Google Earth 5.0 release

TRANSLATION NOTES: Please read some comments at the end of this post.

Google has launched an invitation to the press for the Google Earth’s version 5 release.

Apparently it will be simultaneously in several places, it has been known that it will also be in San Francisco. In the case of Spain will be on Monday 2 February at 11:30 in the Picasso Tower, 26th floor. Please confirm attendance +34 91 126 63 58.

The presentation will be made:

• Laurence Fontinoy, Marketing Director of Google Spain
• Isabel Salazar, marketing responsible for Google products
• A representative of the National Geographic Society in Spain.

Although the ad says “the new features will amaze you, we hope this will be certainly right and not only vane words (*), because this news for Monday will be in all media.

We can expect from this release:

1. Importing .csv files

As we know, this cost $ 20 annually with the plus version, but when it became free it should be included this functionality in version 5.0, although it is likely that the amount of points is increased from 100 to 250… at least.

2. GPS and Browser Interaction

It is expected that it can connect in real-time with NMEA, on read mode, at least with the Garmin GPS, the Magellan are in danger to discontinue because nobody knows to whom it will be sold the company tomorrow at 3 o’clock. Of course unlike the simple connection of the Plus version we would expect to be imported .gpx formats and even able to send data to the device.

Measurement of routes is also expected to be included, and if they could add profile sections as done in Virtual Earth, it would be better.

3. Google Ocean

This functionality is safe, as it has been novelty lately and the fact that National Geographic is in the presentation is undoubtedly related to it. Now, we suppose that in the top bar there will be a button like that of Sky, one blue for Ocean.

4. Improvement on speed

We know that the plus version had a better handling of the cache, so we would expect that consumption of resource teams will be more efficient in this version. Surely it will improve the view in OpenGL that was distorted in some approaches; whereas the DirectX view could have better visualization of the shapes fills that by now are a disaster.

5. The heaven and the Earth

Although Google has already heaven, earth, and seas, we would like the genie of the lamp would ask us what would satisfy common users… and uncommon but under the free version.

– Can import shapefiles into Google Earth, currently it can only be done with the Enterprise Client version.

– Better symbology handling, that would be possible to theme a map based on attributes.

– Better access to wms services, although it supports OGC standards, with some we have encountered difficulties. And as the genie lamp only allows three wishes we ask for including in this access without complications to LandSat, NAO, NASA SVS, MODIS, USGS…

– Wfs access … no big deal, its better not to disappoint us.

Finally historical images have been the best.

TRANSLATION NOTES:

(*) When you exaggerate about what you’re saying, there’s a colloquial Spanish phrase that says: “mucho ruido y pocas nueces” which literal translations is “too much noise and few nuts at all”