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This Month’s Top Pick of the Web: Google Earth

By Chris Chaplow

Many readers will have already used Google Maps as a way of finding a location. Go to Google Maps at maps.google.com or just remember www.googlemaps.com. All you need to do is to type in practically any address in the world, in various formats and the location will be identified on a printable map.

If you have used the maps you may have noticed a “Satellite” button which changes the map view to a satellite image view. The first thing everyone tends to do is to zoom in and inspect their own house and the neighbourhood. It is amazing the detail to which it can go.

To take this satellite view to a higher level you need to look at “Google Earth” at earth.google.com.

“Google Earth combines the power of Google Search with satellite imagery, maps, terrain, and 3D buildings to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips.”

There is a program that you will need to download on your computer but you will be rewarded with the ability to ‘fly’ over the earth looking at the 3D terrain, as well as the cities, the roads and much more.

To “fly” to your house, just type in the address, press “Search”, and you’ll zoom right in. You can search for schools, parks, restaurants, hotels and also obtain driving directions.

Imagine what a colossal project it is to add detailed information to satellite images of all the cities, towns, and villages on the earth. That is why Google (in true ‘Web 2.0’ fashion) are leaving that part up to us.

Go ahead and put your work place or your favourite restaurant on the Google Earth. Marbella is lagging far behind New York or Denver for this information. You can highlight businesses, shops, restaurants, lodgings, and tourist spots.

If you have some good photographs, add them to the earth by uploading them to ‘Panoramio’ and properly identify the position where you took them.

In some US cities current traffic jams are identified by red dots. That is a useful feature.

Since Google Earth was launched, users have been exploring our world and creating content overlays called KML files, to share their explorations with others. Google highlight these user-created KML files each week in the new ‘Google Earth Gallery’.

Current featured are the likes of:

Global Paleogeographic Views: thanks to Dr. Ron Blakey at Northern Arizona University.

Sightings of Bigfoot: this KML provides an animation showing when and where these sightings of the apelike figure occurred, with links to more information.

White Horses: the type engraved into the hillside that is synonymous with the beauty and mystery of the English countryside. In the KML by Felippo, you can see the locations of these hill figures and learn about their history. Information and photographs are included in the place mark description bubbles, giving a bird’s eye tour of these sites.

Holly Hayes has taken the trouble to post 850 religious places around the world – cathedrals, churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, standing stones, etc. Virtually all place marks include a photo, a description, and links to articles and/or photo galleries on her website. The latest layer file can be found here www.sacred-destinations.com/earth/world2.kmz.

Advanced users who purchase the Google Earth Plus for $20 can upload GPS points for their TomTom GPS unit. Why not hike to the top of La Concha Mountain behind Marbella and then retrace your steps on Google Earth?

Other users are fast creating 3D buildings, perhaps your house or workplace, perhaps a famous monument. This is done in the free 3D-modelling software tool provided called Google SketchUp. Check out the 3D Warehouse for your favourite town. There are not many 3D building in Marbella yet, but at least both the Arches and the Pirulli are in place. Thanks ‘Atico Marbella’ whoever you are!

Now for their next trick. The latest version of the Google Earth has an unpublished feature, a flight simulator. Start it up by pressing Ctr+Alt+A. Choose between a F16 fighter and a single engine Cirrus SR22. It works best with a joystick and has a long way to go to catch up with the Microsoft Flight Simulator for the controls but as the terrain is real you can fly around your neighbourhood and buzz those noisy neighbours.

Chris Chaplow is founder director of local information website andalucia.com. He can contacted on chris@andalucia.com.