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July 2009: Google updated the base aerial photography for this area and the “flying car” is no longer there. This rules out some of the theories in the comments that it was a permanent structure.

https://www.gearthblog.com/blo...

Other articles tell of people going to that location to see for themselves, yet never found anything.

Good thing she didn't ask for directions from Boston to London... Not working anymore (un?)fortunately.

The points of interest feature has already been restored: http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2010/03/the_points_of_interest_return.html

Well, if you used Google Maps you could get a path from Boston to London. (Or were able to at one point.) http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2007/03/directions_from_goog.html Close enough.

People make the same complaints about Google. You just don't see those complaints on Slashdot, which was my point.

People make what complaints about both MS and google? Your first post seemed to imply "Company X are evil because not all of their products are successes", which I've still never seen said about either company, and I still don't see any logic in.

Crap like "O_o" is annoying to read.

So are irrelevant personal attacks ^_^

Where is the open source release of Google's server code?

As said; yes it's closed source, but closed source isn't a problem -- closed standards and vendor lock-in are.

Did you know that the GPL doesn't require release of code for remotely accessed software, so Google keeps it all closed? Did you know Google Code won't even accept the GPL Affero license that closes that loophole?

Yes, I know this, and I still don't care. Their company could explode and their products rot, but as long as I've stuck with open standards, I'm free to switch to an alternative.

All you listed was email, HTML, and XMPP. Those are standards that everyone already used, and Google wants its ads on what everyone is using

At the time it was created, an ad-supported webmail service with IMAP access was pretty new. Also, their IMAP interface doesn't have any ads (or at least didn't last I checked, it has been a year or so since I tried it).

I also mentioned Wave, which is a standard that nobody already used. I then went and attempted to do your research for you, looking for closed google specs to cite -- first thing I randomly picked was google earth, turns out that that's spawned an open standard too.

[Stuff you say is off topic snipped]

My point was that Google does many of the things Microsoft is criticized for doing--trying to tie products together to create a giant advertising platform

As said, I've never seen MS criticised "for creating a giant advertising platform", only "for creating a giant lock-in platform" -- different things.

putting out a bunch of non-core products that go nowhere

I've also never seen MS criticised "for making non-core products", only "for making extra products to push a competitor out of business and then dropping them" -- also different things.

and collecting user data for its own money-making purposes.

One out of three I think is a good point -- however, I do see this point frequently made in comments, which goes against your original "slashdot <3 google" point :-P

Then you're purposely not looking because you're a fanboy, which was my original point.

Or I'm purposely not looking because I can't be arsed -- I've seen their major products, and based my points on observations of them, just as I've based my points on MS's most popular and visible products. If there are secretly hundreds of closed google products and open MS products, then since you're the one making the point, I'm expecting you to be the one who points them out.

http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2009/01/marijuana_field_found.html

Frank mentioned it on 2009-01-17 on Google Earth Blog.

The terminal and 3D interfaces are complementary, not antagonistic. We should welcome 3D interfaces. Indeed, we should welcome almost anything that increases the level of communication between the user and the computer.

Think about surfing Google Earth using a CLI. Not good, is it?

Now imagine you surfing Google Earth with a multi-touch 3D interface (eg: http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2007/01/super_touch_screen_f.html ). Then, once you're where you want to be, being able to call up a CLI window with commands contextualized by the location you are at.

> why don't you start up your own company and start selling these cheap UAV's you can make to the military.
Well, because it's already been done.

Mosquito 1, produced by: Israel Aircraft Industries
The miniature saucer shaped plane weighs 250 gram and as a wing span of about 30 cm. The vehicle carries a miniature video camera and already performed several flights with up to 40 minutes endurance each. Mosquito 1.5 micro UAV made by IAIThe Mosquito is launched by hand and lands on its skids at the end of its mission.

