First, I want to talk to you about Google Earth. Has anyone ever heard of this thing? My goodness, is there anything these Google guys can't do? If they were single and lived in Albuquerque my status as a single woman might be in jeopardy. Luckily, they live in California.
Anyway, Google Earth. It's awesome. It's free. And it makes you wonder what the military must be up to if this kind of technology is at my lowly fingertips. Google Earth is actually just one of a list of perks I've discovered lately from the makers of Google. Of course, there's possibly the best e-mail ever invented, Gmail, which, unfortunately, still isn't open to just anyone (you have to get the hookup from someone you know who can invite you in—ooh, it's like a secret club; how mysterious and tempting). But there is also a host of software that is available (and free). For example:
Picasa. An out-of-this-world photo organizer that will make sense of all the random pictures you have tucked away in the netherworld of your computer. http://picasa.google.com/index.html
Google Maps. Not exactly software, but incredibly useful. They're still working out the finishing touches (it doesn't always work, especially at night when I imagine they're revamping), but it's still mighty impressive. http://maps.google.com/
Google Moon. Fun; commemorative of the first moon landing. Make sure you zoom all the way in for a special surprise. http://moon.google.com/
And, finally, Google Earth. It's a little hefty to download, but totally worth it (especially if you have a fast computer). I can't really explain it; let me just say that through this software you can navigate all over the world and zoom into places you never thought you'd see. Go to the Grand Canyon and explore 3-D topography. Go to Paris and find all the local coffee shops. Get directions from Albuquerque to New York and get taken on a motion picture tour. That only scratches the oh-so-dense surface. If you have a relatively new computer, don't question it. You know it feels right. Just download it. Now. http://earth.google.com/
OK, enough of my blatant love for Google. I'm going to find something non-Internety to do.
