Google and YouTube Take Video Watching to Different Level

by Abha Malpani on

Since online monopolizing giant Google bought YouTube last year, it’s not surprising to see them incorporate YouTube into their Google Earth program.

I’m yet undecided as to my privacy concerns when it comes to Google Earth, since I love zooming and peering into friend’s homes, hotel rooms, offices and other random spots — (yeah, and you don’t? — admit it!). I think the ability to be able to see related YouTube videos of the spot you are nosing into is a welcome application, although not particularly necessary; I guess the need of another press release was in order.

I was going to add — who would get onto Google Earth to watch YouTube videos? But then, why wouldn’t you? — specially if they are readily available and accessible from Google Earth. Who will upload, connect and tag these videos to Google Earth? The same crazy people who make them — we are all attention seeking maniacs who will put in extra effort to link where ever we can and be seen where ever we can.

There is a spanking-ly funny video on YouTube that gives a perfect example of what we have already gotten ourselves into with Google Earth, now difference is that videos will be more geographically connected and sorted.

Google now Tracks Flights

by Grant Martin on

In this week’s creepy chapter of Big Brother Watching You, Google has just started supporting searches for airplanes. Not carriers websites or airplane photos, airplanes currently up in the sky.

I suppose the technology has been around for a while; flightaware has semi-accurate flight routes if you ever want to see how you got from point A to B. It’s just that Google has now made checking the location of your boss over the Atlantic easier than checking your email.

All you have to do is search by the carrier and the number. In the above photo, I typed NW49 into Google and it gave me three options: Expedia, Travelocity and FBOweb as tracking agents. FBOweb supports tracking over Google Earth, which is pretty neat if you have it installed, but for the bulk of you who just want to know when you have to pick up your friend at the airport, the others should do just fine.

Happy stalking!

Swastika Navy Building via Google Earth

by Neil Woodburn on

Google Earth has changed the way we go about observing our world.

Occasionally the satellite photos reveal some very cool new areas to explore. Other times they reveal oddities not visible from the ground.

This was the recent case with the Naval Base Coronado near San Diego, California. The building, constructed in 1967, happens to be in the exact shape of a swastika. Navy officials admitted to having discovered this many years ago but since there is a no-fly zone above the navel base, they figured no one would see it.

Well, the eagle eyes of Google Earth miss nothing. The naval base has become a favorite virtual destination for Google Earth fanatics, who are always seeking out bizarre sights buried in the reams of footage.

And now that the secret is out, the Navy has announced that they will be spending $600,000 to alter the shape of the building into something less offensive, like a square, for example.

Google Earth Arrives in Russia: Detailed Satellite Imagery of Secret Soviet Cities now Available

by Neil Woodburn on

In their most paranoid state, the Soviets outlawed detailed maps of their country during the Cold War. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the maps that they did produce for Soviet citizens were purposely wrong–entire cities were often left off the map or strategically relocated in the interests of national security.

The Cold War has been over for a long time now and the Soviet Union no longer exists. The law prohibiting maps with “precise geographical data,” however, has remained on the books–that is, until last May when legislature finally removed this antiquated law and opened the door for Google Earth Russia to make its official, legal entrance onto internet servers throughout Russia.

Now every comrade in Russia can zoom right in all those weapons and nuclear “secret cities” which never officially existed, such as the nuclear warhead facilities at Penza-19.

Naturally, someone has already created a Google Earth mash-up of secret cities throughout Russia–some of which still remain closed to outsiders. Click here and pretend you’re a CIA analyst trying to make sense of the mysterious sheds and facilities viewed from outer space. Hey, is that an ICBM?!?!?

Very cool! I could spend all day doing this.

Listen to the World with Google Earth

by Justin Glow on

Following the Where 2.0 conference (bringing together “the people, projects, and issues building the new technological foundations and creating value in the location industry”) on May 29th, an enhancement to Google Earth will be available for download which enables binary sound files to be linked to geo-coordinates within the program. This means that along with all of the other cool features Google Earth offers, you’ll be able to hear what a place sounds like — from “the cracking of glaciers to midnight in the jungle.”

The sound files will be provided by Wild Sanctuary, a company whose “worldwide collection represents over 3,500 hours of wild soundscapes and nearly 15,000 species.” Hopefully future versions of Google Earth will allow user-submitted sounds, or integration with other GeoTag-supported sound file websites like Freesound. While we’re at it, allow video too!

(Thanks, Mike!)