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What's New in Google Earth?
Each month we highlight the newest additions to Google Earth content. If you haven't been subscribing to Sightseer for long, check the forum for previous editions.
Geographic Web Updates
 In August we substantially updated the Geographic Web layer folder. We've changed the icons for the Panoramio photos and Wikipedia placemarks. The Wikipedia layer icon now matches what is used in Google Maps. We have also created a new layer called Places which combines user-generated content from sources including Wikipedia, Panoramio, the Google Earth Community, and YouTube to create a single, multi-faceted layer. Each placemark description contains different useful information and links. More details.
New Street View Imagery
 Last month we released new Street View imagery - this time for two new countries: Australia and Japan. Updates to Street View imagery are available in both Google Maps and the Google Earth Street View layer. Check out the Sydney Opera House, or the Tokyo Tower. We also made a special Street View update for the Googleplex. You might want to start with the marriage proposal. As if that was not enough, we're also extending our coverage in the US with over 30 new cities including New Orleans (LA), Baton Rouge (LA), El Paso (TX), Wichita (KS), Savannah (GA), and Colorado Springs (CO). More details.
Earth API Docs Update
For those of you who are interested in developing applications with the new Google Earth plugin, we have updated the documentation and example code at the Google Earth API site. The Earth API reference documentation is more complete, new samples are available, and there's now a Earth API FAQ. More details.
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US Geothermal Energy
 Google.org made an announcement recently about funding several organizations to work on enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) to help reduce energy dependence on oil. They have a new page dedicated to explaining the program, which includes an informative KML file  showing the available resources of geothermal energy in the US. The file makes use of the Google Chart API to present pie charts to provide more details on the data. There is also a time animation letting you view the energy level data at different depths beneath the ground. There is also a YouTube video describing the data which uses Google Earth as well.
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Tips & Tricks: Invisible Paths
You can create a tour that follows an invisible path. This is helpful if you want create a movie that follows a very specific route, but do not want to show a path or any placemarks. Just create a path with the color opacity set to 0% and play a tour that follows that path. Learn more about touring places.
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