Almost a year ago (June 2005), Google Earth was launched and drew a lot of attention (‘fantastic’, ‘exciting’) both from the GI-specialists as from the general public. Google Earth was not the first virtual globe and is also not the only one. For example, see TerraExplorer (www.skylinesoft.com) or NASA’s World Wind (http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/). Where
TerraExplorer is more for the professional user and NASA’s World Wind is designed for processing and analysing scientific data, Google Earth (GE) is targeted at as many users as possible, and involves a friendly user interface and the ease to add your own data. While the views are spectacular, there is a great variety in the availabilty of detailed data. The major focus is on US, but a great part of the rest of the world has a less detailed coverage, most likely due to the business concept of Google: free information paid by advertisements. In many respects, this lack of coverage which is of influence to attractivity to users concerned is similar to ECDIS. Despite considerable progress being made, world-wide ENC coverage it is not yet complete.
The Google concept is now being expanded. GIS companies are making their products interoperable with GE. Google Map and Google Local are being merged. There is a Google Mars, while Google also signed a MoU with NASA for other space orientated data. Recently, some car manufac-turers (VW being one of them) signed a MoU to develop a Google in Car giving a photo representation of the environment instead of the line drawings found in present systems. Google’s success will stimulate other players to come with competitive products (e.g., ESRI announced ArcGIS Explorer). GE also shows the potential of GIS to everyone and thereby the use of paper charts ‘soon’ to be something of the past for quite some applications (I want to be on the safe side).
For those who have not done so already and want to have the experience (triple the intended time as your curiosity will prevent you from stopping flying from one place to another) go to http://earth.google.com for a download and be amazed by the speed and the possibilities. So, we have or are being promised to have soon Google Earth, Google Mars, and Google in Car, but when will we have a Google Water (or Sea or Ocean whatever the salesmen prefer)?
The shallow water data is mostly available and we are on our way of an ocean-wide coverage of the ocean floor (see this issue’s ‘Insider’s View’ by our new EAB-member John Hall). Seeing the copyright references at each GE-view GE can handle copyright issues. Is it the lack of expected revenues from advertisements (the business concept) e.g. too small amount of users e.g. those out of curiosity (the seafloor not sexy enough) or those who really want to use it for their profession: mariners (incl. recreational boaters), scientists? I like to draw your attention to the availability of NOAA navigational charts - both RNC and ENC - on their website (www.nauticalcharts.gov/viewer/).
Imagine how a Google Water (or a similar product from another manufacturer) could stimulate the present marine cartography (both private and public) to use new technologies.
In the May ’05 issue I invited authors to submit articles on charting in the future. The invitation still stands.

Enjoy reading,

Leeke van der Poel, editor-in-chief