On Top Of The World: Google Earth For The iPhone
According to Google, the popular geographic software will take advantage of the iPhone's touch-screen capabilities.
"With just a swipe of your finger you can fly from Peoria to Paris to Papua New Guinea, or anywhere in between," Google Earth Product Manager Peter Birch wrote in a blog post Monday.
Birch said Google Earth for the iPhone, while formatted for a smaller screen, puts the full suite of Google Earth services into users' hands, including all of the global imagery and 3-D terrain they expect on a PC-size display. Google Earth for the iPhone also lets users view 8 million Panoramio photos or read Wikipedia articles.
Apple iPhone users can tilt the smartphone to adjust their view and see mountainous terrain; view the Panoramio layer and browse millions of geo-located photos from around the world; view geo-located Wikipedia articles; use the "My Location" feature to bring the map, or "fly," to their current location; and search cities, places and business around the globe with Google Local Search.
Taking advantage of the iPhone's multitouch interface also lets users pinch to zoom in and out or double tap with one finger to zoom in and two fingers to zoom out. Maps rotate as the device is turned.
Google Earth offers the same search capabilities as Google Maps, allowing users to search for places, businesses and landmarks. Google Earth also adds in full business detail pages, giving users reviews, photos, user content, business hours and other information. Google Earth for iPhone also adds a "search near me" feature that lets users find businesses near their location with one touch and without having to navigate there first or type in the name of the city they're in.
Birch said Google Earth for the iPhone is available for free in 18 languages and 22 countries in the iTunes App Store.