by Graeme » Sat 06 Aug 2005, 12:57:01
Google brings the Earth to you
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')ugust 05 2005 at 09:20AM
New York - The world at your fingertips, with the click of a computer mouse.
That's what Internet giant Google is offering in a program allowing Web surfers to fly around the world in a matter seconds, hopping from one destination to another across the sky.
In "Google Earth", a user can download a picture of Earth, pick a spot on the planet and navigate through satellite and airplane photos of cities.
The program uses broadband streaming technology and three-dimensional (3D) graphics, "much like a video game", according to Google personnel.
The California company focused more on the United States than other places, but mapping out Europe is a "very high priority", said John Hanke, general manager of Keyhole, whose company was acquired by Google and came up with the technology.
In Britain and North America, the technology gives the latitude and longitude of an address. It can even pinpoint to a precise address by searching some buildings by name.
In the United States, 38 cities can be seen in 3D, a feature that has piqued the interest of real estate agents, Hanke said.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1 ... 020119A141
http://earth.google.com/