Google has released its long-anticipated geographic search tool, a new application that combines local search with satellite images and maps from around the globe.
Google Earth is a standalone application installable in 5-8 minutes(Around 10 MB),essentially an enhanced and upgraded version of its Keyhole 3D satellite imagery product.It is free of cost.
It come with two other enhanced products for commercial purposes:
Google Earth Plus $20*
Google Earth Pro $400*
You can upgrade to higher versions after installing the basic version.
The application is very cool to use and the 3D gaming technology of keyhole makes it (earth) a virtual toy.Now you can see the Eiffel tower in paris,White House in DC ,Great wall of china and even the Ring road in Bangalore.
Google Earth is designed to make it easy to "fly" to aerial views of many locations on the planet. Currently, the application has detailed imagery for the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and 38 major cities in other countries, as well as medium to high resolution terrain imagery for the entire world.
The application is a "console" with controls allowing you manipulate 3D satellite imagery of the Earth in a viewer directly above the controls. When you first start the application, your view is of the entire globe. You can either use the controls or Google Earth's search functions to zoom in on a specific location.
Google Earth has three primary search features:
Fly To : type in the place or lat/long info for a quick zooming to the place at a height of 3000 ft.
Local Search : Zooms you to Schools,Hotels,ATMs etc .. But fully functional only in North America.
and Directions
Other imp features:
.You can share saved searches in an XML format called KML ,can email or share these KML files with other users.
.You can also Book mark and take printouts of your favourite places.
How is it Done:
Keyhole's EarthViewer 3D client application uses videogame-like 3D graphics and access to massive databases of network-hosted earth information, including satellite imagery and aerial photography, to produce an interactive digital model of the earth.Also Google toured around the world with high resolution cameras mounted on trucks hooting the landscape pictures before they are networked.
Keyhole's EarthSystem(TM) combines a tradition of 3D graphics technology for flight simulators with innovative network-streaming technology to deliver enterprise software solutions for large business and government customers, as well as an Application Service Provider solution for professional and consumer users. The result is a virtual flyover experience-so compelling that multiple TV media networks recently used EarthViewer 3D to 'fly' over Iraqi cities and landscapes in news broadcasts using publicly available satellite images. In addition to media customers, Keyhole solutions serve a broad range of markets including real estate, transportation, insurance, consumer and government.
Competitors:Same old rivals and the addon is the space giant NASA..
1) NASAs WorldWind a similar software comes with a downloadable size of 180 MB.
Ping here for more details
2)Microsoft Corp. started testing on its MSN portal a service that enables consumers to get directory information from Yellow and White pages, corresponding street maps from Microsoft MapPoint and digital aerial images supplied by TerraServer USA, a research project operated by Microsoft.
Ping here for more details
3)Yahoo too started maps(2D) ahead of Google.The maps resemble more like a text book/Atlas maps with little usabilty and that too were restricted to ony US and canada.
Ping here
Positives of Google Earth over its rivals are the better resolutions outside the US. That is because google sat is displaying DigitalGlobe imagery. Digital globe has THEIR OWN SATS for imaging in orbit above the earth, this is a private funded project not a governmental one. That is why they have better detail outside the US and the NASA just have USGS on inside the US, USGS does NOT image the rest of the world (Outside of landsat).
More over the 3D gaming tech by google places it far ahead of its rivals.
Negatives :
I observed the controversial kashmir part of India is marked as a part of pakistan.
Use it for:
* Planning a trip
* Getting driving directions
* Finding a house or apartment
* Finding a local business
* Exploring the world.------You can make it as a good hobby.
So go googling the earth on your desktop.Try , you may find out Osama bin Laden.............just Goooogling!!!
Download here 
