Google Earth

Google recently released a beta version of its 3D mapping application that builds upon the Keyhole 2 LT application it acquired in 2004. Google Earth features satellite imagery of the entire planet, and like Google Maps, it integrates Google search results right onto the globe. It allows you to zoom from space right down to your city, take a virtual tour of the globe, or share what you've found by utilizing the XML data exchange system, KML.

This layer shows all the places to eat near CNET's San Francisco office.

Upside: One of the most useful features is layers, which show users restaurants, banks, bars, gas stations, hospitals, and more in the area, all with a single click. You can add or remove layers to suit your search. Google Earth will even display crime statistics, congressional districts, or postal code boundaries for a given zone. The tour feature allows you to bookmark and append your own descriptions to numerous places all over the globe, then fly between them with the earth spinning below--a very cool and quite addictive effect. Google Earth also features 3D terrain mapping, which is stunning at places such as the Hoover Dam or the Grand Canyon, allowing users to see the contours of the land (you'll have to install Google Earth in order to follow these destination links). Google has added 3D buildings in major U.S. cities, which offers a far richer 3D experience than the terrain alone. And unlike Keyhole 2 LT, Google Earth is free. Hide Review