Google will be unveiling the “new Google Earth” next week. According to invites that Google has sent out, the event will take place on April 18, four days before Earth Day, which is held internationally on April 22.
One of the coolest tools to play around online, Google Earth provided users with a way to move around the earth and explore new locations; but not before checking out the street their house is one. In the past few years, however, Earth has been largely put behind the race by it Google Maps, which is an impressive tool to have.
It's unclear about what Google has planned for the day, but it wouldn't hold a dedicated event for Google Earth just to remind that it exists. The scenario may most likely involves a completely redesigned tool, perhaps speedier engines, so the images load faster or maybe even more updated imagery via the company's myriad of satellites.
Google Earth has always been a cool tool to have, allowing you to do a lot of things that Maps never could, like use a flight simulator, view the effects of global warming over time, go back in time and view historical pictures, or dive beneath the ocean waves.
Google may be announcing in its Earth event next week is the integration of more VR elements. Given the company's announcement a few months back regarding Google Earth VR, which allows people to put on a VR headset and fly to various destinations around the world like some kind of Superman, we might see more of this too. At the time, however, Google Earth VR only featured a few preset destinations, like the Amazon River, Manhattan or the Swiss Alps.
