14 DAY TRIAL // Google promised a big Earth update and it sure came through. Named "Voyager," the virtual globe now gives users access to dozens of curated trips around the globe.
Each of these voyages is centered around a particular theme. For instance, "Museums Around the World" will take the user on a Street View trip to 28 museums around the world, from Madrid to New York City. Or you can go check out the "hidden world" of National Parks, check out Hemingway's favorite hangouts, follow in Charles Dicken's steps, visit 30 historic UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Each of these locations in a voyage includes a bit of text explaining the landmark on the screen. Some feature 360-degree content, others come with YouTube videos. For instance, the "Beautiful Birds of Paradise" voyage features clips from "Planet Earth" narrated by the famous Sir David Attenborough.
Google Earth will also provide some cool itineraries that will show you the best places to visit on your trips around the world, for cities like London, Tokyo or Mexico City.
Two other big updates
The famous "I'm Feeling Lucky" feature from search is also making a jump to Earth. Tapping on it will take you to a random location or landmark around the globe, complete with a Wikipedia description.
It should also be noted that Google Earth is no longer a required download. The once download-only program has now turned into a tool that can be accessed from any computer with Google Chrome installed. Other browsers will be added to the support-list soon enough, though. This is a lot more convenient and it will certainly attract a lot more users since many quit when they realized they had to download and install software.
This is certainly a big update for Earth and it's one that will bring loads of new users. On top of that, those who were already fans of this Google tool will have even more stuff to enjoy.
