Google Earth emerging as popular online application
Google Earth not only shows a lot of maps and zoomed-in locations, there are oodles of fun hidden behind it. In Pics: Consumer Electronics Show | Thinnest Laptop
By Nimish Dubey, TNN |
Google Mail might be the most popular application in Google’s software arsenal but when it comes to casual use, perhaps Google Earth takes the cake. When it was launched, many observers had turned their noses up at it, saying that it was at best an online atlas that allowed you to zoom into specific locations. Well, those gentlemen (and some ladies) have been consuming vast amounts of humble pie ever since as Google Earth has emerged as one of the most popular online applications of recent years.
And it is not just because it shows a lot of maps and zoomed-in locations and is extremely easy to use—no , there is oodles of fun hidden behind Google Earth for those willing to look for it.
And Google keeps adding to the goodies—from tours to games to developer tools and other little knickknacks , there is plenty to play around with in Google Earth, even if you are not a great fan of maps. Here’s a brief look at just some of them. (Note: All of them might not work with all versions of the software.)
And it is not just because it shows a lot of maps and zoomed-in locations and is extremely easy to use—no , there is oodles of fun hidden behind Google Earth for those willing to look for it.
And Google keeps adding to the goodies—from tours to games to developer tools and other little knickknacks , there is plenty to play around with in Google Earth, even if you are not a great fan of maps. Here’s a brief look at just some of them. (Note: All of them might not work with all versions of the software.)
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Flight Simulator:
Considered by many to be the ultimate Easter Egg in online applications is the flight simulator that Google has hidden inside Google Earth. Just hit the Control and G keys together and you will see the cursor change into the shape of an aircraft as you are placed in G-Mode.
Yes, you will have to work out the calibration and controls but once you get the hang of it, well, you can fly around the world, tweaking heights and speed as per your requirement. No, there are no enemies to shoot down, but even then, this can be quite an experience!
Play Tour:
Want to find out how travelling from one place to another feels? Well, use the ‘Play Tour’ mode of Google Maps. All you need to do is click on the Directions in the Search option, pick two locations and then ask Google Earth to search for a route. Most people are so satisfied by just seeing the route that they miss out the Play Tour button that appears in the Directions menu. Well, just click on it and you will be flown all along the route between the two venues. And you can adjust the speed, viewing angle, and height of your tour, as well as pause midway to check out landmarks. How neat is that!
Viewing the universe:
Last year, Google decided to give users an eyeful of not just the earth but also the skies by including the Google Sky feature that allowed one to check out different constellations and planets, by using imagery from different telescopes . Well, if you get tired of looking at the same old stars and galaxies, you can actually go all the way out and check out the ENTIRE universe. Yep, all you need to do is hit the Control and G keys together when in Sky mode for activating G-Force mode. A few tweaks and you could actually end up seeing the entire sky like a globe. If Archimedes had this view, he would have moved the universe !
A trip into the past:
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Want to find out how the sky looked two hundred years ago? Well, the latest version of Google Sky (which is a part of Google Earth) allows you to do just that. All you need to do is go to the Historical Sky Maps section. The section contains a number of sky maps from David Rumsey’s famous historical map archives. A treasure trove for those who think that the stars foretell the future—just go all the way back to, say 1857, and find out if what the sky had in store for 2007 actually worked out!Podcasts:
Again a Google Sky update, this feature has added a welcome audio touch to Google Earth. Users can now get information on astronomical events by clicking on the Current Sky Events option . Most of the podcasts are mercifully short (around 90 seconds) and run from within the application.
Make your own view:
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Google has released the Sky Application Programming Interface (API), which allows developers to tweak code and come out with their own specific view of the sky. Now, that’s a sight for sore eyes!(Courtesy: TOI)
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