Weekend Widget: Google Earth

At one time or another, I think we have all watched a bird and wished we could fly. Using Google Earth allows you to fly virtually over any place on earth. When you first open the application, you are looking at the globe. As a test, I typed "parthenon" into the search box and the globe rotated towards Europe and zoomed in on Athens, Greece until the Acropolis filled my viewing window. Not only does it show the satellite photo of the location, it also has markers indicating user submitted photos. Click on these markers and you get somewhat of a virtual tour of the area.

Of course, most users will immediately type in their address to look at their home from above. Those living in highly populated areas will probably get a nice, recent image. If you are in a more rural area, the photo probably won't be as recent and the quality not as good. This is definitely an application that is a lot of fun to use and it can also give you quite the geography lesson. Download a copy, it is free!

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