Google Earth was recently updated to version 6.2 and included in the new update is integration with Google+. The social network is growing at a rapid rate and Google is integrating the site with more and more of it’s products.

One of the biggest integrations was in search which caused a lot of people to question the change and even caused the FTC to add it to their probe of the company. Anyways, the new version allows for very easy sharing to your circles on Google+ and letting people see where you’ve traveled to, of course virtually.

Via eWeek:

“Google continued its wholesale integration of Google+ with its existing applications, launching Google Earth 6.2 with the capability to let users share their virtual images with their contacts on the social network. Google Earth 6.2 includes the option to let users share a screenshot of their current Google Earth image, as well as images of places they’ve already “virtually traveled” with contacts in their Circles.”

“To share images of cities, oceans and other location to Google+ followers, users must sign into their Google Account in the upper right hand corner of Google Earth and click the Share option.”

The company has recently been quite the topic of conversation lately. On one side, over 90 Million people are using their social network with 60 percent being active daily and having a great experience. On the other side, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are concerned, while they won’t say it, that Google will cut into their market share by further integrating Google+ into all of its products and services.

Do you use Google Earth?

Google Earth Integrates Google+ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google announced today that since Google Earth’s launch in 2005, the software has been downloaded an astonishing 1 billion times.

To celebrate the achievement, Google put together a new website, oneworldmanystories.com. The site aims to educate consumers about what can be done with the Google Earth software with 40 real-world stories about people who have used the software to defend nature, explore far-away lands, follow their dreams and learn more about the Earth.

“Google Earth is probably one of the most downloaded applications of all time in terms of raw numbers,” Google product manager Peter Birch told AFP.

In a statement to Huffington Post, Birch explains that despite the overwhelming popularity of the software, users don’t seem to have picked up on just what the software is capable of doing for them.

They don’t have much of a sense what Earth can be used for,” said Birch. “Really, it’s a very powerful platform for sharing information.”

To give consumers a glimpse into what the software is capable of, Google released a new video for Google Earth that highlights some of the things that can be done with the software, as represented on oneworldmanystories.com. If you’d like to check that video out, you can find it below.

Source: Google, Huffington Post

Google Earth celebrates 1 billion downloads milestone is a post from: The Inquisitr

Well this definitely has to be one of the more interesting uses of Google Earth, but apparently authorities in New York’s Long Island have been using Google Earth to track down people who have not had the proper permits for building those backyard swimming pools.

The report from the Wall Street Journal tells how the officials in the town of Riverhead used the satellite images and careful research to find 250 pools that had been built without proper permits. This allowed the town officials to levy fines totaling $75,000.

Riverhead’s chief building inspector Leroy Barnes Jr. said the unpermitted pools were a safety concern. He said that without the required inspections there was no way to know whether the pools’ plumbing, electrical work and fencing met state and local regulations.

“Pool safety has always been my concern,” Barnes said.

But some privacy advocates say the use of Google Earth to find scofflaw swimming pools reeks of Big Brother.

Lillie Coney, associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C., said Google Earth was promoted as an aid to curious travelers but has become a tool for cash-hungry local governments.

“The technology is going so far ahead of what people think is possible, and there is too little discussion about community norms,” she said.

Google hasn’t responded to questions regarding any concerns they might have about the service being used this way.

New York’s Long Island uses Google to collect $75,000 in fines is a post from: The Inquisitr

We all know that Google is solidly behind environmental issues and are always looking for ways to lower the company’s ‘footprint’. Well just in time for the big U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen they have released an interesting mapping tool via Google Earth.

In collaboration with the Danish government Google Earth is providing a customized view that includes a series of layers and tours. These will allow the user to explore the potential impacts of climate change on the earth along with some possible solutions for managing it.

Working with data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we show on Google Earth the range of expected temperature and precipitation changes under different global emissions scenarios that could occur throughout the century. Today we are unveiling our first climate tour on Google Earth: "Confronting Climate Change," with narration by Al Gore. Stay tuned for more tours in the coming weeks!

Source: Google Blog – Google climate change tools for COP15

As well they are launching a YouTube COP15 Channel where you can submit your thoughts and asked questions about climate change to decision-makers through an initiative called “Raise Your Voice”.

Bonus video Google Earth Climate Introductory Tour

Google Earth offering up climate change tool and video channel is a post from: The Inquisitr

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the first man on the Moon, Google has added Moon coverage to Google Earth.

Similar to Mars before it, the coverage of the Moon includes high resolution images where available, informational content about the Apollo landing sites, panoramic images shot by the Apollo astronauts, narrated tours and more. Like the other objects in Google Earth, place names on the Moon are also mapped.