Amateur rig, by Pict'Earth
"video showing a guy launching a small unmanned remote control aerial vehicle with a digital camera used to capture images and then show the images in Google Earth."

...
> People don't make UAV drones capable of being flown from the other side of the world...
Sorry, are physics different in Iraq that cause planes that fly over here to not fly over there?

> ...for up to 24 hours at a stretch all the time.
The article was about small hand-held webcams being thrown like grenades. Somehow, I don't think a 24 hour flight or use time was a priority for this project.

http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2008/10/location_of_plane_wreck_of_steve_fo.html

Download the .kml file and check it out. You can see the "box canyon" he likely flew into. Planes do a crappy job of out flying terrain (I'm a private pilot, I've seen this first hand). His luck may have simply run out.

A summary of various comments above: it was outside the turk's search area, and google earth still doesn't have recent photos of the crash site even now.

The google earth blog however has a kml file of the crash location based on the no-fly zone coordinates and some additional guesswork,

I looked at it and couldn't see any wreckage, certainly nothing we could have seen during the search.

-M

A summary of various comments above: it was outside the turk's search area, and google earth still doesn't have recent photos of the crash site even now.

The google earth blog however has a kml file of the crash location based on the no-fly zone coordinates and some additional guesswork,

I looked at it and couldn't see any wreckage, certainly nothing we could have seen during the search.

-M

Ok, I'm late on that one. But really worth is the GEB 6-minutes video demonstration of the new features.

Here's more info, well, a copy of my post of the site from my sig:
Mentioned earlier this week, here's the official announcement and a description of a new feature, 3D building swooping. The release provoked a lot of reactions and writings in the geoblogs. Here's the GEB entries on his first impressions [with screenshots], a video demonstration, well worth the 6 minutes (really), a short explanation of the new navigation widgets and some final thoughts on GE 4.3. Ogle Earth also shares his comments and discuss the differences between atlases and mirror worlds. Interesting to note that not everyone is pleased with some of the changes, with GE being dubbed the AOL of the Geoweb. APB also links to a IW article on the practical uses of Google StreetView.

Ok, I'm late on that one. But really worth is the GEB 6-minutes video demonstration of the new features.

Here's more info, well, a copy of my post of the site from my sig:
Mentioned earlier this week, here's the official announcement and a description of a new feature, 3D building swooping. The release provoked a lot of reactions and writings in the geoblogs. Here's the GEB entries on his first impressions [with screenshots], a video demonstration, well worth the 6 minutes (really), a short explanation of the new navigation widgets and some final thoughts on GE 4.3. Ogle Earth also shares his comments and discuss the differences between atlases and mirror worlds. Interesting to note that not everyone is pleased with some of the changes, with GE being dubbed the AOL of the Geoweb. APB also links to a IW article on the practical uses of Google StreetView.

Ok, I'm late on that one. But really worth is the GEB 6-minutes video demonstration of the new features.

Here's more info, well, a copy of my post of the site from my sig:
Mentioned earlier this week, here's the official announcement and a description of a new feature, 3D building swooping. The release provoked a lot of reactions and writings in the geoblogs. Here's the GEB entries on his first impressions [with screenshots], a video demonstration, well worth the 6 minutes (really), a short explanation of the new navigation widgets and some final thoughts on GE 4.3. Ogle Earth also shares his comments and discuss the differences between atlases and mirror worlds. Interesting to note that not everyone is pleased with some of the changes, with GE being dubbed the AOL of the Geoweb. APB also links to a IW article on the practical uses of Google StreetView.

Ok, I'm late on that one. But really worth is the GEB 6-minutes video demonstration of the new features.

Here's more info, well, a copy of my post of the site from my sig:
Mentioned earlier this week, here's the official announcement and a description of a new feature, 3D building swooping. The release provoked a lot of reactions and writings in the geoblogs. Here's the GEB entries on his first impressions [with screenshots], a video demonstration, well worth the 6 minutes (really), a short explanation of the new navigation widgets and some final thoughts on GE 4.3. Ogle Earth also shares his comments and discuss the differences between atlases and mirror worlds. Interesting to note that not everyone is pleased with some of the changes, with GE being dubbed the AOL of the Geoweb. APB also links to a IW article on the practical uses of Google StreetView.

