Google Earth 6.2 Is a Massive Improvement, Shows Smooth Blue Planet [PICS]

You’ll be amazed at what Google has just done with Google Earth. Overnight, the earth-mapping application was upgraded to Google Earth 6.2, with vastly improved imagery that changes the choppy patchwork quilt of past versions into a smooth globe that rivals the most detailed satellite shots.

Beyond the realistic-looking map imagery, Google Earth 6.2 includes a new way to search the globe for locations and landmarks, and it’s added sharing features that let you share images you found on Google Earth onto Google+. This update is further evidence of Google’s intention to integrate all of its products with Google+.

Google Earth 6.2 features a new way of rendering all those mosaic pics of satellite and aerial photographs, smoothing out the borders between them so the globe looks even more like our beautiful blue planet.

That smooth beauty is not just visible from a distance, either — as you zoom in, the seamless look continues, all the way down to the closest views.

It’s not just version 6.2 that’s received this welcome new technology — the difference is in the data underneath this magnificent map. Google says in a blog post that this seamless look is available on all versions of Google Earth, but “the 6.2 release provides the best viewing experience for this new data.”

The improvement is now available on both the desktop and mobile versions of Google Earth.

I tried the new version of Google Earth, and it’s easy to share screenshots directly from the interface. Once you’ve logged in to your Google account by clicking on the top right, a new Share button appears, giving you the choice of sharing a screenshot on Google+ or emailing an image or a placemark.

The search interface also shows minor improvements, with a facelift to the search panel and the Auto Complete feature you might have become familiar with in Google Maps.

In addition, Google’s added search layers so you can go beyond just the top 10 results, along with biking, transit and walking directions.

This upgrade to Google Earth is so significant, I’m wondering why the company only made it a point upgrade to version 6.2. It could easily have been called Google Earth 7.0 with its profound improvement in image quality, easy sharing ability and enhanced search.

If you haven’t used Google Earth in a while, download Google Earth 6.2 and look at how much better it’s become.

Check out these pics, with before and after shots where you can see how much better Google Earth looks now: