By Lindy Tolbert

First order of business…what is it?

A virtual globe, map, and geographic information program

Keyhole, Inc.

Superimposes images

37 languages

OK…now the fun stuff. What can it do?

Flight Simulations

Display Ocean Bathymetry

Street Views

Land Change Over Time

Panoramas

And…

A separate globe of the planet Mars can be viewed

3D renderings of the Martian terrain

High resolution images

Layers on Earth, layers on Mars

Google Mars

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…there was Google Sky Mode.

2007 telescope shots, as well as color images

Multi-wavelength data

Positions of major satellites and their orbits

Constellations, stars, galaxies

Animations depicting the planets

Used by over 200 million people

More than population of Brazil

5th largest country in the world

Who are the users?

Some Problems

Making buildings and landmarks viewable in 3D was only just introduced

Relegated to certain First World and Second World countries.

Hamburg was the first city to be translated into 3D.

Seen as a potential threat to national security

North Korea

Power plants and other organizations

Issue of people’s right to access information

Not updated currently

Opposing argument: the Mumbai gunman in 2008

What can it be used for?

Research

General Curiosity

Finding your friends

Travel companies/making travel plans

THE END