Abstract
Google Earth, new killer application that makes this world becomes the real “Virtual Global Village,” (The more users KLM[1], The more useful KLM is). This Online mapping is evolving into a historic nexus of disparate technologies and communities that is changing the fundamental use of the Internet, as well as redefining the concept of maps in our culture. Moreover, its benefits can applied to many types of businesses, help to merge traditional commerce with ultimate novel trades smoothly. With hyperlinks and HTML, two basic functions of internet media are useful enough to lift up the hyper-multimedia features on Google Earth. Conversely, many concern and controversial issues about Google Earth are brought up every day from individual aspects (privacy and security) to countries aspects (national security, national secret, terrorism, etc.)
This report would like to describe the basic information about Google Earth and its functions. Furthermore, we also provide many perspectives of Google Earth and controversial issues from news articles, expert views, and Google reactions. Keyword: Google Earth, Google Map Mashups, Multimedia
Introduction:
Nowadays, many new media scholars claim that it is the revolution age of internet media. It is called “WEB 2.0,” a second phase of architecture and application development for the World Wide Web. This new web generation usage is increasingly oriented toward interaction and rudimentary social networks. The concept of WEB 2.0 can right fix with Google philosophy, its missions are to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. It means that everyone have equal right to be the one node that make this net fulfill and become the definitive network finally. In recent year, Google make the whole world surprise about the free innovative application is called Google Earth. It improves online experiences, the virtual knowledge based society to energetic users all over the world.
We can see the easy step of How Google do its business. Start with “Download with free of charge, to make everyone enjoy it, and stick with it finally” Therefore, from this process, the Google job is just finding the most precious and useful software and let all the people in this world manage it and make it full of valuable contents automatically. Hence, in this information age, who knows more is the one who gets more. To non-stop update ourselves, start to gain knowledge of Google Earth is the excellent way to compete with this fast-moving world.
What is Google Earth?
Google Earth is a free virtual globe formerly known as Earth Viewer. It overlays satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS information over a 3D model of the Earth. It is a 3D graphics application enabling the viewing of aerial photography and satellite images to show views of the Earth from above in great detail. It enables the user to not only view these images, but also to view many layers of data provided by Google and by the Internet community at large. Such things as parks, rivers, roads, borders of countries, locations of national monuments and many thousands of other places can be seen.
Google Earth allows users to search for addresses (for the USA, Canada, and
UK only), enter coordinates, or simply use the mouse to browse to a location. Many large cities are available in high enough resolution to see individual buildings, houses, and even cars. The degree of resolution available is based somewhat on the points of interest, but most places are available for at least 15 meters of resolution.
Google Earth is currently available for download as a desktop application which released by Google in June.2005. The beta for Mac was released also on 10-Jan-2006. The system requires Windows or Mac OS X 10.4 or higher.
About Google Earth
Google Earth was developed by Keyhole, Inc., which was acquired by Google in 2004. The product was renamed Google Earth in 2005
The photographic maps available on Google Earth come primarily from two sources: satellites and aircraft. Google gets this imagery and other digital mapping information from sources such as TeleAtlas and EarthSat, both of which compile photographs and maps into digital form for commercial applications. Because the data comes from different sources, it's provided at different resolutions. According to Google, the information is no more than three years old and is continually updated as new data becomes available. Only United States, Canada and the
United Kingdom that Google Earth can cover to street level, meaning users can zoom in and view road names and local businesses and get directions from here to there. The database has a good amount of information on
Western Europe, as well, but the rest of the world still unclear enough.
4 Versions of Google Earth
Firstly, the basic version of Google Earth is temporary completely free with a 1000-pixel printing resolution and unfettered by ads. But in case users want more, or they intend to use the program for commercial applications, there are subscription-based versions of Google Earth that offer additional functions.
Second, Google Earth Plus costs $20 a year and offers several upgrades, including a 1400-pixel printing resolution and the ability to import data from a GPS device.
