Explore the world with Google Earth
I've covered Google Earth in the past. But there are some new features you'll be excited to learn about. If you don't know what Google Earth is, let me explain.This is one of my favorite programs. It's simply a blast to use. It combines road maps, satellite photos and a topographic 3-D layout. It's really like flying over the surface of the Earth. And you can explore any place you can imagine.
But the visuals are just the beginning. You can check out thousands of points of interest. You can fly through photo-realistic cities in 3-D. You can even see what the landscape looked like at different points in history. And there is a lot more to explore.
The latest version of Google Earth adds some neat features. The first is an integrated browser. Points of interest often include links to more details on the Web. Clicking them used to dump you out to a browser.
Now you can surf from inside Google Earth. It sounds simple. But it makes using Earth much more enjoyable.
It also lets you integrate GPS data from your travels. This is the best part!
You can load hiking, biking and running trips into the program. It will draw them on the map. It'll also include elevation and speed data. You can even create a tour of your trip. Then just hit play to fly through your journey.
Cost: Free
System: Windows XP, Vista and 7, Mac OS X
Download HERE