Google Earth, Second Beta

Update: Looking for the latest Google Earth beta? Go here.

Google has released a new version of the Google Earth beta. This is version 3.0.0178, replacing bersion 3.0.0149.

I described the first beta here. Also, Stephen DesRoches has a nice review.

No new features, they say, but a few fixes:

• No more crashing on exit from full-screen mode.
• Edited placemarks are correctly tied to the Earth.
• GPS points are represented correctly and GPS devices using USB now are detected.

Oh, and since everybody keeps asking, this time there’s a public link for the download:

http://www.keyhole.com/downloads/GoogleEarthPlus.exe

Enjoy.

Update: I’m pretty sure that while the Google Earth software download is free, you still have to pay for the service that provides the images. I think Google wants to cover their licensing costs.

Google is also planning to use trucks equipped with cameras and lasers to photograph and measure the buildings on U.S. city streets, according to Tom Foremski at Silicon Valley Watcher.

Philipp Lenssen has a killer comment:

I don’t know what Google are up to this time, but they’re living up to their mission statement of screen-scraping the world in order to plaster its virtual copy with universally accessible ads. I’m paraphrasing here…