A house just passed my car on the street...

As I was driving home this morning, I got stopped at a light and then had to wait for a house to go by...



I uploaded the pictures to Picasa which let me easily geotag the photos. You can see the pictures, look at them on a map, or even zoom in using Google Earth (via this kml) to get a satellite photo of the exact intersection I was sitting at when I shot the photos.

qv: [Photos]

Finding and Flying Google Earth's Flight Simulator

Google Earth 4.2 includes a hidden Flight Simulator. To activate the hidden Flight Simulator feature, enter "Lilienthal" in the "Fly To" box, or type Ctrl-Alt-A in Windows/Linux, or Command-Option-A on a Mac. Once you've found the simulator, "Enter Flight Simulator" will appear in the tools menu in Google Earth for future use.

The simulator is easy to fly, even for non-pilots. There are no complicated engine-start or takeoff procedures - simply add power (press the PAGE UP key) and off you go. Once you've found a nice vantage point, you can use the space bar to pause the simulator and enjoy the view for a moment. Then, keep your location constant while you look around using the CTRL and arrow keys. Flying is easiest with mouse controls (or a joystick if you have one), but the full set of keyboard controls gives you greater functionality.

Frank Taylor, author of the Google Earth Blog, has compiled a video with flying tips:




qv: Flying Tips

Santa has taken flight on Google Earth! (for real!)

For the past twelve days, Google Earth has been teasing us with toys hidden all over the planet, but since today is Christmas Eve, Santa has actually taken flight!



A bit ago I watched him work his way through Australia and as I type this he's making his stops in Papua New Guinea. The satellite imagery is amazingly sharp. It's a great way to see the world from the comfort of your own home.

You can track Santa, too. You have to load Google Earth (it's free) and then load the Santa Tracker KML file. Easy to follow directions are available on the website.

DoThis: Get the Santa Tracker

Santa has taken flight on Google Earth!

Google has announced Santa's flight and the web page is now active. For the next 12 days you can look for presents on Google Earth and watch Santa in flight on the big day.


I'm giddy with excitement!

qv: [Track Santa on Google Earth]