Google Earth

http://earth.google.com

Google Earth puts a planet's worth of imagery and other geographic information right on your desktop. View exotic locales like Maui and Paris as well as points of interest such as local restaurants, hospitals, schools, and more.

Frankly speaking, this is one of the most magnificent pieces of software I've ever seen. And the funny thing is, its not the programming (the openGL part freezes up on my card) or the user-friendliness (can't even search for Paris sometimes) that makes it so. Its not even vast, or even versatile for that matter, and is primarily static, something that might not deserve anything beyond a funky screensaver, but I love it. The reason for pouring all my affection on a 10 mb freeware is simply because of the idea. Let me explain.

Since the time I made a calculator in Visual Basic (as far back as eighth standard), my mind has kept me busy with new ideas for potential software every few days. I used to love the fact that I could do so much with a programming language in hand, that there was a point I had to document all my ideas (so that I don't forget them), unimplemented because I did not have a PC at that time. I remember ending 2nd in an inter-school software display contest, where I submitted (and did a presentation) on a software titled "EZ Animation" with my close friend Aprameya (check the blogroll). Honestly speaking I did little work on the software apart from giving the idea since he was more conversant with programming at that time. The software did not turn out to be a programmer's dream, but it got the prize. The idea (stolen from Jasc Animation shop) did play a part in getting us the prize, and I must thank Appi for helping me see one of my best software ideas come to life. If I remember correctly his idea for the submission concerned a "report card generator"(cough). I'm happy we went through with EZA.

{To Appi: Its my blog you ass and I'll say what I want. You remain the best programmer I know.}

PS.One or two years later we released the second version of EZ Animation which was in my opinion a much better programming product. It won us (or just didn't, don't remember exactly) a prize in another inter-school competition. Again Appi did the major programming. Also related is a software called 3DML which I programmed, but I'll talk about it sometime later.

Coming back to the fact that I keep getting all sorts of ideas for software (and games these days). Some time (about an year) back I had this crazy idea of a software which shall have the complete earth in it, with a 3D terrain and satellite imagery for realism. I had a concept of a global server serving this data to a standalone application that would show it, and being 3D, allow the user to "move around" the virtual world. It wasn't a big programming job if I got down to it, but I realized I needed such a database (and a server) for the imagery and terrain data. I searched the internet a lot for such sources. The closest I came was this, which at that point was pathetic for what I had in mind.

So I ditched it at that time and as usual, forgot the software. Some days ago I came across Google maps which is similar to terraserver, only better done. It was much closer to what I had in mind, and hence I liked it a lot.

Three days ago I downloaded Google Earth, when someone on an astronomy forum mentioned it. I ran it, and to my surprise it was exactly the thing I had once imagined. Even though I never mentioned this to anyone, I call it my idea, and I love the fact that it materialized.

Till now I've just seen the freeware version, and I've already completed a spree of all the modern wonders of the world, twice. I don't know what I'm going to do with the pro and the plus versions if I ever get hold of them. I was so engrossed in the free version I haven't read their specifications yet.

So if you have a decently fast computer (a graphics card is preferred) with a broadband connection and you haven't seen Google Earth, I highly recommend you give it a try.

Update: Someone on the astronomy forum also mentioned a supposedly better software for the same purpose called World Wind. Its a 180mb download and I have downloaded it. Only need to try it when I get back to the hostel on Monday. Can't wait.

PS. In case you're wondering, I'm no Geography enthusiast.

Phew.

[I really hate writing such long posts but these days its not happening otherwise.]

Song: Metallica - Fade to black