1:11 PM — Google Earth Now this is one program I have to plug: Google Earth does everything that Google Maps did and then some.

For example, it shows the house I currently live in with sufficient detail to make out the cars in the parking spots! Not sure what year this satellite image was taken, but that's definitely not my car.
It also does a good job of showing Puffer's Pond, which apparently is officially called Factory Hollow Pond.
However, it's not quite as good in Pennsylvania, where I'll be for a few weeks soon.

The interface is really smooth and intuitive, but I highly recommend a fast computer and faster internet connection. The directions interface is pretty cool too. It zooms out to show the whole route, and when you click on one part of it, it zooms in and "tilts" (distorts, transforms, whatever) the map so it looks like you're actually travelling in the appropriate direction. When you double click on the next step it zooms out along the route and over to the next instructions you need to take. Man, it's sexy!

I guess one good thing about being stuck on my PC is this program, as they don't yet have a Mac version. :-P  ¶ permalink | 2 musings