Color me impressed: Google has released a custom Google Earth application for the iPhone/iPod Touch, and it’s stunning.
The Google Earth geographical software has been altered to make maximum use of the iPhone’s screen and functionality. You’re able to tilt the device to adjust your view when browsing mountainous terrain, use the ‘My Location’ feature to jump right to where you are in the blink of an eye, and use Google’s local search engine to look for information on cities, places and businesses. Google has also added additional layers to the application, namely Panoramio and Wikipedia, for geo-located high-quality photos and informative articles respectively.
As CNET points out, Google Earth for iPhone has a small Webkit-based browser to show the specific information users click on, and includes a link to the Safari browser Apple builds into the iPhone. When you click the address of a business using the local search engine, the iPhone will intercept the command and show it on the Google Maps application, enabling you to get directions instantly.
Product Manager for Google Earth Peter Birch has also announced that a similar application running on Android is high on the priority list for the future, but that there’s nothing to announce at this point.
Someday, I may get one of these critters. They are the portable platform of the future – something I realized going back to the Palm devices I used to own. Too bad Palm didn’t get it.
They all still don’t get it. Apple is the closest. I bought mine the first generation the day it came out. The nice I knew is that Apple would fix some of the short coming for free with software updates. I had a HP Ipaq which I still think was the best platform design but no one ever used. I just loved how you could add accessories to it. But the MS Mobile needed work. When M$ did updates you had to wait then for HP to do and update to their version if they ever did.
To many are worried about making money first than servicing their customers. Apple is a lot close at least with the Iphone and Ipod are looking at servicing the customer and making money at it.
No “Hey it duplicates the functionality of maps. We can’t have it.” Interesting. And comb your hair hippie.
Just installed it on my iPod, very cool. Wonder if this will ever interface with X-Plane.
It is pretty cool. What I really like is that it has wiki links for certain locations too.
It is a little slow to start though.
It would be interesting if Google Earth had decent resolution…
Hey they have a picture of my office. COOL!!
I’ve been mucking about programming in Cocoa and on the iPhone for 3 weeks now. It’s a highly addictive development experience which is a big reason that I think the iPhone succeed.
I’ve always found that technologies that are fun to develop for tend to win.
Google = big brother. Now they can track you in real time/place and target you with context/location/preference/inquiry ads. It’s akin to allowing yourself to be ‘bugged’ with a surveillance device 24/7. How about that ‘google talk’ icon on my taskbar? It’s constantly reporting to me when my kids/friends are logging onto their computer. What else does it track? And Gmail – able to deliver context sensitive ads keyed to words in a ‘conversation’. If I ran the NSA or any other intelligence agency I would be doing cartwheels, knowing that there were databases tracking things like this that I could tap into. Am I just being a paranoid twit? Go ahead, lay it on me.
Lay it on you? Turn off your fracking PC if you’re afraid.
The really amazing thing about this is they give away this valuable application….free. Shhhh, don’t tell Google but map addicts like myself would pay for it.
KILLER APP!!!
Lets see..
4″ screen, and Magnifying glass..WOW I can see a WHOLE 4 blocks..
You’re easily impressed…is it waterproof and will it float in the toilet??
#15 – No, the Palms and Blackberries left in the toilet will keep it above water.
This is a slick app, and is another demonstration of how powerful the device is.
#16 “This is a slick app, and is another demonstration of how powerful the device is.”
Being able to access the internet and look at poor low res satellite pictures is powerful? ROFL!
Heh, with the GPS it shows what room I am in my house.
#11 – Still can’t afford an iPhone huh, peedro?
Where is Android version?
pedro,
A month into my iPhone 3g, here is my list of criticisms of the device.
Dialing out is a PITA compared to my old free with service phone. Twice now I have handed it off, and people were baffled about how to dial. On my old phone, everyone already knew how to dial… You just dial and send. iPhone is not that easy. It is easy once you stop and think about it, and look at the menu’s but… Apple definitely broke with convention here.
No mms hurts. All of the people I call use mms extensively. They used to send me messages like a picture of Applebees, and a question mark. Along the same lines, in my subculture, “kk” means something different than Okay, and the iPhone simply will not let me send the message “kk”.
Twice now, I have needed turn by turn GPS, which was provided by my old phone. Now I get clever high resolution maps. I prefered it when it refigured my directions and I could drive however I want. Navigation on the iPhone is missing and bad. It is bad because it creates the illusion of being a navigator, but it is not a navigator. Just a map.
Portable Safari is easily the most overhyped product of all times. Jobbs crossed the line when he said it provides a similar experience to the desktop. Having said that, it is the best portable web browser, but predicting which websites crash it is anyones guess.
The apps store. Oh, it holds so much promise. But saddly, right now it is only for cell phone games, toys, and early alphas of business software that it cant ever hope to support as well as the Symbol Windows CE devices.
Email support is awsome.
It is a pretty good iPod, but the iPhone causes so much RF interference I can’t get it into older car stereos without lots of static. I have tried several different FM transmitters now. Luckly, my car has an aux in. But it took some trial and error to find a patch cord that worked with both my car and the iPhone. I would have prefered this to the worthless headphones it shipped with. However, when I am in the car driving, I use tuner, and around the house with wifi, I use Pandora.
Worst cell phone camera ever. While it has more megapixels than my LG VX8600, by my estimation is has about 1/2 the aperature. But for the highest light situations its pictures are noisy and blurry. The design of the iphone camera and software makes it hard to hold the phone steady while you shoot. So as a snap camera it is worse than a typical cell phone.
Apples inexperience in the phone business really shows in the ringtone mixing and selection. The default ringtones on the iPhone are very pleasant sounds. However several times now I have missed calls because I didn’t register these pleasant (and quiet) sounds as ringtones. I was able to mix louder and better ring tones, but it was a PITA, and the remnants of those are all over iTunes now, with no way to erase them. The iTunes store ringtones have the same problem, in that they tend to be innappropriate ring tones, and iTunes mixes them too quietly. Although the iPhone typically goes in front pocket for fear of sitting on it, and it sort of feels like a hand job when it vibrates, so that is nice.
Finally, being an American… AT&T. AT&T is not Verizon, and don’t offer Verizon level of service. Not even close. Nuff said.
Get an iPhone because you want a touch screen phone device that gives hand jobs, and provides entertainment. At that it is second to none. However, if what you really want is a phone… keep looking. Im sure Apple will correct many of these issues in the coming months and years, but as a phone it is not there yet.
After all that, I am glad I have an iPhone. What is good about it makes up for what is bad. Namely, go into a bar, and set down your iPhone and for the time being at least, girls will come up and talk to you, although you still have to close the deal;)
I just tried out Google Earth for about 5 minutes, but I still think i like Earthscape for iPhone better. It just seems a lot faster. However, like most of Google’s products, i’ll probably be a convert in a few months once new releases come out.