Google Earth 5.0 takes the next plunge

Google Ocean
The major change is Google Ocean. By activating this add on you can now go under water. There you can discover the Ocean wild life.

Truth is there is not very much to see under the Google Earth ocean layer. Lots of blue. But when you hit the right spot you can see pictures, video’s and information on the Ocean life. What's very nice is that you can also find shipwrecks and places to dive, surf and to kite.

Google has made this add on another great source of information. They have gathered a lot of different kind of video’s and pictures. From old Cousteau movies to a trailer of Planet Earth, discovery channel documentaries and more.

Also there are some interesting features implemented. You can follow the route of a white shark. It’s a pity you don’t see much more than the (blue) sand on his route though, but for those interested in sharks it’s an interesting feature.

Back in time
A nice new feature Google added is that you can now go back in time. By sliding the time bar you can see historic material. It does differ how much you can go back. For example in Barcelona you can go back until 2002, while in London you can see 1999. But this is really an interesting feature which can provide a lot of insight in the changing landscape.

Save your tour
Google has added the possibility to record the trip you made in Google Earth. And not only that, you can also comment while on the trip. You can than save your trip as a kmz. If used correctly this can be a very nice feature for travel agencies who want to give you a short preview of their trip.

Conclusion
To conclude. Google has made a great effort on improving Google Earth. The adventure is getting more interesting every day. They deserve the credits for that. Though I was hoping for a ‘real’ ocean experience the new Ocean add on still is a very nice feature. If schools are not yet using this they really should be. Also I think it’s now time that marketers should be using Google Earth more and more. There are a lot of opportunities.