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desktop earth posts

Filed under: Design, Fun, Windows, Macintosh, Apple, Microsoft, Commercial, Mods

EarthDesk 4 - put the world on your desktop

EarthDeskEarthDesk is a program that puts a map of the world on your Windows or Mac PC's desktop. It includes a number of rendering options, such as optional true cloud coverage downloads (at configurable transparency levels) and configurable moonlight for nighttime areas. You can also choose between different map projections, everything from a true round globe to a rectangular map.

EarthDesk is unique in that it is available for both Windows PCs and Macs - too bad more software vendors don't go this route. There is an evaluation version, but it puts a huge ugly watermark in the middle of the map that may make you want to vomit - okay, that's a bit harsh, but then so is the watermark. A single user license costs $19.95, though it seems more people would pony up if they could actually try the application without the watermark for a period of time.

For a free Windows alternative, check out Desktop Earth. If you know of a free Mac alternative, let us know in the comments.

Filed under: Design, Fun, Windows, Freeware, Mods

Desktop Earth 2.0 - Today's mod

Desktop Earth is an oldie, but a real goodie. It allowed you to display a globe or map on your desktop that would move according to the time, either keeping your location centered with light changing to show the relative position of the sun, or showing from the sun's perspective with the earth rotating or moving by.

While very cool, Desktop Earth is extremely long in the tooth. Luckily, a new version has been released, dubbed appropriately Desktop Earth 2.0. In the new version, the imagery is based on NASA's Blue Marble Next and Earth's City Lights, and is generated from very high-resolution textures (2560x1280).

Featured Time Waster

The World's Hardest Game 2.0 - Time Waster

So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do. Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game. The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...

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