Earthscape, the world's first and only virtual globe application, developed by the company of the same name, is currently available as a free download via Apple's iTunes App Store. Both the iPhone and iPod touch are supported, although only iPhone users can take pictures with their device to share them with the world.

"WE WANT YOU TO USE EARTHSCAPE!! FOR A LIMITED TIME, WE ARE MAKING IT AVAILABLE FOR FREE: WE BELIEVE IF YOU TRY IT, YOU'LL AGREE THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING IPHONE APPS AVAILABLE TODAY --SO DOWNLOAD NOW AND START TAKING PHOTOS TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD," state the developers of Earthscape on the App Store.

According to the app's official description, users can view the entire United States in detail. Earthscape is said to offer "comparable" and sometimes even "slightly better" quality graphics than current desktop solutions. Imagery outside of the United States is at the moment limited to 15 meter resolution, "enough to discern major roads, but not houses," the company says. "As we acquire the rights to use more detailed international imagery, it will be provided to Earthscape users as a free update," Earthscape adds.

The currently available version already includes an update, which adds new functionality. Noteworthy enhancements include the ability to take geotagged photos with your iPhone and share them with the world, and the fact that pictures will be displayed on the globe at the location they were taken. Earthscape also assures users that photo layers are updated in real time so they can see new photos appear as other users pass them on.

Earthscape currently only supports English and is compatible with iPhone and iPod touch. Firmware 2.0 or later is required to run the app.

The developers of Earthscape also mentioned (via iTunes) that, due to overwhelming demand, their servers have been pretty loaded lately, but they've provided additional capacity, so performance should now be improved. Head over to the App Store to download your own copy of Earthscape.