Google's new ketchup: SketchUp

Google is ready with what at first seems like just another pass-time people will play around with for a few days. But SketchUp is cerrtainly more than that

Firstly, it's fabulous as a toy. You draw 3D models of pretty much anything you want (I just put together some quick examples as soon as I downloaded):



Clearly, you don't have to be a mechanical-drawing expert to draw the basic stuff, like buildings, simple objects around you etc.

But the real value lies beyond this. Artists at Google are busy putting together famous buildings around the world on 3D models and uploading them to Google Earth - another fabulous tool by Google. In essence, you can draw 3D imagery from around your home, office, or places you like and combine it with the real life sattelite-maps.

Look at this one from Google:

Hats off to Googi, again!

Doodle

I for one, am greatly impressed with how Google is breaking into our lives little by little. No, this is not a sarcastic remark by any means. People tend to hate big companies as they grow larger than life - part of which is a because of the monopolistic approach such companies seem to take. But nevertheless, I think as a consumer, we have a lot to benefit from Google before we start fearing it.

Especially, I like the way they change their logos senstive to the occasion. Here're a few examples I have kept (all the pictures are under copyright of Google inc. ©2006 Google):

Opening ceremony of the ongoing 2006 Torino winter Winter Olympics:






This is for the ski-jump:







This one stands for the game of 'icedance':








Here's one from New Year's:







Winter Holidays:






Thanksgiving 2005: