Journalists Toolbox: “Typically, we cover AI tools in this newsletter but today I wanted to touch on some of the changes to Google Earth. I’ve taught Earth tools in newsrooms for eight years as part of a Google News Lab trainers program, and journalists have used them to tell some incredible stories. others, just like a Google Sheet or Google Doc.
- Streamlined actions. Its interface makes it easier to find and use tools.
- Work across devices. You can now work on projects from your browser or mobile, and add places and images from both.
Google has moved the toolbar from the left side to the top, making it a bit easier to find things. You can launch and manage projects down the left rail, where the tools used to be.
Other handy Google Earth tools:
- Timelapse: Track 38 years of satellite photos over a given area of the earth. The timelapse shows changes over that period of time. Easy to embed, the free Timelapse is a super tool for telling environment, weather and development stories. Want to build your own timelapse apps? Tap into the Earth Engine apps page.
- Earth Studio: Browser-based tool lets you record flyover videos, zoom-ins, orbits and more. Easy export to .mp4 format. The free tool also lets you export high-resolution images from it.
- Google Earth Pro: Free tool downloads to your desktop and lets you search archived satellite images for dozens of years and record flyover videos. The interface is a bit clunky by today’s standards, but it’s excellent for digging up old satellite images…”
