Jean Thie used the extensive imagery in Google Earth of Canada’s northernmost parts to check in on old research sites from 30 years ago. He points to examples of where permafrost is melting, in the process explaining those strange holes you often see up there. Fascinating stuff.
How has something like this stayed under the radar so long? Ashley Joyce’s GE Chess. You play against others online, make your moves in the browser, and then see the resulting game develop on a big 3D chessboard in Google Earth. Windows only, though. I also wish it would be possible to get network links for games in progress, so we can watch along.
Jogmap.de is a German community site where people can upload GPS tracks of their runs, and download each others’, on Google Earth as well. But why require registration to even just to view runs?
Valery Hronusov, meanwhile, has come out with SuperOverlay Pro ($95), which adds a scheduling application to SuperOverlay, so that new files can be processed regularly. Valery points to Matt Fox’s use of the application to create a superoverlay of US sectional charts (plus 3D airspace polygons) for planes.
Valery also discovered that in Google Calendar, you can put a link to a KML file in the “Where” field of an event, and Google will map it for you in Google Maps.
Jeremy Cothran, who’s been pioneering visualizing sensor webs in Google Earth, wrote a script that converts CSV files into KML. Works either as a Perl script or Windows App. More info here.
Interesting article in Rocky Mountain News about how sensor webs and Google Earth are being used to grow better wine, using a system developed by CH2M Hill.