View layer

The Kemgon Gompa – available in the Street View layer in Google Earth

 

 

Earth View

Earth view offers scientists and casual enthusiasts the opportunity to admire Earth’s natural beauty.  It also allows for scientists to track global events like glaciers melting and deforestation.

CLASlite online: This shows deforestation and degradation in Rondonia, Brazil from 1986-2008, with the red indicating recent activity.

CLASlite online: This shows deforestation and degradation in Rondonia, Brazil from 1986-2008, with the red indicating recent activity using Google Earth.

The Hammar Marshes of Iran are an uncharacteristic yet beautiful wetland feature in the otherwise arid climate

From Google Earth – the Hammar Marshes of Iran are an uncharacteristic yet beautiful wetland feature in the otherwise arid climate

For Google Earth’s birthday, Google is expanding the Earth View collection to 1,500 landscapes from every continent and ocean.

If you haven’t checked in Google Earth in a while it is definitely worth trying as it has evolved and added countless features.

Happy birthday Google Earth!

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