Second Earth

Google Earth Now Supports Textures.
Google has just released Google Earth 4 BETA that, unlike previous versions, supports textures on 3D objects. Google recently released SketchUp, a free 3-D modelling software with which you can build and texture houses -- or billboards, for example, and then place them in Google Earth.
People can now add their own assets to this virtual environment, much like they do in Second Life. Add physics, scripting and avatars and -- wham! -- a new virtual world arrives on the scene backed by Google's cash vaults.
"The result could be that we'll soon populate a virtual version of planet Earth instead of the made-from-scratch metaverses like online games or Second Life. The main element Google Earth is missing today is avatars, but at least one observer believes those to be added soon. Sounds like the competition to Second Life is coming from an unexpected direction.
source digged by Régine