Google Empire: Keep Building


Google Earth launched in 2005 and it was cool enough…satellite images of a vast portion of the globe. But in typical Google fashion, there are already updated features. Last month, Google bought @Last, a 3-D modeling program and within a few weeks, spit out a free version. Most free 3-D modeling programs are pretty limited, so Google SketchUp was a breath of fresh air. Right? Go ahead, model whatever you want….and then, why not throw it up on Google Earth? Between architect wannabes and tech geeks, the 3-D version of New York City, for example, has grown massively just weeks. Good Morning Silicon Valley summarized it pretty well: we all work for Google.