New Version of Google Earth Released
The latest version of Google Earth is now available for download. There’s some interesting new features in Beta Release 4, including a redesigned toolbar, visual displays like the compass fades away when it’s not being used, navigation tools can now be hidden but the most extensive changes have been reserved for the clunky ‘Layers’ features. They have been reorganised, making them easier to easier to find, configure and hide, leaving more room for the pretty pictures.
There’s also been some work on the clever 3D buildings overlay, instead of simple boxy shapes they now come with textures, like glass and brick, though at the moment there’s not many to see but the tie in with Google Sketchup means you can create your own, and share it with others using the KML file format.