The Mac version of Google Earth had previously required OS X Tiger (10.4), but now the minimum requirement is 10.3.9. Sweet! I had been living vicariously through Thom’s installation of Google Earth on his PC, but now I can explore the earth on my iBook, which is still on 10.3.9. (Thanks to The Map Room for the heads-up.) I downloaded it the other night, and had to tear myself away after a while lest I stay up to the wee hours.
If you haven’t used Google Earth before, you really have to check it out. Aside from the amazing (often startingly clear) satellite photography, part of the beauty lies in the ability to save and share points of interest using its proprietary file format. In preparation for our London trip, Thom plotted out various sights we want to visit; I loaded that file onto my iBook with no problem, so we’re good to go.
Aside: Speaking of the UK, a couple of British-related documentaries premiered last night on PBS. One is a three-part series entitled Windsor Castle: A Royal Year, and the other is The Blitz: London’s Longest Night. I watched part of the Windsor Castle one, in which the staff prepares for a state dinner; I love all that pomp and circumstance. Just to bring this full circle, here is the Google Maps view of the castle.
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I was fascinated watching that Windsor doco last night, realizing that I had been in those rooms — well, George’s Hall and the Waterloo Chamber. I also love all those traditions and pomp and the stories behind it all.
I hope you’re planning on visiting Windsor, it is beautiful and overwhelming. And when I visited, it was a little weird to realize that The Queen was in residence, just a few hundred feet from where I was standing. (Look for her royal standard flying from the round tower.)
The Blitz film was compelling as well, again, I flashed back to my London visit and recalled my visit to St. Paul’s and seeing places that were destroyed and restored.
aloooooooo