How They Work: “How Google Earth Work (Cont’d)”

Since Google Earth encompasses a combination of structures that would doubtless take months to fully exploit, the basic structures fit lightly under the following categories; Mapping & directions, Local search, Sightseeing. As we saw earlier, the basic version of Google Earth is free, and it is a wonderful piece of software in its own right! However, if you want more, or you intend to use the program for commercial purposes, then, you will not be allowed to use the free version for commercial purposes and therefore, you will have to get the subscription-based versions of Google Earth that offer additional functions. If you are new or have never used the Google Earth application, the best way to get to know Google Earth is to start with a location and see what Google Earth will tell you about it. For example, you can start with the most familiar place to you, e.g. Stadia, Airports, Hotels, etcetera (Of course first download and install the Google Earth Software). It should be noted that, the free version is not fully operational in that, the maps in the system may not be as up to-date as those in the pay version! Google Earth Search for Business on the other hand is a very powerful tool in that; you can save, print or e-mail all of the maps and information you’ve generated so far. There are buttons in the Google Earth toolbar to accommodate each of these actions. To find out what hotels are located in the vicinity of the say Kigali, you click on the “Find Businesses” tab and enter, say, “restaurants” in the “What” box and leave the default “Current view” in the “Where” box. When you click on “Begin Search,” you will be amazed on what you see! One thing to remember is that, you need to be connected to the internet in order for the search to work. Just like most Google searches, the internet is a vital ingredient! The Google maps can be zoomed out slightly and re-centred it to fit in the most of the search criteria results while still keeping the main landmark in sight. But that’s not the only way to find what you are searching for. You can also turn on the other layer, which doesn’t depend on any keywords but instead searches the entire Google say “Dining” category for restaurants in the area and the system will definitely return them; chose any search criteria and Google will use that to get the map or satellite picture of what you are looking for. If you search for “Rwanda,” you don’t just blink and end up in Rwanda. The program flies you there, so you can see the terrain and all of the countries beneath you as you make your way to your destination. This video flyover feature is great when it comes to getting driving directions. At the bottom of the screen with your turn-by-turn directions, there’s a “play” button. If you click it, Google Earth will fly you over the route, turning right and left and veering as required, so you can see exactly what it’s going to look like when you drive it. What about the Google Earth 3-D? Google Earth has created 3-D buildings for many major European and U.S. cities. For the most part, they are not detailed copies but they are simple, grey 3-D drawings, you do get a very good feel of the city when you turn on this layer. Google Earth now supports textured (real looking) 3-D drawings. Some are built into the application, but mostly Google is now letting users create and import 3-D drawings themselves using the free Google Sketch-Up program. As with any other view, you can use the “tilt” and “rotate” buttons in the navigator panel to get the full 3-D view. If you haven’t had time to travel the globe just yet, Google Earth is your new best friend. You can zoom in on global landmarks just by clicking on a location in the “Sightseeing” box, which lists the most popular destinations, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Arizona’s Grand Canyon and Vatican City in Rome, etcetera. eddie@afrowebs.com