June 28, 2005
 |
This morning Google releases Google Earth, which basically replaces the Keyhole offerings.Many expected the product to be a few more weeks, but here it is, just in time for O'Reilly's Where 2.0 conference to be held Wednesday and Thursday of this week in San Francisco.Coincidence? Google (and partner Telcontar) are silver sponsors of the event.
The news is this: the new Keyhole, aka Google Earth is free, but it still requires a download (10 Mb download, sorry Windows only!).Google Earth Plus costs $20 and adds addition functionality (GPS support, perhaps others).The big solution is $400 year and includes even more tools (drawing, printing...).All three applications access the same worldwide database updated with Landsat coverage, terrain data, 3D buildings for 38 U.S.cities (licensed from an undisclosed source), detailed images for many major cities around the world and more.
The big news is that Google Earth is integrated with Local Search.So, a query on "coffee Somerville, MA" zoomed in from looking at North America on a globe, to a giant round E (for earth is believe) which separated out into array of A-I lettered coffee houses in and around my city.(At least one is closed at this time.) I found that experience sort of creepy.The local imagery, I'm pleased to report, is from "Mass GIS, Commonwealth of Massachusetts EOEA" and it says so in fairly large letters.Layers of data (hotels, dining) can be turned on as can banks, ATMs, schools and many other features.One notable point of local confusion: the category "local rail" includes the MBTA, aka the Subway.To Google's credit, Boston's red line is red and the blue line is blue.Boston is one of the 38 cities with 3D buildings.The buildings are gray and boxy but have the right shapes And, yes you can look at them in 3D and adjust the angle of viewing and all.
 |
The user can save queries and results to MyPlaces, e-mail them, e-mail directions and more.Just like Google Map, Google Earth provides directions turn-by-turn and you can even play back a "video" of the directions and follow the route in the 3D environment.It's 899km from Toronto, Canada to the coffee place down the street.I hit the play button and watched the rather long movie of the road trip.The most fun part? Watching the imagery credit change from DigitalGlobe to New York State GIS to Mass GIS...While this offering serves a different purpose than Geospatial One-Stop 2 (GOS 2), this seamless integration of those datasets is pretty impressive.
 |
Yes, it's cool.Will I play with it? Certainly.Will I use it for day to day work? I suspect I'll use it to layout potential runs and cycling expeditions.For other things? The jury is still out.I have to admit, flying around this way makes me a bit sea sick...
Still, I think this comment from a poster to a newslist this week raises a good point.He wondered if anyone had seen Google's new product and said of it, "Makes it increasingly tough to impress the non-map savvy types around here with what my GIS can do for them."
|
Your Comments Post a comment All comments provided in this section are those of the individual who has created the post. These are not the opinions of Directions Media, its editors, staff or owners unless otherwise noted. Directions Media retains the right to edit or delete any comments posted herein.
|
|
||||||
| Two years ago, who would have thought that Google would be introducing GIS to the masses? I'm excited to see what's next in the world of GIS! |
||||||
|
||||||
| I noticed the data in the free service is older than what is offered by Globexplorer and others...but hey, its FREE. Maybe they have the most recent data available with the fee based services. |
||||||
|
||||||
| Six months ago, Keyhole was standing in a corner 10x10 booth in N'Awlins, trying to flog image-based visualization to the same-ol'/same-ol' GEOINT/GIS crowd. And who cared? Not many, that's who. For the want of interest they packed up their booth and left the show early, and even left a few boxes of logo pens and brochures behind in the garbage. Now look 'at 'em. Consider this: Autodesk built a business on 80% of the functions of a serious CAD for less money. Now look at them. If Google Earth delivers 40% of the functions of a basic GIS for nothing, will this sell GIS to the world? Well, if you're reading this, you're part of the cognoscenti. And even though we hate to see it or like to criticize their effort, you can be dang skippy Google's play is going to make your next budget presentation easier. So Google Earth isn't pro-grade GIS. Well, who gives a bunnie's backside? If our "industry" can ever hope to deliver the next killer app (har, har, har), we need consumers and Joe Bagodonuts needs to understand what we do. Well, maybe. Or maybe not. But Google has done more for mapping in the past few months (today?) than all of us together have managed in the last couple decades. Good on 'em. |
||||||
|
||||||
| Google Earth is the most visually compelling example to date of what I refer to as 'lower-case' "gis": easy-to-use apps that let the average user view their data in a geographic context as opposed to the bulky, learning curve-laden software most of the readers here use every day. In the reviews of Google Earth, what has gone unemphasized in the recitation of product features is the ability to merge your own vector data, imagery, and symbols residing on your local machine seamlessly with the Google's imagery stream coming over the Internet. With a bit of HTML/XML, one can create custom hyperlinks for individual features, giving you the ability to link to your customized database-driven reports. For many, this is all the "geographic information systems" they need--and they get to fly around in 3D(!) In the face of another onslaught of Google hype GISers might be predisposed to be dismissive of this product for its lack of sophisticated spatial analysis abilities, etc., etc. But my money is on the probability that this product will capture the attention of a broader market of users whose needs in the past haven't been particularly well served by traditional 'upper-case' GIS. |
||||||
|
||||||
| I love the flying motion - it makes it seem like the world is small. The motion is my favorite thing about it! And I love being able to see where there are photos. I'm concerned about the Local Search data not being up to date, that makes it less useful. There's a bank down the street misidentified and it's been several years I think since it changed hands. Hopefully Google can figure out a way to be out in front with that. I agree with Brian Timoney about the huge impact (once people realize) of users being able to add their own data to the map. |
||||||
|
||||||
| I managed to get a free download of Google Earth before it was turned off and was staggered by the functionality / data coverage and fast rendering and streaming of imagery (JPIP ?) albeit from a high bandwidth connection. I can see now why Google is worth $6 Billion - this is effectively a new paradigm for interogating the web for information from a 3D geospatial perspective. This is also an example of a precursor browisng application for high bandwidth (3G) mobile devices (LBS become a reality). Some have argued that behing the scenes that this is probably a proprietary system which is not OGC compliant and has been tweaked for performance purposes - my opinion is 'who cares !' when you've got as much financial muscle as Googlle and your giving away access free. If I were ESRI I would be quaking in my boots ! |
||||||
|
||||||
| Cool beans. I've been waiting for this stuff for years. Is Minneapolis one of the 38 cities?? |
||||||
|
||||||
| A new path breaking presentation of GIS technology. This will open various new applications for GIS technology worldwide. Cheers! |
||||||
|
||||||
| How to obtain larger definition of a certain region? Which is it the cost? |
||||||
|
||||||
| Oh yes. I see the future and it is good. I've been exploring GoogleEarth for a while now, and I can't wait untill some sort of street level detail become available. "GoogleCity"? "GoogleCam"? Remote Tellepresence is just a waiting game. Of the shelve tech = Jack into the Matrix NOW. |
||||||