Ok, I'm late on that one. But really worth is the GEB 6-minutes video demonstration of the new features.

Here's more info, well, a copy of my post of the site from my sig:
Mentioned earlier this week, here's the official announcement and a description of a new feature, 3D building swooping. The release provoked a lot of reactions and writings in the geoblogs. Here's the GEB entries on his first impressions [with screenshots], a video demonstration, well worth the 6 minutes (really), a short explanation of the new navigation widgets and some final thoughts on GE 4.3. Ogle Earth also shares his comments and discuss the differences between atlases and mirror worlds. Interesting to note that not everyone is pleased with some of the changes, with GE being dubbed the AOL of the Geoweb. APB also links to a IW article on the practical uses of Google StreetView.

The official Google Lat Lon blog gives some more info, but also interesting are the Google Earth Blog showing us how to overlay the smoke plumes in Google Earth using MODIS and GOES data and here's more and even a time animation which illustrates the spread of the fire.

The official Google Lat Lon blog gives some more info, but also interesting are the Google Earth Blog showing us how to overlay the smoke plumes in Google Earth using MODIS and GOES data and here's more and even a time animation which illustrates the spread of the fire.

There is a layer that can provide satellite orbits

http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2006/12/in teresting_satellit.html

For the paranoiacs, Paronamio has been acquired by Google this week (more info here).

"if companies like Flickr keep an e-mail address for those seeing their photos online"
You haven't mentioned it, but I guess you already know about FlickrMap. Flickr is part of Yahoo!, and they're not going out of the competition vs Google / Microsoft and alternatives on the mapping stuff and photos.

Google Earth (and all similar satelite imagery tools) are just amazing... How long before, for instance, China bans its citizens from using it you think?

In a similar area, Slashdot posted before about maps overAmerican strip mining. Others have collected other links to deforestation, coral reefs, etc.

The Slashgeo.org story:
All Points Blog tells us Google unexpectedly acquires data over Sydney, for Australia Day 2007. From this other article: "On Friday, an aircraft hired by Google will be doing a series of low-level swoops over parts of Sydney, photographing the ground and waters below. [...] "It's a bit of an experiment and if it's a success, we'll probably do it in other places [around the world]," Mr Rasmussen said, indicating that Google would work on organising similar flyovers in places like Paris on Bastille Day or over cities in the United States on Independence Day." Update: 01/26 16:40 GMT by S:The Google Earth blog tells us Microsoft too will acquire data over Sydney.

Nobody mentioned NASA World Wind yet. But read this insightful entry from a NASA WW enthusiast. A part of it: "This is for a new joint NASA / Google application to bring data to the masses.. I guess NASA forgot there is NASA World Wind already to do this." Two other entries are interesting, one from Ogle Earth and the other from the Google Earth blog.

Offline Google Earth Use

Basically, be online, surf the area you want, then go offline. Then the area will be cached (up to 2 GB, the article also mentions having multiple cache files around and swapping them around manually).

More interesting, and more 4D (in that it gives you an actual slider you can play with) is Google Earth 4 Beta's timeline feature. I was hoping the article would've been something along those lines (since I've been having lots of fun displaying aircraft tracking data in Google Earth with their timeline slider activated).

Try this.

Needs GE 4 to work.

Ok, I must admit, the way they represent it in Second Life is interesting. Symbolic, not realistic, but sometimes symbolization is simply more efficient than realism.

US weather radar layers for Google Earth.
3D pseudo-real-time global clouds layer for Google Earth.
And while we're at it, weather radar data for Canada.

