googleearth
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Google Earth 4 out of beta
I suppose the camp of Googlians waiting in line for the Stevenote can be forgiven for fleeing the code mines; they recently put the final touches on Google Earth 4, now out of beta.Shiny new features in the Google Earth revision include: Higher quality terrain and building textures Expanded KML file support, including timestamps and image overlays The sleek new UI, designed to stay out of your way as you flit hither and virtually yon Polygon annotation, shareable with other users You can download the free GE4 application here. Upgrades to Plus ($20/year, higher-res prints, GPS track import, faster performance) and Professional ($400/yr, full-res image export and printing, movie export, GIS and spreadsheet import) are available. The paid versions also let you disable local business advertising, which I'll admit I've never seen in GE; perhaps I'm not visiting the right neighborhoods.
Mars Sucks (and so does gaming on Google Earth)
Gamasutra has posted a report by an Intel team tasked with investigating the gaming potential of Google Earth. The team designed a prototype game, Mars Sucks, and in doing so, discovered the shortcomings of Google Earth as a foundation for games. Put simply, in a game where players must seek out and destroy alien spacecrafts, the devs couldn't program a point-n-click shooting action. How can it get any more limited than that?Still, gaming on Google Earth is very much a work-in-progress, and to that end, the Intel team is kindly offering up the Mars Sucks source code, along with a list of development resources. Get to work.
GlobalSat launches Google-friendly GPS data logger
We enjoyed our run with the Nike+iPod, but it was a one trick pony. On the other hand, who wants to carry around something like the LOOX N100 when you just want to track coordinates? If there was only a simple GPS data logger -- something that could monitor our speed, altitude, location, perhaps even at defined intervals; throw in a built-in USB cable and the ability to run on regular batteries, and we'd have a winner. Well the GlobalSat DG-100 offers all these qualities plus the ability to export all that data goodness into a format readable by Google Earth and Google Maps. Granted it won't play nice with our iPods, but at least we can also use it as a GPS receiver to help us find the social. Currently it is available for pre-order, but we've got zero info on availability or price.[Via Navigadget]
Google Earth + Wiimote = so happy together
Using a homebrew app called GlovePie, which allows the Wiimote to synch with a PC for all kinds of nifty stuff, a blogger by the name of coulston used it to make Google Earth that much cooler. Adding tilt functionality, as well as zooming capabilities, from the look of it in action, available via the embedded video after the jump, the Wiimote is suited perfectly.[Via QJ]
Wiimote control for Google Earth
If air drumming or imaginary light sabers aren't your thing, then perhaps the familiar territory of Google Earth will be enough to get you to pull your Wiimote away from Zelda long enough to run a few scripts on your PC. There's nothing too complicated going on here, with just the requisite GlovePIE software (the Wiimote's new best friend) and the Google Earth script written by the star of today's video, J. Coulston, needed to take the world in your hands. Once you've got that up and running, you'll be able to impress your friends and navigate the globe with the flip of your wrist. Just don't get too excited when you spot your neighborhood. You know what can happen.[Thanks, Jesse E.]
Google Earth Automator actions
Nyhthawk at Automator.us has put together two Automator actions for Google Earth. The first is a 'Go To Location' action, while the second is a 'Save Screenshot' action. Since I can't find any version requirements for gEarth, I can only assume for now that they work with any version of the app (does anyone know any better?). Stefan Geens at Ogle Earth - a blog about Google Earth - points out that the obvious thing to do with these actions is to use them to created automated audio tours of locations, and he even created his own tour of Stockholm, while Nyhthawk provides tours of Silicon Valley and Paris on the Automator action's download page.Geeze, with Mac OS X 10.4, Automator and Google Earth - who needs a tour guide anymore?
GlobalSat TR-101 GPS phone for easily misplaced children
Thanks GlobalSat, we we're starting to think the worrying-parent market was drying up a bit. After that first wave of GPS kiddie phones hit, the feature set has been slowly sinking into the everyphone, which doesn't allow for that special self-importance that comes to a child owner of a stripped-down tracking phone. The TR-101 allows for calls to 3 preset numbers, and sends location data via SMS or over the Internet. It uses a full-on SiRF Star III chipset, and can be remote controlled via other phones or through Online software. There's also an SOS button for emergencies, Google Earth integration for visualisation, and quad-band GSM support to keep track of the little bugger all over the globe. No word on price or availability.
Google Earth plugin for SketchUp
SketchUp has teamed up with Google to create a beta plugin for SketchUp (a very cool drafting program). Why is this cool? You can create a building in SketchUp and place that drawing in its context in Google Earth. This is a very powerful concept and I'm sure lots of small Mac shops are rejoicing about this plugin.
Google Earth officially available for Mac OS X
With all the cool new goodies from Apple distracting us today, we almost missed the fact that Google has officially made Google Earth for Mac OS X available. After the rumor and then the leaked beta, it sure is cool to see an official version. I played with it only briefly this afternoon (I could only pull myself away from the day's Apple news for so long) and found it very smooth and responsive on my G5 iMac. Check it out.Thanks for the tip, Ben!
