The Coolest App Ever on Day 28: Google Earth vs. Calculator
Welcome back to Gizmodo’s March Madness challenge to name the best app of all time! Duolingo’s surprise performance in the group was interrupted in yesterday’s tournament, and the unstoppable Flashlight advances to the Final Four. Today, we have Google Earth facing off against Calculator.
Google Earth vs. Calculator
When the web version of Google Earth was launched in 2001, it felt like everyone in the world had been given the keys to a satellite network straight out of Enemy of the State. The ability to start in space, pick a spot on the globe, and zoom down to street level was mind-blowing. Users like me immediately went to find their own house and experienced the unsettling feeling of being watched.
The mobile app for Google Earth made all this even more satisfying with a touch screen interface, and the app has only improved over the years. The addition of Street View, 3D imagery, the ability to zoom underwater, and tons of Easter eggs have made Google Earth an extremely robust app, and it’s still available to everyone for free. It is definitely one of the best examples of a tech giant creating a public good just because they can.
The Calculator app. Not a specific calculator, just the one on your phone. We all have one. Calculators used to be even on dumb phones, but the arrival of the smartphone completely eliminated the need for most people to have a dedicated number crunching device.
So, reader, what will it be? Is Google Earth a galactic force on the path to victory, or is Calculator simply undeniable?
Here are the nominees. Choose your fighter. [Image and link preserved]