Oh yeah.. you can't use GE at work (as clearly specified in the license), so use the great (and open source) NASA World Wind instead.

Ok, I must admit, the way they represent it in Second Life is interesting. Symbolic, not realistic, but sometimes symbolization is simply more efficient than realism.

US weather radar layers for Google Earth.
3D pseudo-real-time global clouds layer for Google Earth.
And while we're at it, weather radar data for Canada.

Oh yeah.. you can't use GE at work (as clearly specified in the license), so use the great (and open source) NASA World Wind instead.

Nah, Google Earth has them beat.

http://www.gearthblog.com/images/images2006/ipodad .jpg

Actually, this is a link which describes the weird building anomalies: http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2005/12/fu nky_buildings.html

http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2006/06/kc 135_caught_re.html

Err, yes.

that were rejected by the /. editors :-)
[ok, I'm too lazy, here's a direct copy of slashgeo's stories]

Following yesterday stories, izo writes "It's here. Fresh, crispy and shiny — Google Earth ver 4.0.2080 . There is new timeline interface and few new kml tags. [Although there is no demo to test it] My personal winner with this release is .dae caching and fixed refreshing. Now you can create simple "animations" with "moving" 3d objects using Update kml tag. P.S. To avoid problems with flickering mouse cursor uninstall your old GE before installing new one." Update: 09/14 13:49 GMT by S : The Google Earth Blog offers additional information including: "doing a "Check for Update" in the application will NOT get you the new version - you have to download from Google as if it were your first time for GE 4". Read Ogle Earth on the release too.

Ogle Earth was the first to share the news about today's major content update for Google Earth. OE links to a ZDNet article. While the Google Earth Blog tells us about the addition of 3D buildings in cities all over Japan. From the article: "Google Earth will include before and after satellite images of environmentally endangered locations originally published by the U.N. Environment Program as a coffee-table book." and from the Ogle Earth blog: "New stuff in the "Featured content" folder in the Layers sidebar. Some of it's been there for a while, but brand new is a layer by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), a layer by the US National Park service, and expanded global content by the Discovery Channel."

All Points Blog links to a ZDNet article where we learn the time tracking tool in Google Earth Pro will now be available in Google Earth Free (and GE Plus, of course!). From the article: "The feature in which a slider is used to scroll through time [...] now features a simplified interface. [...] showing how scientists, who had tracked the movements of a whale shark using GPS, had then mapped the creature's path using the application. Business uses could include fleet tracking or mapping the movements of transport infrastructure according to Google. Jones also described how the new version would enable users to track all of the geostationary satellites orbiting the earth." Ed Parsons was first to mention this news item.

The Google earth Blog attempts to summarize the September 8th major satellite/photo imagery update for Google Maps and Google Earth.

that were rejected by the /. editors :-)
[ok, I'm too lazy, here's a direct copy of slashgeo's stories]

Following yesterday stories, izo writes "It's here. Fresh, crispy and shiny — Google Earth ver 4.0.2080 . There is new timeline interface and few new kml tags. [Although there is no demo to test it] My personal winner with this release is .dae caching and fixed refreshing. Now you can create simple "animations" with "moving" 3d objects using Update kml tag. P.S. To avoid problems with flickering mouse cursor uninstall your old GE before installing new one." Update: 09/14 13:49 GMT by S : The Google Earth Blog offers additional information including: "doing a "Check for Update" in the application will NOT get you the new version - you have to download from Google as if it were your first time for GE 4". Read Ogle Earth on the release too.

Ogle Earth was the first to share the news about today's major content update for Google Earth. OE links to a ZDNet article. While the Google Earth Blog tells us about the addition of 3D buildings in cities all over Japan. From the article: "Google Earth will include before and after satellite images of environmentally endangered locations originally published by the U.N. Environment Program as a coffee-table book." and from the Ogle Earth blog: "New stuff in the "Featured content" folder in the Layers sidebar. Some of it's been there for a while, but brand new is a layer by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), a layer by the US National Park service, and expanded global content by the Discovery Channel."

