earth

Solar storm warning: You have a year to prepare

The federal government now predicts a new cycle of solar storms will start in March 2008. Those storms are expected to peak around the end of 2011. That's the conclusion of some scientists at NOAA.

Solar storms lead to violent eruptions on the sun's surface. There'll be solar flares and explosions sending highly charged matter toward Earth's atmosphere. This jolts Earth's geomagnetic field and ionosphere. That can lead to disruption of electric grids and communications systems.

Sunspot predictions for this coming storm cycle run from 90 to 140. There were different prediction models among the … Read more

Track your flight in 3D

I'm a big fan of Google Earth and have been known to spend hours just cruising around the globe. But now I fear I'll spend even more online aerial time with my recent discovery of one of the coolest Web apps in the universe. You've probably heard of Web sites like FboWeb and FlightAware that allow you to track the position of an airline flight and see data like the plane's speed and altitude. While that's cool enough by itself, the map is a boring two-dimensional graphic that shows little beyond state boundaries and the … Read more

Google Earth gets new 3D layers

Google Earth has been updated with two new layers this morning. They come courtesy of the The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and are pretty neat. The first is America's Favorite Architecture, a listing of 150 monuments and buildings picked by the public as the most notable. The second is Blueprint for America, a project that aims to make over city skylines and everyday structures like bus stops. You can see some of the proposed projects (in 3D) as well as brief descriptions that will be updated as projects progress.

Google and the AIA have put together a short video … Read more

Favorite U.S. architecture on Google Earth

More information on famous American structures is now available to view on Google Earth.

In January, Google Earth 4 made it possible to build and share rich 3D content. The change resulted in 3D renderings of famous architectural sites and terrain, seen when the proper layers in Google Earth are turned on.

As part of the 150th anniversary of the American Institute of Architects, the organization has added photos and information on the architects behind several famous American structures.

The "America's Favorite Architecture" layer features the top 12 winners of a poll taken by Harris Interactive on … Read more

Google logo take Earth Day temperature

Sunday was Earth Day, and like many tech companies, Google did its part to celebrate the environment and eco-awareness. The company came up with a special version of its logo for the day, something it often does for holidays and other special events.

While previous versions of the Earth Day logo have featured the cute critters and planetary visions, this year's image took a slightly different form: the Google logo as a melting iceberg.

The move definitely caught bloggers' eyes, and there was debate on whether the company was trying to make a political statement on the topic of … Read more

CNET Live show No. 2!

We are just a few short hours away from CNET Live show No. 2!

The theme today is Earth Day, so we'll be talking to a recycling expert, showing you hybrid car videos, and talking about being technologically green. Plus, we'll be taking your calls on anything and everything tech!

Don't miss your chance to call in to ask Brian or Tom a question about all things tech--or just sit back and watch them answer other people's questions. Maybe the other people have the same issues you do--or, maybe they have an issue you didn't … Read more

Wikisky: for keyboard astronomers

Over on our sister blog Crave, we post about the occasional stargazing gadget for amateur astronomers. But if you aren't willing to shell out the cash for a pricey telescope, night sky projector, or home planetarium, never fear--that's where the wonderful world of free webware comes in. Wikisky was described by the Wired Science blog as "Google Earth for space," which is essentially an apt description. You can use Wikisky (which isn't actually a wiki, for the record) to view and navigate the entire night sky either as a graphical representation, or in legit photographs … Read more

Read your snail mail on the Web: Earth Class Mail

Editor's Note: RemoteControl mail has changed their name to "Earth Class Mail." The title and name mentions has been changed to reflect this, while the rest of the article remains in its original form.

Tired of opening letters and bills? There's a new service, Earth Class Mail, that will receive your postal mail for you, send you scans of the unopened letters and parcels, and then let you figure out what to do with your mail. Its options include physically forwarding the mail to you, recycling or shredding the mail, or opening it and scanning the … Read more

Ski.com gives Google Earth a run for its money

Ski slope maps in 2D are often beautifully illustrated works of art that are one part navigation and three parts marketing. The next logical step was to take those same maps and make them 3D, which is what Ski.com has done with its new map explorer. You can choose from more than 20 3D maps of popular ski destinations all over the world.

Each map gives you a simple mouse-drag interface that allows you to zoom around the slopes. When you get up close, you can even see details that jump out, such as red elevated lines that represent … Read more