Third, Google Earth Pro costs $400 a year and offers a 2400-pixel print resolution, GPS and spreadsheet support, area measurements and various add-on applications including movie-making and traffic-data modules.
Forth, Google Earth
Enterprise: it combines enterprise data with ASP-delivered Google Earth data. It comprised of three elements:
l Google Earth Fusion integrates your data – raster (imagery), GIS, terrain, and point data.
l Google Earth Server streams data to client software (Google Earth EC)
l Google Earth EC (Enterprise Client) viewing, printing, data authoring
However, US residents also have a good chance to use some functions of Google Earth but focus on local area which can use on mobile phone as well. It is called “Google Local for
Mobile.” It is a downloadable application that lets users view maps and satellite imagery, find local businesses, and get driving directions on mobile phones.
Google Earth and Multimedia
As we realized that Google Earth is the newest fabulous application in hi-speed internet era, many thousands of new place marks appear every hour. The enthusiastic users always find a new way to use Google earth for the highest benefits.
Actually, embedding “multimedia” files with in the Google earth application now is not allow. Therefore, initially, one of the useful basic functions is internet age is hyperlinks, users can enjoy full of multimedia files by linking to new web pages that were created with many kind of multimedia files such as Flash, Video clips, etc. It means that every kind of multimedia can be linked from Google Earth by clicking at specified hyperlinks.
However, Nothing Impossible, many geeks try many methods to add multimedia files into Google Earth pinning points. Finally, every thing well done, they discovered that an easiest way to add multimedia assets in Google Earth is to add HTML code to each place mark description.[1]
After HTML source codes were edited, while finding a special places from pinning points, at least, it will display a popup with some pictures of that particular place and absolutely sure that in that pop up also give at least 1-2 hyperlinks, one of them will link directly to official website (if available) and others also link to the search engine that giving the result lists of after searching from that place name’s keyword
Moreover, HTML codes are magic. They can display many multimedia files as you want such as video clips, audio files, flash movies, power point files, word files and so on. Furthermore, although, the imagery which captured by satellites on Google Earth is not the real time capture, some also make it in the real time by install web cameras and capturing the real time pictures[1].
Google Earth Benefit
Some said that Google Earth brings the revolution in search engine world and also changes the role of e-business. It’s the truth. Here is some more information about this fantastic application that brings both creators and users come into win-win solution.
From Google position, Google Earth is a complement function to make searching in search engine fruitful and perfect. To make Google be the top of search engine in the digital era, it turns to be one stop of searching for all kind of information. It helps to make more visualized searching result. Moreover, when users want to go to deeper they also move from searching via Google Earth through searching in Google Local and see the domestic appeared pop up of each place mark in Google Earth.
However, marks of every place can spin to be money for the company. Google can add the “Sponsored Link” near the According to “Sponsored Link Advertising on Google and Yahoo! Grows 16 Percent in Six Months” announced by Nielsen//NetRatings, the number of sponsored link advertising impressions on the Google and Yahoo! ad platforms grew 16 percent, from 55.4 billion to 64.3 billion, between August 2005 and January 2006.
From the user perspectives, in fact, there are many industries can earn great benefits from using Google Earth such as Commercial Real Estate, Architecture/Engineering, Insurance and so forth. Nevertheless, in this report, we would like to focus on benefits of Google Earth to Media industry and e-business sectors.
Google Earth & Media
Start using Google Earth in media industry comes from the news reporting during the Iraq war when CNN and other broadcast media utilized Google Earth solutions to show satellite imagery of
Baghdad on air. Today Google Earth is in use by broadcast and print media across the
US and the world, from CNN to the New York Times. Moreover, another new way to report the news with visualization is providing the exactly latitudinal and longitudinal of each place position and let active users fly to see from their eyes. This method will be very useful when reporting the crime news because users have a chance to see the atmosphere of those places.
