Recent Updates
A number of improvements to Google Earth and its data have been released this year...

January 10th was a big day for us; Google Earth (GE) for Windows came out of beta, and we also released the first public beta version of GE for the Mac. In celebration of Google Earth's first birthday in June, on the 12th we announced Google Earth (Release 4 - BETA) and released it for Windows, Mac, and Linux. GE 4 BETA includes a new and improved interface, support for textures in 3D models, new layer options, and more. The Google Earth interface is now also localized for French, Italian, German, and Spanish. If you're already using GE, select "Check for Updates Online" in the GE "Help" menu to make sure you have the latest version. You can also download Google Earth for a new install or to install GE 4 BETA.

Google Earth's satellite and aerial images are updated regularly throughout the year. On June 8th, we quadrupled our total number of high resolution satellite photos covering regions all over the world; Earth now offers high resolution images over one-third of the world's population, including much of Western Europe, all of Germany, parts of New York, islands around the world, and numerous cities. In addition, we've published significant updates to the Borders, Roads and Populated Places layers, and 5,000 islands now have name labels. To see some of these new images, check out Las Vegas or the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Another significant addition to our data this year has been in Europe, where we've added improved image coverage, the ability to get driving directions, and roads for many countries. Also, there are now localized versions of Google Maps for France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the UK.

Want to stay better informed of all our data updates? Watch the Google Earth News forum for announcements.

Over the past year, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has implemented a number of useful Google Earth visualizations to help make the general public more aware about earthquakes. Here are three of the USGS's more exciting Earth projects:

1. Real-time worldwide earthquake monitoring
   (Magnitude 1+ during the last 7 days)
   USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2. Virtual Helicopter Tour of the Hayward Fault -
   Checklist and Instructions
3. Virtual Tour of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The 100th anniversary of the Great Quake was on April 18th. The USGS has provided many Google Earth files to help you visualize the events, science, historic photos, and contemporary hazards of the areas affected by San Andreas Fault.

Google SketchUp

On March 14, 2006, Google acquired @Last Software, makers of the popular 3D software SketchUp. SketchUp had already been the most popular tool for creating 3D models for Google Earth. On April 27th, Google SketchUp (a free version of SketchUp for Windows) was released and is available now to download so you can create and post models for use with GE. That same day we announced the launch of the Google 3D Warehouse, which is already populated with many 3D models for use with SketchUp or for viewing in GE. You can view the 3D Warehouse models available in Google Earth through this network link and use Google SketchUp to create your own models and share them with other GE users through the 3D Warehouse.

Here are some sample models: Chrysler Building in NYC, Google Mountain View Campus, and the Canary Wharf in London. Also, in June we released Google SketchUp for Mac OSX and support for textures in models for Google Earth 4 BETA.

The professional SketchUp product, SketchUp Pro 5, is a powerful 3D modeling tool with a robust feature set that empowers design professionals to explore and communicate complex concepts, import and export a host of file formats, and create interactive presentations. You can also use SketchUp Pro to print to high-resolution devices, place your models in Google Earth, and post them to the 3D Warehouse.

July Calendar

Click on the links below to fly to places associated with this month's events. Don't forget to click on these Placemarks in Google Earth and read the descriptions.

July 1 - Russian State Library Founded
July 4 - US Independence Day
July 5 - Cape Verde Independence
July 9 - Final Game of 2006 FIFA World Cup
July 12 - Henry XIII Marries Sixth Wife
July 14 - Bastille Day
July 16 - Apollo 11 Launched
July 17 - Disneyland Opens in 1955
July 20 - Sir Edmund Hillary Born
July 25 - Lance Armstrong 1st Tour de France Win
July 28 - Beatrix Potter Born
July 31 - Earliest Recorded Eruption of Mt. Fuji