Anousheh Ansari on the Google Blog claims that “this educational tool is a critical step into the future, a way to both develop the dreams of young people globally, and inspire new audacious goals.” As much as I want to believe that, it’s not the most exciting release from Google, but if your into dull boring gray rocks, it’s a delightfully good mashup. Personally I’d rather look at the Hubble Gallery

Video demo of Google Earth Moon as follows:

Google Sings Fly Me To The Moon on Google Earth is a post from: The Inquisitr

Map the Fallen

Map the Fallen was started by a content developer with the Google Earth Outreach team. Using Google Earth, it allows users to sift through thousands of photos, then click on any to see how and where that person died, visit their memorial Web site, and peruse comments left by their family and friends.

Map the Fallen utilizes data from several sources, including the Department of Defense’s Statistical Information Analysis Division, icasualties.org, MilitaryTimes.com’s Honor the Fallen, Washington Post’s Faces of the Fallen, the Iraq and Afghanistan Pages, and Legacy.com. Its data goes all the way through March of this year.

“I recognize that this map is just a slice of the story in these conflicts,” its creator says. “The Iraqi and Afghani people have incurred substantial civilian losses through these wars; there are also U.S. and Coalition civilians, contractors, and reporters who have died as well.”

You can read more about the Map the Fallen project here and can download its software here. Note that you need to have Google Earth 5.0 installed for the program to work.

Map the Fallen: Honoring U.S. Troops Through Google Earth is a post from: The Inquisitr

I can just imagine the discussions going on in the Ministries responsible for England’s armed forces and nuclear program. What they thought was a secret that only they knew about turns out to be available to the world via Google Earth and Microsoft’s Live Search Maps. The maps display the longitude and latitude of a facility in Faslane, Scotland that is home to the U.K.’s Trident-armed nuclear submarine forces.

The pictures clearly show two of the Vanguard class submarines – which are capable of carrying 16 nuclear warheads. Of course the military experts are warning that this kind of information will make it all the easier for terrorists to launch attacks

One told The Sun: "A strike on our nuclear capability would cause untold devastation. Terrorists could have a field day, knowing exactly where to aim strikes to cause the maximum devastation."

As well as HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, the program also clearly shows the Trident Special Area near Coulport, just 10 miles away, where nuclear warheads are stored.

Source: FoxNews

Chances are that by the time you check this out they’ll have been scrubbed or at least you would think that they would be.

Top secret English sub base no longer so secret is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google has released a new version of Google Earth that for the first time includes underwater rendering and historical footage.

The underwater bathymetric map allows users to drop below the surface and explore the seafloor in 3D, using public and private data from multiple sources. Mashed into the offering is also video and still images, so you can get an actual view of each spot where available.

The historical Imagery allows users to move back and forth in time to reveal imagery from the past revealing changes over time.

Another new feature offered is touring, allowing users to create an easily sharable, narrated, fly-through tour just by clicking the record button and navigating through your tour destinations.

They’re impressive changes, but limited by data. For example, Google suggests users take a look at San Francisco as an example of the historical feature, but fails to mention that the images are quite restricted is scope; and that’s presuming that there is historical footage for your area, many areas I checked had little or none, and where they do it’s often only back to the early part of this decade. Still, it’s a start, and hopefully they’ll be able to tap into additional data sources in the future.

You can download the latest Google Earth here.

New Google Earth includes underwater and historical footage is a post from: The Inquisitr

The newly updated Big Apple images boast hundreds of new fully textured buildings — nearly every building in Manhattan Island, the Google Earth team says.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Not quite the same as a real, in-person tour — but not too shabby for a virtual view.

The Google Earth program, of course, lets you tilt up and down to check out all the details. You can even fly around the buildings Spiderman-style. Just remember: With great power comes great responsibility.

New York City Gets a Google Earth Makeover is a post from: The Inquisitr

In all, Ancient Rome 3D has 6,700 detailed buildings. “Users can visit the Roman Forum, stand in the centre of the Colosseum, trace the footsteps of the gladiators in the Ludus Magnus, stand on the Rostra, swoop over the Basilica Julia, fly under The Arch of Constantine or even examine the detail on the facade of the Basilica of Maxentius,” Google explains.

The feature has obvious educational implications, and Google is launching a contest for teachers to find ways to incorporate the technology into their lessons.

Google Earth Ancient Rome 3D can be viewed within the “Layers” panel of the Google Earth program. Select “Gallery,” then “Ancient Rome 3D” to take the tour.

Or check out this video for a closer look:

Explore Ancient Rome in Google Earth is a post from: The Inquisitr

CyberCity 3D has created 350,000 models within Google Earth maps. It has another 350,000 on various other services. Its web publishing expansion will focus on creating more Google Earth models as well as finding new travel and real estate web sites on which to feature its content.

The company is based in El Segundo, California — just outside of Los Angeles.

CyberCity 3D Finds Funding For 3-D Models is a post from: The Inquisitr