Today I found out from Frank Taylor’s Google Earth Blog that Google has released version 5 of Google Earth. I had to run out and update my copies of the program right away.
At first glance there doesn’t appear to be much different. The buttons are altered slightly but the overall user interface hasn’t changed. However, there’s quite a bit new in this release, most of it under the surface (literally.)
The brand-new flashier bits in this version are as follows:
Google Ocean – greater details of the ocean floor had already worked their way into the last release of version 4. However, now users can plunge beneath the water’s surface to explore. A new folder of points of interest has been added to accompany the new feature.
Google Mars – Now users can switch between Earth, Sky, and Mars. The imagery is quite impressive. However, make sure that you de-select any of your terrestrial layers. It was a bit disconcerting to see earth-bound geotagged Flickr images on Mars.
Historical Images – To me, this is one of the coolest new features. When activated from a button on the tool bar, a slider appears. If there are any historical images of that location, slide the bar to the left to view them. It’s great for tracking changes over time. For example, here’s a view of the Reedy Falls Park area from 1994, prior to construction of the Liberty Bridge and Falls Place…
