Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Google strikes again. GPS users can now connect their device to a computer and import waypoint and track data into Google Earth, adding a whole new dimension to your latest travel adventure.
Plug-in applications like Goops, GPS 2 Google Earth, GPS Visualizer, Franson GpsGate and Earth Bridge, among others, enable real-time tracking and navigation, allowing you to see where you are in real-time and track where you have been. Most of these applications can also display timestamps and even the speed you were traveling during your trip.
These plug-ins work with most GPS devices, and can create and save trip files in Google Earth (KML format), so that you can share them with your family and friends. Retaining internet connectivity to view your trips isn’t necessary, as Google Earth will display the most recent images stored in the cache on your computer.
The partnership of these technological tools is natural and the future uses are limitless—from planning your next sightseeing trip to plotting water sources in areas of severe drought and everything in between.
