Google is using its popular online mapping service to call attention to atrocities in the Darfur region of Sudan. In a project with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, inaugurated Tuesday, the Internet search company has updated its Google Earth service with high resolution satellite images of the region to document destroyed villages, displaced people and refugee camps. Google Earth allows those who have downloaded its free software to focus on satellite images and maps of most of the world. When users scan over the Darfur region, where the United Nations estimates that more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in four years of carnage, Google Inc. hopes to attract their gaze with icons.
Yesterday John Hanke, director of Google Maps / Local / Earth, responded to the public outcry about the revision of Google Maps satellite imagery of New Orleans to pre-Katrina appearances. His response was published on The Official Google Blog. Hanke said that the satellite images were actually changed in September 2006, but the outcry only took place in the last week or two:
It's unverified, but some think that Google may have purchased Vutool if that is true, we should expect some new ground-level photography that literally puts you in the drivers seat in Google Earth. Vutool is a Google Earth from the ground level.
High-res Swiss Alps in Google Earth. The update of imagery for Google Maps is now available in Google Earth. Swiss Alps terrain is in high resolution (10 meter).
The key hightlights are: * Entire country of Switzerland at 50cm and many Swiss cities at 25cm (thank you, Endoxon) * Entire country of Switzerland terrain at 10m resolution, Swiss Alps are now high-res! * Entire country of Denmark at 50cm * Australia day flyover (Google maps special) * Cities of France: Lyon; Le Mans; Lourdes; Reims; Nancy; Limoges; Lille; Arles * Potsdam and Magdeburg, Germany * Barcelona, Belem, Cape Town, Galapagos (Isabella Island), Manaus, Mt Saint Helens, Recife, Rio, Venice * Whistler British Columbia * Full state coverage for Wyoming & Utah * Cities and counties in the US: Kirkland, WA; 6 counties in Arksansas; Dallas county, IA; Rutherford County, NC; Lancaster County, NE; Johnson County, NC; Lee County, NC; * significant amounts of new Digital Globe data
Google Earth agrees to blur pix of key Indian sites President APJ Abdul Kalam's concerns over Google Earth providing detailed and unhindered view of ‘sensitive' Indian establishments have been addressed, courtesy a formula which allows users uninterrupted access to the ‘eye in the sky' while camouflaging key installations. Fuzzy, low resolution pictures and distorted building plans is how the government and Google Earth have agreed to get around concerns that images of sensitive military and scientific establishments available on the Web could either allow unauthorised snooping or become a ready reckoner for terrorists.
Without the work of James Gray - an unassuming, grey-bearded, bespectacled computer engineer - the modern world would not be quite the same. At 63, he counts among his achievements the computer database that makes cash machines possible, as well as online airline reservations, online telescopes and services that allow virtually anyone in the Western world to download a satellite image of their home. All this earned him the Turing Award - considered the Nobel Prize of computer science - for what the judges called his "seminal contributions" to database research.
A cargo plane, a helicopter and six patrol boats have been scouring the Pacific since Monday for Jim Gray, who helped develop the technology behind popular computer mapping programs like Google Earth.
The Coast Guard searched the waters off Northern California on Wednesday for an award-winning computer scientist missing since a weekend sailing trip to scatter his mother's ashes at sea.
Google has released the latest beta for Google Earth 4 . Windows and Linux - version 4.0.2693, Mac - version 4.0.2694.
Release notes: * Progress indicator for loading network links and models * Real-time GPS tracking using NMEA (Plus, Pro and EC) * Greatly improved performance for collada models (textured buildings) * Tours can display balloons (Tools--Options... then "Touring" tab) * Driving directions and touring allow a greater range for typed values * Mac movie-maker supports many more compression formats
KML notes: * Icon palettes are deprecated (no more root:// for the styles) * Improved performance on network link hierarchies
Major fixes since last beta: * Improved compatibility on shared memory architecture ATI graphics cards with older graphics card drivers * Improved success rate of log in over unreliable connections * Fixed offline mode in Pro * Numerous GPS fixes (including GPX import)