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Open Source Alternative To Google Earth?

Posted by timothy on from the you-are-where dept.

aws910 writes "Today, I fired up Google Earth to find that the 'points of interest' category had been removed, and a single checkbox is in its place. Certain layers are now entirely inaccessible. Google triggered a user revolt, but admitted fault, and promised to restore full functionality someday. In the meantime, I've found a lack of plausible alternatives. Bing seems nice, but Moonlight crashes the browser on any machine I use, and I'd rather use OSS anyway ... which made me realize there doesn't seem to be a good open-source alternative to Google Earth. Am I missing something?"

8 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Walking? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The OP's feet are a hardware solution. I think the OP is asking for a browser based software solution.

  2. Steven Wright by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have a map of the United States...actual size. It says, "Scale: 1 mile = 1 mile." I spent last summer folding it. I also have a full-size map of the world. I hardly ever unroll it.

    --
    Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    1. Re:Steven Wright by martin-boundary · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you can't unroll a fullsized map of the world. The Gaussian curvature police won't let you.

    2. Re:Steven Wright by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 3, Funny

      The earth is flat, you insensitive clod!

      --
      -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
  3. Re:have you tried going outside? by daeley · · Score: 4, Funny

    daeley@debian:~$ go --outside
    bash: go: command not found

    Hmm.

    --
    I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
  4. Re:Real Open Source Earth alternative..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    It has advantages and disadvantages. Local view is 3D (with no special glasses needed for most people) and real-time. The view of Mount Everest is expensive. The price of "zoom out" is astronomical (and you can only zoom from a few places).

  5. Re:Brian by quantumplacet · · Score: 3, Funny

    and spending 30 seconds to read the fucking page you posted a link to would have led you to read the 2nd posting on that page:

    25 November 2006, we've got the letter from Michael Jones, the Chief Technologist of Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Local search, requesting us to cease reverse engineering and improper usage of licensed data that Google Earth use. We understand and respect Google's position on the case, so we've removed all downloads from this page and we ask everybody who have ever downloaded gaia 0.1.0 and prior versions to delete all files concerned with the project, which include source code, binary files and image cache (~/.gaia).

    which was posted over 3 years ago. although what can i really expect from an AC who either can't spell brain or consults someone named brian for all his decisions...

  6. Re:Licensing? Severs? by GrahamCox · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm trying to find out what exactly Google Earth is actually useful for???

    Never mind Google Earth, I'm trying to find out what an "Atlas" is useful for, or what are all those funny map-thingys covered in strange squiggles that you can buy all over the place. I mean, I don't have the imagination to see what they could possibly be useful for, so they just seem like a total waste of paper and printing to me.