Google Up with 3D Maps

The upcoming 3D depictions of the world's buildings by Google, and presumably Apple, may be the next big technological achievement for both companies. But so far, no one has answered the key question: really, what good is it?
Google's press conference Wednesday, where it announced details of the new technology, was strictly defensive.
If the rumors are true, Apple is expected to announce its own 3D mapping technology at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) next week - where Apple will also have to justify its use of 3D technology using phrases other than "revolutionary" or "magical." Neither will be the first to the market, as PCMag's Chandra Steele so neatly demonstrated.
Google, however, clearly invited reporters to its San Francisco office yesterday to position its Google Maps technology as the market leader. But its "announcement" of offline Google Maps for Android was a year old. You can also already find Street View-like maps of U.S. national parks using a Google Trekker-like device. And the 3D Google Earth for mobile technology isn't exactly here, just available in a demonstration that sputtered a bit before finally launching.

In a few weeks, Google plans to roll out the 3D technology to a few cities it modeled using Google Earth; Google hasn't disclosed which ones, but its launch video (below) implies the San Francisco Bay Area, including Oakland. By the end of the year, about 300 million people will be covered by the new 3D technology, it said.
Here's the crux of the issue: the new 3D technology seems like a wonderful addition to Google Earth, a technology that has combined 3D terrain and satellite imagery for years now. So far, Google hasn't said whether or not it will add 3D technology to Maps, Earth's more practical cousin. And that, I think, may be a good thing.

When you think about it, Google Earth and Google Maps have been on a collision course for years now. Maps includes terrain; Google Earth includes streets. Google Maps includes Street View and the ability to jump right into a browser-based Google Earth.
Google Maps, especially, has become a tool for both navigation and data visualization, a blurring that enthusiast sites like Google Maps Mania take for granted. Most users still use Maps to pick the best route to their destination, whether it be a specific address or a more generic location, such as the nearest Taco Bell.
Google Earth, by contrast, is more of a path to discovery. The initial view - "diving" from outer space to your backyard - still remains as fresh and magical as it did several years ago, when Google Earth 3.0 launched in 2005. The 3D representations only add to the veracity of the depiction. And they're not new; Google began adding them in March, to complement the 3D view it made available to desktop users. They're also optional, and can be switched on and off via a checkbox.