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Google Earth

Google Earth Gets a New Home On the Web (arstechnica.com) 46

To celebrate the Earth Day, Google says it is rolling out what was a two-year in the making major update to Google Earth. From a report: V9 is designed to run in a Web browser (just Chrome for now), but there's now a standalone home for Google Earth. The Android app has been updated, too (iOS is coming soon). Version 9 puts a big focus on guided tours via the "Voyager" section, which serves as a jumping off point for YouTube videos, 360-degree content, Street View, and Google Earth landmarks. The tours are led by scientists and documentarians, with some content produced by well-known groups like the BBC's Planet Earth team. For kids, there's a Sesame Street muppet section.
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Google Earth Gets a New Home On the Web

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  • by kriston ( 7886 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @10:26AM (#54256933) Homepage Journal

    Nice, but what we need is an updated client so we can use KML and turn off the "photorealistic" fake 3D buildings and trees (turning on "2D" still uses the fake renderings in the web client).

    We also need the glassy-smooth animation and smooth scrolly-wheel zooming which this web clien't can't seem to handle.

  • by DontBeAMoran ( 4843879 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @10:28AM (#54256945)

    Version 9 puts a big focus on guided tours via the "Voyager" section

    Instructions not clear, stuck in the Delta Quadrant.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    This version is again designed to run in a Web browser (just Chrome for now)

    Targeting Chrome as the only supported browser has become possible thanks to Firefox's decreasing market share [caniuse.com]. It's now down to about 5% or 6%, across all versions and all platforms. It has no mobile presence of any substance (0.03%).

    Targeting only Chrome really wasn't feasible back when Firefox had 30% or more of the browser market. But thanks to one unwanted chaneg after another, users have fled Firefox and moved to Chrome instea

    • by Anonymous Coward

      It has no mobile presence of any substance (0.03%).

      That is particularly bizarre, because while I don't much like Firefox on the desktop, on Android it's the only decent browser I've found.

      People aren't really trying to use Chrome on Android, are they? On the desktop it's ok, but the mobile version is crippled beyond belief.

  • by Thelasko ( 1196535 ) on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @10:40AM (#54257047) Journal
    Last time I used the satellite view I noticed the cloud cover appeared to be updated in real time. Has anyone else noticed this?
  • by Anonymous Coward

    How do I view historic aerial photos and historic streetview photos in this new Google Earth????

  • by Anonymous Coward
    chrome only, uh yeah no thanks.
  • Muppets (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 18, 2017 @10:47AM (#54257107)

    "For kids, there's a Sesame Street muppet section."

    Ok. Raise your hand if you are a non-kid and went straight to the Sesame Street Muppet section.

  • V9 is designed to run in a Web browser (just Chrome for now), but there's now a standalone home for Google Earth.

    I don't know what the but means. You go there, and it tells you to download Chrome, so...

    I swear "journalists" these days just throw prepositions around until the sentence they couldn't be bothered to construct coherently from scratch stops getting underlined as grammatically incorrect.

    Not that that was a very coherent sentence... but then I'm not a journalist.

  • We really need Google Earth VR to work on The Google Pixel / DayDream headset.
    Currently it only works on the HTC Vive, and thats a big shortcoming.

  • When will Google release a working version of Google Earth that doesn't have the libraries it includes, which interfere with the already existing libraries on a machine, meaning 98% of the time, Google Earth crashes on start up?

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