While Voyager has some interesting content, and the "feeling lucky" button provides a bit of fun and possible future-travel fodder, the best thing about the new Earth is how fast, smooth and easy it is to change perspectives.
There are, though, two headline new features ... The rumors about its renewal had been heard for a few years now, and finally it was today that Google released its new version of Google Earth, with improvements in image quality and navigation and now it can even be accessed through Web.
For now though, you can only use the new Google Earth if you use Chrome or Android.
On the same day as Google Earth relaunched with a bunch of new features, Google's virtual reality (VR) version of the service has also been given some notable updates.
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Tap Get Started and another menu appears, this time containing the options for how long you want to share and who with. Each icon has a different function and will take the user on a different "tour". Upon firing the Android app, or launching the web version, you'll see a new "3D" button that magically brings flat satellite imagery to the third dimension. Wondering what's stopping users from peeking into any home they like, because I sure was, Google Earth reps say only these pre-approved homes are now preserved in street view. We thought a lot about the button mapping to make sure it was intuitive and took advantage of the Touch controllers' precise analog sticks, which are a great fit for the way you move around in Earth VR.
The new Google Earth is not a replacement yet for the classic desktop application. Google says that it will add more stories to Voyager every week. It now works with Facebook's Oculus Rift, not just the HTC Vive. To zoom in on a location, press control and drag your mouse around it.
Voyager, another new feature, has guided tours of various areas, including the UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the pyramids, Seville's Cathedral, Angkor Wat), with panoramic views of the interiors or landscape. Click on one of them and you'll be pulled in, quickly transported into a 360-degree photo of, for example, the inside of the French Quarter's St. Louis Cathedral or one of the ponds in Uptown NOLA's Audubon Park.
You get a little Sesame Street video.
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