All Points Blog links to a ZDNet article where we learn the time tracking tool in Google Earth Pro will now be available in Google Earth Free (and GE Plus, of course!). From the article: "The feature in which a slider is used to scroll through time [...] now features a simplified interface. [...] showing how scientists, who had tracked the movements of a whale shark using GPS, had then mapped the creature's path using the application. Business uses could include fleet tracking or mapping the movements of transport infrastructure according to Google. Jones also described how the new version would enable users to track all of the geostationary satellites orbiting the earth." Ed Parsons was first to mention this news item.

The Google earth Blog attempts to summarize the September 8th major satellite/photo imagery update for Google Maps and Google Earth.

that were rejected by the /. editors :-)
[ok, I'm too lazy, here's a direct copy of slashgeo's stories]

Following yesterday stories, izo writes "It's here. Fresh, crispy and shiny — Google Earth ver 4.0.2080 . There is new timeline interface and few new kml tags. [Although there is no demo to test it] My personal winner with this release is .dae caching and fixed refreshing. Now you can create simple "animations" with "moving" 3d objects using Update kml tag. P.S. To avoid problems with flickering mouse cursor uninstall your old GE before installing new one." Update: 09/14 13:49 GMT by S : The Google Earth Blog offers additional information including: "doing a "Check for Update" in the application will NOT get you the new version - you have to download from Google as if it were your first time for GE 4". Read Ogle Earth on the release too.

Ogle Earth was the first to share the news about today's major content update for Google Earth. OE links to a ZDNet article. While the Google Earth Blog tells us about the addition of 3D buildings in cities all over Japan. From the article: "Google Earth will include before and after satellite images of environmentally endangered locations originally published by the U.N. Environment Program as a coffee-table book." and from the Ogle Earth blog: "New stuff in the "Featured content" folder in the Layers sidebar. Some of it's been there for a while, but brand new is a layer by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), a layer by the US National Park service, and expanded global content by the Discovery Channel."

All Points Blog links to a ZDNet article where we learn the time tracking tool in Google Earth Pro will now be available in Google Earth Free (and GE Plus, of course!). From the article: "The feature in which a slider is used to scroll through time [...] now features a simplified interface. [...] showing how scientists, who had tracked the movements of a whale shark using GPS, had then mapped the creature's path using the application. Business uses could include fleet tracking or mapping the movements of transport infrastructure according to Google. Jones also described how the new version would enable users to track all of the geostationary satellites orbiting the earth." Ed Parsons was first to mention this news item.

The Google earth Blog attempts to summarize the September 8th major satellite/photo imagery update for Google Maps and Google Earth.

A cool network link allowed to follow the race in real time in Google Earth : http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2006/07/to ur_de_france_3.html
Was just great when watching live!

How about finding meteorite craters?

http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2006/03/ne w_crater_disc.html

I don't see what downloading and installing Google Earth gives me other than novelty.

Basically, anybody who makes money off geography is interested in Google Earth, because of the ease and speed with which you can add placemarks and build your own personal database of them, and get distances and directions between them, and exchange database files with others. Think real estate agents, geologists, demographics researchers, meteorologists, epidemic-tracking biologists...Add terrain and 3D building data, and you've got a real tool. Check out all of the practical industry uses in the Google Earth Blog.

I showed it to a real-estate friend and his jaw dropped. He "got it" right away. Catalog properties geographically from a laptop...link to web page...provide instant directions...e-mail placemarks to buyers...let them survey site...???...profit!!!

I'm using it to attach latitude/longitude data to locations of my photographs. It is much faster than the browser interface. And you can see where that can lead.

The fact that is an application is a feature, not a disadvantage. Instead of being shoehorned into a web interface, you get a marked-up globe so responsive that the interactivity itself becomes a feature.