Google - Features and Products
List of all Google Services
Google Earth
Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google
Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips.
Google Earth makes the traditional Keyhole experience less geeky,
and accomplishes a nearly complete integration of Google Local and
Google Maps. An important aspect of the changeover is the planet-wide
graphics update which renders every inch of the globe in medium
detail at least-populated areas get the high-resolution treatment
in which cars, trees, and occasionally people are discernible. The
combination of improved interface, better images, and tight integration
makes Google Earth a blazing success.
On the other hand few problems are also associate with google
earth like complains against google earth at government official
level South Korea is to take the US to task over Google Earth images
which expose its military installations to close Commie scrutiny
has provoked a mini stampede of other peace-loving nations eager
to protect their assets from prying eyes.
The flaws, whys and wherefores
Google Earth is a Beta programme which it means it is still under
testing (Beta programmers use feedback from their users to tweak
things). As such Google Earth is not quite a complete programme
and although the USA and United Kingdom are given great coverage
in terms of landscapes and landmarks (zoom in on Cape Canaveral)
other less developed areas are not as extensively mapped and pictures
can be blurry. Particularly, disappointing is the poor coverage
of The Great Wall of China which after all is the largest existing
man-made structure. If it had been in America it would have been
in Technicolor. There can also be the odd dodgy satellite picture
too were cloud coverage obscures some buildings. Neither are they
complete in terms of place names as illustrated in our example when
we found pictures of Japan are great but finding were our friends
lived was an impossibility. However, this is a free programme. Though
there is a further two subscription options for the casual user
they seem to offer little benefit and Google promise the programme
is being improved upon all the time. If your house is not listed
you can sign up for the newsletter which informs of new additions
or reviewed pictures and I can only see Google Earth getting better
and better my only fear being that this cannot stay a free programme
forever.
Advantages: Fascinating, largely accurate satellite
display, 3D pictures of landmarks. Free!
Disadvantages: Still in Beta testing stage, less
developed countries poorly presented. Some blurring in images is
also found.
http://earth.google.com/
Google Finance
Google Finance, a search and info-portal for US stocks. You can
search for both a company name (like "Google"), its stock
market symbol (like "GOOG"), or a business (like "search").
Google Finance is now also linked to from the main Google web search
when you search for stocks.
But Google finance not gained assumed popularity. Google's Google
Finance has failed so far to break into the ranks of the ten most
popular sites of this type, according to Hitwise.
All of the new/innovative/cool features in Google Finance are things
we were aware about YEARS ago. Some were even prototyped. Such as:
- A ticker search that doesn't suck.
- Charts with overlays for news events.
- Blog integration.
- Featuring discussions more prominently.
- RSS support.
http://finance.google.com/finance
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