Skip to Content

Great gifts for geeks, hand-picked by Download Squad
AOL Tech

Posts with tag virtual-earth

Filed under: Internet, Web services, Google

Google releases Google Earth API, browser plugin

Google Earth browser plugin
Google has released a browser plugin that lets you access most of the key features of Google Earth in your web browser. No need to download and install the standalone Google Earth application. Google Earth provides more detailed imagery and navigational controls than Google Maps. You can also see 3D models of buildings and view KML files in Google Earth.

You do still need to download and install a small utility though. While the plugin works with Internet Explorer and Firefox (2.0 only, Firefox 3 is not yet supported), it's not available through the Mozilla Add-ons page. The plugin is also Windows-only.

The Google Earth browser plugin is powered by a JavaScript API, which Google has also released, allowing web publishers to embed a Google Earth widget in their web pages and build customizable applications around it. You can see some examples at the Google Earth plugin samples page.

Microsoft has been offering a web-based version of its Virtual Earth application for a while now. And Poly9's FreeEarth offers web publishers a similarly custimizable spinning globe that can be embedded in web sites.

[via Google LatLong]

Filed under: Internet, Web services, Microsoft, web 2.0

Microsoft gives Virtual Earth and Live Maps a major overhaul

Live Maps
Microsoft has rolled out a major update to its web-based Windows Live Maps and it desktop Virtual Earth applications. Here are just a few of the new features:
  • Improved 3D cities with higher resolution textures, rendered trees, and thousands of additional buildings. This feature is only available in a handful of cities for now, but more are coming soon
  • Export Collections to GPS devices in KML, GPX, and GeoRSS formats
  • Improved modeler for adding your own buildings
  • Labels added to Birds Eye imagery, letting you figure out what buildings or landmarks you're looking at
  • 1-Click Directions maps can now be edited to add hotspots and popups
  • MapCruncher integration
  • Subscribe to RSS feeds for any neighborhood to keep up to date on activities in that area
  • High definition videos in Tours
  • Improved display of web-based KML files, including Google maps links.
This release comes a day after Microsoft added ClearFlow technology which helps you choose driving directions based on traffic predictions.

Filed under: Design, Microsoft

Microsoft launches 3D building maker for Virtual Earth

Virtual Earth 3DVIAMicrosoft has partnered with Dassault Systems to launch a 3D building application for Virtual Earth. In other words, the new application called Virtual Earth 3DVIA is a direct competitor to Google's 3D Warehouse for Google Earth.

The application lets you create 3D structures that can be placed on Virtual Earth maps or shared with other users. Virtual Earth 3DVIA is free to use, which makes sense, because users are essentially adding value to Microsoft's mapping services.

We highly recommend creating completely unrealistic models of your home and nearby buildings and uploading them so that Virtual Earth users will get the sense that you live in Rivendell and not Poughkeepsie. We're equal opportunity here at Download Squad, so we recommend the same activities for Google Sketchup users.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

View more Time Wasters

Featured Galleries

Defective by Design, London: Protest Pictures
Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals
Android First-look: Amazon.com MP3 Store
Android First-look: Twitroid
Google Reader Android
Android Hands-On
Twine 1.0
Photoshop Express Beta
SXSWi 2008 Schwag Unboxing
SXSWi 2008 Day 1
Mozilla Birthday Cake
Palm stuff
Adobe Lightroom 1.1

 


Follow us on Twitter!

Flickr Pool

www.flickr.com

BloggingStocks Tech Coverage

More Tech Coverage

Joystiq

TUAW

BloggingStocks

Autoblog

Xbox 360 Fanboy

Engadget

WOW Insider

Switched.com

FanHouse