August 20, 2010
More imagery from Pakistan flooding
Unlike the imagery that we showed you last week that covered a large area of Pakistan, the imagery we're showing today is quite zoomed in. However, it really shows the devastation facing the area.
This image comes courtesy of GeoEye, who published the image on their site yesterday.
Too see the imagery up close, you can view the high-res version on their site, or download this KML file
to see it as an image overlay. Viewing it in Google Earth and toggling to see the before/after comparison is quite shocking.
As before, we encourage you to visit Network for Good to see how you can help with the flood relief efforts.
Posted by mickmel at 4:45 PM | Comments (1)
August 20, 2010
Gulf Oil Spill: Defenders of Wildlife
Since the Gulf oil spill began in April of this year, we've showcased a variety of resources related to the event. It started with a simple overlay and later led to more advanced files like this comparison tool and Google's Crisis Response page.
The latest tool to be released comes from the "Defenders of Wildlife", in the form of an impressive "Gulf Oil Spill Response and Recovery" map.
As explained on the Google LatLong Blog, here is what makes this tool so useful:
This Gulf Oil Spill Recovery map was created using the Google Maps API and the Google Earth API. It allows any users, whether they're part of a non-profit group or concerned citizens who want to report what they observe in their backyards, to upload stories, photos and video to the common shared map. The result is an impressive illustration of all the projects - from beach cleanups to air monitoring surveys to sediment sampling - going on in the region to help rescue and restore affected species and their habitats. The map also shows numerous steps that the Obama Administration is taking to mitigate the near- and long-term impacts of the spill. As the map evolves, you'll be able to see how the marine environment and coastlines recuperate from collaborative efforts by average people, non-profit organizations and government agencies.
For more information, you can visit the Defenders of Wildlife website or watch the video below to see what they're all about:
Posted by mickmel at 8:01 AM | Comments (2)
August 19, 2010
Andy Dell is putting Hounslow on the map
Andy Dell is building some great 3D models of his local area, to the point where the Hounslow Chronicle did a story about him and his work (which I discovered via the 3D Warehouse Twitter account).
As you can see from the image above, he does excellent work with great attention to detail. The image above (of the Duke of York Pub), notice the roof overhang, expanded bay windows, tables, the Pub sign, the fence in back, etc. It's very well done.
So far 21 of his models have been accepted into Google Earth, which you can view in the Google 3D Warehouse.
The rest of Hounslow is still pretty bare in Google Earth, but with people like Andy on the job it'll be coming to life a little more every day.
Posted by mickmel at 8:29 AM | Comments (0)
August 18, 2010
Boat race replays in Google Earth
We've talked before about how you can use Google Earth to record and show GPS tracks from various events, such as off-road running races and biking across Poland. SFGate has a great story about using Google Earth to show realistic replays from a sailboat race.
Using the new "track" feature in Google Earth 5.2, they import the GPS data into Google Earth to make it work. They also took the time to model the area with 3D boats and buoys (available in the 3D Warehouse) to make it more realistic.
Google Earth product manager Peter Birch is referenced numerous times in the article, because he often races on a Catalina sailboat and Google Earth is obviously a huge part of his life. He's quoted as saying that the track technology "is something we've been working on for a long time", and I wouldn't be surprised if Birch used data from races like this to help test the features as they were being developed.
Being able to watch replays of the race from any angle gives the teams a great way to understand (and hopefully correct) their mistakes before the next race. Check out the SF Gate article for the full story.
To learn more about creating tracks, this section of Google Earth Help has a lot of great information.
Have you made any neat tracks using Google Earth 5.2? Tell us about them in the comments!
Posted by mickmel at 9:04 AM | Comments (2)
August 17, 2010
New Update to Google Earth: Version 5.2.1.1547
Google has just pushed out version 5.2.1.1547, replacing version 5.2.1.1329 for most people. The "check for updates" feature doesn't seem to be finding it yet, but if you download Earth from their servers (earth.google.com), you'll get the new version.
As far as I can tell, there aren't any official release notes available yet. However, you can find a few tidbits about the release in this thread in the KML Developer Support group.
Based on that information, it seems that this release fixes a variety of bugs in regards to 3D/polygon handling. Grab the update here and if you notice any other changes, please leave a comment and let us know!
Posted by mickmel at 8:04 AM | Comments (12)
August 17, 2010
Google Earth Enterprise 4.0 released
Called "The ultimate geo mashup platform", Google Earth Enterprise 4.0 has been released. You may be familiar with Google Earth Enterprise, as it has been used for projects such as Louisiana Earth.
Among the new features in GEE 4.0 is one called the "Portable Earth System". In many uses of GEE, people need access to their information in places where internet connectivity is limited or simply non-existent. Here is how that feature works.
Other enhancements in GEE 4.0 include Mobile Access via the Google Earth client on Android, full support for Google Earth 5.2 and the latest version of the Google Earth Plug-in.
For more on GEE 4.0, you can check out the full write-up on the Google LatLong Blog.
Posted by mickmel at 7:25 AM | Comments (1)
August 16, 2010
Read Ayn Rand
Here is a pretty funny story -- Nick Newcomen apparently had some free time on his hands, so he drove 12,238 across 30 states with a GPS logger to "write" a message for all to see:
You can read the full story over on Gizmodo, but it appears that Nick was a pretty big Ayn Rand fan.
To see it for yourself, you can view it on his site
or download the KML file to view it in Google Earth.
Posted by mickmel at 8:51 AM | Comments (2)
3D buildings in Yokohama, Japan
Google has pushed out their latest 3D buildings update (via @3DWH), and this one includes one new major 3D city: Yokohama, Japan
If you want to fly there and see Yokohama for yourself, you can simply use this KML file.
In addition, it appears they've loaded the rest of the buildings from Bowling Green State University that we told you about a few weeks ago.
The buildings in both locations look excellent, and there are certainly many other new buildings scattered around the globe. Did any of your 3D models get added with this update? Leave a comment and let us know!
Posted by mickmel at 8:36 AM | Comments (2)
August 13, 2010
Imagery of the flooding in Pakistan
UPDATE, 13-August: Google has now put out a blog entry with a lot more info from their Crisis Response team about the flooding -- read it here.
A few days ago we told you that Google was seeking imagery and data for the flooding in Pakistan. While they're still working to acquire more data, NASA has released some imagery of the country and it's quite stunning.
You can view/download the images on the NASA Earth Observatory site. You can also view it by downloading this KML overlay -- be warned that the image is approximately 9 MB, so it'll take a little while to load.
If you wish to offer your resources to help, Network for Good has a list of organizations that are accepting contributions, along with a description of what each organizations will do with your donation.
Posted by mickmel at 7:54 AM | Comments (5)
Is that a body in Street View?
For those people concerned about privacy in Google Street View, this almost takes it to a new level. A story has been going around that Google accidentally captured images of the body of young girl in the street outside her home. Frankly, the images are quite convincing:
Fortunately, the girl is perfectly fine and was just playing around. Her name is Azura Beebeejaun, and she's simply amused by all of the attention! She said she was just playing with friends when the car went by.
It's possible that Google will remove the image, but in the meantime you can view it in Google Maps here or in Google Earth with this KML file.
What's the strangest thing you've seen in Street View?
Posted by mickmel at 7:25 AM | Comments (11)
Links marked with this icon are Google Earth files. You must have Google Earth installed to use these links.
