Cool toy . . . NASA's World Wind

Not really security related but . . . for those into world wandering from the comfort of your office chair;



If you are a fan of Google Earth, then you may be interested in checking out NASA's World Wind open source project.



If you like what you see, and it works on your system (results vary) then definitely grab the Cache Pack and plug-ins available from the community World Wind Wiki site.



World Wind allows any user to zoom from outer space into any place on Earth. World Wind leverages satellite imagery and elevation data to allow users to experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if they were really there. Virtually visit anyplace in the world. Look across the Andes, into the Grand Canyon, over the Alps or along the African Sahara.



Which sounds exactly like Google Earth . . . but then these details emerge:



Blue Marble - World Wind has a full copy of the Blue Marble, a spectacular true-color image of the entire Earth. Put together from data of a variety of satellites such as Terra and Aqua, the Blue Marble can be seen in all its glory at 1 km per pixel resolution. Blue Marble Next Generation is streamed from the NASA servers at 0.5 km per pixel and in 12 versions, one for each month of year.



Landsat - LandSat 7 is a collection of images from 1999-2003 at an impressive 15 m per pixel resolution. LandSat 7's resolution makes it possible to see your own city, neighborhood, or landmarks in your vicinity. Seeing the whole globe like this puts the world in context with scientifically accurate data. You can view LandSat imagery in visible colors or in False Color bands.



Highly recommended!



Edit: Ooooh, and it includes the Moon and Mars in the full install package. :grin: