The new Google Earth adds random locations, interactive tours, and more

As promised last week, Google has started rolling out a revamped version of its popular  Google Earth global mapping service. Google stated it has been working behind the scenes for two years on this new version, which includes features such as interactive tours of many locations on the planet, along with 3D views and even an “I’m feeling lucky” random location button.

The biggest new feature that’s being added is called Voyager. It will give Google Earth visitors a way to check out over 50 interactive tours of many locations on the globe, featuring content and commentary from news organizations like the BBC, chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall, and even Sesame Street’s Lola. There’s also the new “I’m feeling lucky” feature that’s similar to the one on Google’s main search page. Pushing the button will take you to one of over 20,000 random locations on Google Earth, and you can click on a Knowledge Card to learn more about it and see more pictures.

There’s also a new 3D button that will let you check out a location from any angle, and you can even send out a virtual postcard to friends and family with the specific place and angle that you saw on the planet. The link that comes with that postcard will give them a chance to see the exact view you saw on Google Earth.

The update is available now via Google’s Chrome browser, and you can check out the updated Android Google Earth app this week. Versions will also be released on iOS and other web browsers later. It looks like the desktop app version of Google Earth is not getting this revamp, but the old app will still be around to download for the time being.

What do you think of the new Google Earth, and does it live up to the hype? Let us know in the comments!