The iPhone Gets Earthier

In May, Google Earth came to the browser, with a browser plug-in. It's great to be able to use a browser rather than have to install a separate app. Well, that may be something for the future, but at least for now, you can finally use Google Earth on your iPhone.

You can download it (once it appears; we still can't find it) from the App Store --- yes, for free. Peter Birch, Google Earth's product manager, said:

"The idea of having Earth on a mobile device is something people dreamed of back to the Keyhole days and before. This is the first opportunity we've had to be able to deliver a great experience."

The reference to Keyhole refers to the original software, which was originally called Earth Viewer, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004.

The free software started becoming available through Apple's App store on Sunday. It's a free download in 20 countries, available in all 18 languages the iPhone supports. While Google Earth is new, a $4.99 iPhone app called Earthscape has provided a Google Earth-type application for some time.