Computer and Web Articles

I’m always suggesting new sites for people to visit and new programs for people to test out. Every once in a while, however, I come upon an internet treasure so great that instead of offering a suggestion, I offer a hands-down- absolutely-must-see-you’ll-seriously-love-this … recommendation. Today that recommendation is Google Earth.

Perhaps you remember my recommendation a long while back about an Earth-mapping application called Keyhole. Keyhole was great, but you had to either pay a fee or use their limited trial version. Recently, however, Keyhole has merged with Google and formed Google Earth.

Download the 100 percent free 12MB program right this very second at http://earth.google.com. The first night I downloaded it I, inadvertently of course, ended up staying awake until the wee hours of the morning. It’s that great/addicting.

I “flew” from Colorado back to the city, then street, then house where I grew up in California. I then “flew” north and visited my old college campus in Washington state (and to my surprise saw that they have added new buildings and completely reworked the soccer fields).

During my first night using Google Earth I visited the pyramids in Egypt, examined the New Orleans area from the sky, located the beaches I’ve swam at in Costa Rica and flew over my friend’s apartment building in Manhattan.

The level of detail is amazing; I wish I’d had this program when I was learning geography and world history in school. Go. Try it. Now.