earth

Remember EarthLink? ISP signs 4G deal with Clearwire

EarthLink can now offer its Internet customers a high-speed connection through Clearwire's 4G broadband network, the companies announced today.

The agreement allows EarthLink customers to access the service through Clearwire, which runs its own 4G WiMax network. The deal also opens the door to Clearwire's planned 4G LTE network, the companies said in a statement.

EarthLink was a major player in the late 1990s as one of the largest Internet service providers supplying dial-up Web access. But as consumers moved to broadband services largely provided by the big telcos and cable companies, the company saw its user base … Read more

Google refreshes Maps, Earth with more high-res images

If you're looking for a bit of an escape on a Friday afternoon, you can probably get away with it thanks to some more updates to Google Maps and Earth.

Google announced today that it's rolling out an "extensive refresh" for its high-resolution aerial and satellite images, which are viewable on both Google Maps and Google Earth.

The aerial collection will be updated in more than 20 locations across the United States and Europe while satellite imagery is being boosted in over 60 regions worldwide.

Furthermore, the image collection is going to include new 45 degree … Read more

A 'Google Earth' approach to researching cells

Imagine being able to navigate our own biological tissue much in the way Google Earth allows us to zoom in on our own backyards. Only instead of mailboxes and fences, you could spot, say, rogue cancer cells.

Researchers out of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands may be making such a future possible by stitching together molecular- and cellular-level images of biological tissues into truly gigantic composite images.

One such landscape -- of a zebrafish embryo -- consists of 26,000 images, is 281 gigapixels, and boasts a resolution of 16 million pixels per inch.

The researchers explain their … Read more

'The Hobbit': No longer stunted, the films grow into a trilogy

Middle-earth buffs now have something to rejoice about -- Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson announced today that his movie adaptation of "The Hobbit" will be a trilogy rather than the previously announced two-part sequel.

He made the announcement on Facebook, saying that while he was editing the first and second movies in the series, he realized how much of the story was being left out.

"We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life," he wrote. "All … Read more

Google goes fiber

Google goes fiber and Samsung doubles up on Apple:

Google has launched a Fiber TV and Internet service in Kansas City, Mo., as part of a beta test. The service provides customers with 1Gbps broadband speed and fiber television that uses an interactive interface. Now while it may not get you all of your favorite channels, Google is trying to show the cable providers of the world that this is how content should be delivered. Google hopes that the technology will spark the interest of other companies who are using older communication mediums. Those who sign up for the service … Read more

Google's neato 3D city view arrives on iOS today

Months ahead of when Apple plans to bring its own photorealistic 3D maps to iOS, Google has beaten the company to the punch.

Google today is updating its Google Earth app on Apple's platform to include the same 3D imagery it showed off in early June. That same feature rolled out to users on Google's Android in late June.

iOS users are getting those same 14 regions, including Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston and others. As Google adds more 3D cities to its database, both those platforms will get them at same time.

So just … Read more

Landsat at 40: Images from the longest-running eye in the sky

The first Landsat satellite went into orbit 40 years ago today, and during the past four decades, a series of seven different "birds" have trained a watchful eye on Earth from just about the most wicked vantage point around.

The program's youngest eye in the sky, Landsat 7, has been flying since 1999 and will be joined next year by the next-generation Landsat Data Continuity Mission satellite, or LDCM. The LDCM features up-to-date thermal infrared sensors and land-imaging equipment that will make it a full-blown orbiting observatory.… Read more

Earth goes 3D

Think of Google Earth as a sort of souped-up version of Google Maps, but with more of a focus on life-like renderings of locations, rather than typical roadmaps. With google Earth, you can virtually fly to pretty much anywhere on the planet, zooming in and out of cities and streets to your heart's desire.

While Google Earth lets you manually navigate to an area of interest (via zoom and swipe), the more precise method is to use the search bar. Here, you can type in a full address, just a city name, business name, or even a keyword (like &… Read more

Swoop around the globe like a superhero

Think of Google Earth as a sort of souped-up version of Google Maps, but with more of a focus on lifelike renderings of locations, rather than typical road maps. With Google Earth, you can virtually fly to pretty much anywhere on the planet, zooming in and out of cities and streets to your heart's desire.

Google's 3D city imagery hits Android, headed to iOS 'soon'

Remember Google's snazzy demo of 3D views of various cities at a rather impromptu press conference earlier this month?

You can now play with that feature yourself. Google quietly released a new version of its Google Earth program for Android today that adds 3D maps of 14 regions, just about all of which are in the U.S.:

Boston Boulder Charlotte Lawrence Los Angeles Long Beach Portland Rome San Antonio Santa Cruz San Diego San Francisco Bay Area Tampa Tucson

In a post announcing the feature, Google says it will add more cities "in the coming months" … Read more