Moreover, since Google Earth was released in couple months. There is a new way to do business for media sectors which use Google Earth as a new channel to convey messages to audience. The first company that has a smart sight is National Geographic. It uses Google Earth as a bridge to link the specific place in this world with its magazine articles. For example, while users searching the pyramids in
Egypt, they will see a small yellow window appears near the pyramids. That is a National Geographic logo, after click on the logo, it will link directly to National Geographic Website which has a lot of articles about those pyramids.
Google Earth & E-businesses
Every business men also share the same dream that they would like to expose their businesses to the whole world. Consequently, when new technology comes they have to catch up and adapt it to their businesses. Nowadays, many business move to the electronic version by creating business official website, doing online advertising through banner, pop-up, or researching customer satisfactions via online questionnaires and so forth.
When Google Earth, the killer application in the cyberspace was born, it also means the new techniques to do business as well. Initially, the companies have to find their firm position in Google Earth and place mark it. However, some main concepts of internet age from WEB 2.0 is networking then the next step is how to merge your place mark with others to let them know you and you know them as well.
For example, Tarad.com, one of the biggest e-business in
Thailand, not only provides online shop for free but also provides a special service for its customer. After someone decided to open an online shop, (and also have a real shop.) Tarad.com will gather information about shop position and make a place mark with pop up that show the front door of the real shop, hyperlink to online shop, and also contact information such as telephone, e-mail. This method can help other customers trust in online seller more. Finally, Tarad.com will do this service to its entire customer and also provide Google Earth files, a map that show all shops in Tarad.com only for free download in the home page of Tarad.com
In addition, for a shop owner who has a website already, he also can combine Google Earth to their websites. This new style to join the normal website with Google Earth is called Google Map Mashups– a web site or application that combines content from multiple sources but appears seamless upon use[1].
Not thing wrong! Yes it is a Google Map in Google Local[1]. Due to using Google Earth has to install Google Earth application in every computer, it takes time and space. As a result, someone try to combine Google Map (it shares the same database as Google Earth but no need to install any program, just using internet to access the map) in his website.
Google Map Mashups can apply to many kinds of businesses. The basic one is using for indicating company location. Not only text but images which can be seemed the detail in the map clearly for instance road, district name. Moreover if some businesses are franchises they can put the place mark of all branches as well.
Housingmaps.com is one of the most successful e-business that uses Google Map Mashups successfully. This site provides an easy way to find a new house for customers. They created 3 colors of balloons to indicate each place.
Conclusion
Google Earth, Google’s new satellite imagery-based mapping product that combines global coverage of imagery with new navigational features including integrated Google search capabilities, made a surprise, buzzes, excites, changes, and moves to this cyber world.
Surprise: On June 2005, it announces free download Google Earth application to users all over the world on http://earth.google.com.
Buzzes: As soon as it was launched, many geeks try to write reviews about Google Earth. It becomes talk of the town. Then, basic users eager to use it for searching their rooftops.
Excites: Google Earth becomes the media center to associate the whole world, merging with many multimedia easily by adding or editing HTML codes.
Changes: Many business industries grasp a good chance from this novel application such as tourisms, insurances, real estates, e-commences and so forth. It helps to integrate e-business with worldwide areas and lets the whole world knows small businesses in domestic areas in the same time by bridging Google Earth, and Google Local together.
Moves: After 5 months that Google launched a novel application, Google Earth. It help advertising agencies and itself move to the new era of advertising. Google Earth offers “Bird's Eye advertising.” (In yesterday's world, rooftop advertising was seen as a means to attract passengers in airplanes flying overhead.)
[1] For more information visit : http://local.google.com/
[1] (See also web cam from
Hong Kong Harbor http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/interactive/webcam/ig_webc_vhbr.jhtml)
[1] See “How to add multimedia files in Google Earth” in Appendix.
[1] See Glossary in Appendix.
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