The latest version of Google Earth has been launched, fully integrating Street View into the digital atlas.
Google Earth 6 allows users to zoom in from ‘space’ and down to street level in “one seamless flight,” the search giant said.
All users need to do is pick up the Google Pegman – the golden figure seen on various forms of Google mapping software – and place him on a highlighted blue road to enter the street experience and take a virtual walk around.
“Unlike our earlier Street View layer, you can now move seamlessly from one location to another as if you’re walking down the street by using the scroll-wheel on your mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard,” Peter Birch, Google product manager, said in a blog.
“If you want to visit somewhere farther away, simply click the 'exit' button and you’ll immediately return to an aerial view where you can easily fly to your next destination.”
Google was particularly excited about the addition of 3D trees, with virtual copies of Japanese Maples, East African Cordia and Birch’s “favourite” the cacao tree. There was no mention of a birch tree.
The new version has also been designed to make it simpler to view historical imagery.
“When you fly to an area where historical imagery is available, the date of the oldest imagery will appear in the status bar at the bottom of the screen,” Birch added.
“If you click on this date, you’ll instantly be taken back in time to view imagery from that time period.”
The original Google Earth was launched in 2005, bringing together satellite imagery and search technology into a single product.
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