Google Earth

I have recently discovered a very cool download from Google called Google Earth. It essentially takes the Google Map I have previously talked about and lets you get a 3-D view of different areas.

For example, my roommate Brook recently went to British Columbia to write an article on a posh resort which gives Heli-fishing/kayaking/hiking/rafting trips at a very reasonable price (if you have enough money to own your own jet at $8,000 a pop). Anyway, through Google Earth, we were able to see the exact glacier the helicopter flew he and his group up to.

Here is an example of what the Grand Canyon looks like:


If you go to Denver, it has buildings in 3D so you can get a tour of the city. You can also type in the name of restaurants, hotels, coffee houses (Grant), and it will show you where they are all located. If you download this, the controls at the bottom of the page all you to get a horizontal view of the "earth". You can see mountains as if you were flying towards them. You can even do the Matrix like 360 view thing. Check it out here.