Tag Archives: Google Earth

This has got to be one of the most badass driveways I’ve seen.  It belongs to an anonymous guy in Lakeland, Florida.  The Car Lounge found it using Google Earth.  In the corners there are installed FIA curbs.  If anyone knows who owns this driveway in Lakeland, Florida let us know what kind of cars the owner sports.

[via Jalopnik and Car Lounge]

John Hanke, Director of Google Earth and Maps announced today at the California Academy of Sciences that a new version of Google Earth has been released.  Starting today, Google Earth will have a more detailed ocean (bathymetric map) available.  The oceanfloor on Google Earth will be available in 3D.  There will be thousands of data points, images, and videos available on the new Google Earth.  For those who like to surf, Google Earth will show where the best places to do so are.

Organizations joining Google on this project includes the National Geographic, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the U.S. Navy, Scripps Oceanography, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.  Dr. Sylvia Earle was the inspiration for the creation of the ocean feature on Google Earth.

Google Earth added historical imagery, touring, and a 3D map of Mars to the new version of the software.  The historical imagery is based mostly in the U.S.  The Touring Google Earth feature allows users to create sharable fly-through tours by clicking the record button to the different tour destinations.  And by selecting the Mars button from the toolbar, you will be able to see a 3D map of our neighboring planet including 3D terrain and landing sites.

The new version of Google Earth is version 5.0, bumped up from 4.3.

Police in Switzerland have found a marijuana plantation using Google Earth.  Police stated that this discovery was part of a much bigger investigation.  This led to the arrest of about 16 suspects and a 1.2 tons of marijuana, cash, and $780,000 worth of Swiss francs were confiscated.  The Swiss police officers found the marijuana field in the state of Thurgau last year when investigating the drug ring.

The two acre plantation was hidden in a field of corn.  Officers also used Google Earth to locate the address of the two farmers involved in the drug operation.  The 16 suspects charged with managing the marijuana plantation has sold about 7.7 U.S. tons of marijuana between 2004 and 2008.  The turnover of these drugs brought in about 3-10 million francs per year.

Google Earth is rumored to be launching an ocean service later this week.

[via Wired]