Google Earth now allows users to measure the precise distance between any two points on the planet.
The new Measure Tool is available within Google Chrome today, on Android this week, and on iOS soon. So, if you’ve ever wondered how far it is from your house to the Eiffel Tower, you can select two points and draw a straight line between the two.
The ‘area’ portion of the feature also enables you to to select the borders of a park, town or even your own back yard for accurate square footage/mileage.
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Google says this will be useful if you’re looking to buy a house and want to investigate the local parklands, or for teachers to challenge students to discover which state is larger.
I just used it to find out I live 4,281.66 miles from my hometown and now I feel super homesick, so thanks for that Google.
In a blog post on Monday, Google wrote: “Ever wonder how far your hometown is from the North Pole? Or maybe, you simply want to measure the length of that hike you just finished. One of the most requested features for Google Earth is the ability to measure distance and areas.
“So today, we’re adding a Measure Tool, available on Chrome today, Android this week and iOS is coming soon.”
The feature should breathe a little life into the Google Earth app, which is available on the web also via the Chrome browser.
Have you taken the new Google Earth Measure Tool for a spin yet? Or are you still having too much fun with the Voyager tool? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
