Portable Earth
Earth is no longer just explorable, but now it is also portable.
The world has become portable with the availablity of Google Earth for iPhone and iPod touch. Photo supplied: Robert Nelson
You may be wondering how this is possible but through the greatness that is Google, the company has now made its Google Earth application available to iPhone and iPod touch users which can be downloaded for free using Apple application store (via iTunes). If your on the a train, bus or simply walking down the street the possibility of having the world at your fingertips is now a reality.
The application works the same as the desktop version, zooming from place to place with the added geo-located Wikipedia articles, Panoramio photos, map labels and borders, unique features offered by Apple’s mobile devices.
If you’re concerned this application would not work on the first iPhone or iPod touch models, there’s no need. Google Earth works on both the first and second models operating on 3G, EDGE and other WiFi networks and is available in 18 languages.
You could explore your surroundings before you even reach the end of the street. So, if your in a new city and feel a little lost, having Google Earth on your iPhone or iPod touch would make things a lot easier. If wanted, users could opt for having the application to approximate their location through GPS, WiFi or cellphone tower ID information. The information would all be deleted after the user has left the application. Google Earth can find any place you are looking for near you by simply typing the name in the ‘search near me’ feature and all the results will be displayed on the users phone whether it be a business, restaurant or landmarks.
Users can even track their trip but choosing the ‘Location’ button, a dot will appear and show where the user is. The dot and users view will be changed as the location of the user changes.
The globe just got smaller. Map books of cities are a thing of the past, if you have and iPhone or iPod touch you have the world in your palms.
