We think Google Earth's standard mapping images are slightly more rubbish than those in Virtual Earth 3D. Check out how Virtual Earth 3D renders the London Eye in full 3D (top left) compared to Google Earth's fuzz-o-vision. Google Earth, meanwhile, has its own set of new features, but it only takes a couple of minutes use to realise that Google's baby doesn't have nearly as many 3D attractions. It's only a matter of time before similar virtual ads reach Britain. There are no ads in the UK as yet, but US TV network Fox has placed an ad above a cinema in downtown San Francisco. Microsoft uses an aircraft equipped with a Vexcel aerial camera to capture bird's-eye footage, and just look at the results: we can now gawk at 3D models of the London Eye, Chelsea Bridge and Battersea power station, among others.Īlso in Virtual Earth 3D are 'virtual billboards' - hoardings that float above buildings showing adverts for real-world companies. Unlike Virtual Earth, Virtual Earth 3D includes a fairly wide selection of landmarks rendered in full 3D. We had a spare minute this morning, so we thought we'd take a look at Virtual Earth 3D, released on Monday, and the fourth version of Google Earth, which dropped on 1 November.īoth apps let you fly over a virtual globe, travelling freely between locations as you view satellite images of just about everything. Updates for worldwide virtual mapping applications are like buses: you wait ages for one then two come along at once.

Earthview vs google earth