GeekSugar

Watch the Lunar Eclipse Tomorrow Morning With the Help of Tech

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:10:05 PST

Set your alarms, party people: there's a total eclipse happening tomorrow morning. The eclipse will start at 4:45 a.m. PST Saturday morning, Dec. 10, with the full shadow of the Earth being cast on the moon by 6:05 a.m. The Western US will have the best view of the last total lunar eclipse we'll see until 2014. The moon will turn red "with a hint of turquoise," which is perfect for the holiday season. This being Winter and all, there's a good chance your city could be covered in clouds, which puts a damper on your eclipse excitement. But don't worry, these two apps and sites can help you watch, no matter if you're in the middle of a storm or out of viewing range.

SkySafari 3
An app for your iPhone, SkySafari 3 is free through this weekend in honor of the eclipse. This app lets you see the lunar eclipse as it's happening, right on your phone. But after the eclipse is over, you'll be able to explore the night sky and see accurate star maps wherever you are.

Slooh and Google Earth
Astronomy site Slooh has partnered up with Google Earth to bring you live views of space, including the moon. To access the feed, click on the "planets" icon in the Google Earth toolbar to switch to Sky mode. Then, in the layers panel, open the Current Sky Events folder and click on the Slooh Space Camera layer. You can also embed a live feed widget on your blog or website so your visitors can enjoy the view from wherever they are in the world.

A Modern Twist on a Royal Wedding: 6 Geeky Facts About William and Kate's Nuptials

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:31:47 PDT

The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is fast approaching, and while some traditions remain steadfast, there are a few modern and tech-savvy twists. Learn all about them here!

Get in the (Basketball) Game With Tours and Tools From Google

Kristen Hawley — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:46:51 PDT

Basketball fans, take note! Whether you're planning to watch some March Madness basketball games either on cable or without a TV, you can familiarize yourself with all 14 arenas in the tournament this year before tip-off. Thanks to Google's college basketball tournament map, providing 3D details of each arena. Take a tour of each venue via a video on Google's blog, or download the tour and view it in Google Earth.

In addition to the tour, Google also created a dedicated site to keep track of the tournament locations, game times, and news. There's even a tournament bracket template available in Google Docs.

Game on!

Celebrate Presidents' Day With the Google Earth Presidents Showcase

Leta Shy — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:01:57 PST

Quick - who was our 27th president, and where was he born? If you don't know, Google has the answer, easily packaged in its new US Presidents Showcase, a feature of Google Earth.

Just in time to celebrate Presidents' Day, the Showcase maps where all of our fearless leaders were born, plus details facts about their terms. And since it's part of Google Earth, you know you're in for lots of zooming and learning as you take a historical tour of our country.

The plug-in breaks up the list of 44 by time periods and allows you to tour each president's details by pressing play, back, or forward. States' names are shown as they were added to the union, so you can impress your friends and show your patriotism with important geographical and historical knowledge (like, "Taft. Ohio. Joined 1803").

Google Earth 6, Now With 3D Trees

Kristen Hawley — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 01:47:44 PST

Google Earth 5 was released in September, but Google Earth 6 has already hit the deck, and it includes some amazing new functions. The latest version is characterized by two new features: integrated street view and 3D trees.

The new street view builds on the 2008 integration of Google Maps, allowing you to "fly" from outer space directly to your doorstep, corner, or any other location in one seamless flight. The familiar orange Pegman also shows up in the latest version; drag the icon onto any street to quickly zoom into that location, just like you do in Google Maps. You can even "walk" down the street using your mouse's scroll wheel, a feature exclusive to Google Earth.

Find out about the second awesome feature, 3D Trees, after the break.

Google Earth Gets a New and Improved Website

GeekSugar — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:45:58 PDT

Google Earth has allowed you to explore the oceans, watch the sunrise, and even track Santa Claus's yearly flight, and now it has a new look.

Google Earth 5, available for download now, includes photos, videos, tours, and maps, all wrapped up in a brand-new site. According to Google, the new Google Earth has five main areas of improvement; find out what they are after the break.

Daily Tech: Google Earth Says Oil Spill Bigger Than Connecticut

GeekSugar — Tue, 11 May 2010 10:00:35 PDT

Google Earth lets you map the Gulf Coast oil spill over any city - Gizmodo
Can too many Facebook friends ruin your social life? - Lemondrop
iPhone chalkboard lets you jot down analog notes for later - Unplggd
Remember Pogs? Oh yes, you do - Urlesque
Get a look at some clever office workspaces - Lifehacker
Fact: Americans spent $25.3 billion on video games in 2009 - Joystiq

Earth View Comes to Google Maps

GeekSugar — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:47:42 PDT

According to Google, over 600 million people have used Google Earth to take a trip around the world from their desktops. Although a virtual vacation is nothing compared to feeling the warm sun on your face while you lounge on a beach in the South of France, I guess it can come close if you don't have any real vacay time saved up.

Yesterday, Google announced another way you can get your world fix. Called Earth View, you can now get access to Google Earth's 3D images right in Google Maps, without having to launch the Google Earth application. Working for your PC and Mac, all you need to do is download the Earth View plugin. Already a fan of Google Earth? Then you should be ready to go just by clicking the "Earth" button on the top right of the map area. Happy (virtual) travels!

Daily Tech: Is Apple Prepping a Mini iPad For 2011?

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:15:28 PDT

Is Apple preparing to release a mini iPad in 2011? - Dvice
Colleges allow video applications, hilarity ensues - Urlesque
The biggest tearjerkers in sci-fi - io9
Google Earth schools you on oceans - Gizmodo
How many Americans surf the web while watching TV? - Unplggd
12-year-old runs up $1,300 Farmville debt - Kotaku

Track Santa's Sleigh With Google Earth

GeekSugar — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:00:55 PST

Technology makes everything easier and more accessible, right? Well, Santa's travels tonight are no exception. Google Earth and Norad (the North American Aerospace Defense Command) are providing the definitive tracking system. Want to look out for the big guy? It's easy!

All you need is to download Google Earth if you haven't already, and then go to Norad's Santa page. Click the red button to download the Santa tracking file (available at 6 a.m. EST today), and track away!

If you'd rather head out and celebrate the holiday than sit in front of a computer tonight, you can also use Norad to track Santa on your cell phone!