As though one Berlin were not enough. A virtual 3D tour of the German capital at Google Earth is the first of its kind. Soon, the site hopes to add a historical tour as well.
Berlin has gone virtual. As of Thursday morning, the German capital - from the gigantic Alexanderplatz TV tower right down to the potholes in the side streets -- can be seen in Google Earth. The virtual visitor can even enter the new Berlin Central Station and marvel at the Reichstag. Other landmarks are likewise on offer.
For now, the pixelated metropolis is largely unpopulated. There are no virtual politicians wandering the government quarter and no virtual shoppers strolling Unter den Linden. It will be a few years yet before online cities like Berlin get mashed up with computer worlds like Second Life.
But 3D Berlin is more than just a pretty computer project. Already, there are those dreaming of online shops occupying the same address in the virtual world that their real-world sisters occupy in real life -- and with the same wares on display. Indeed, it seems that the virtual parliament buildings, embassies and election campaigns on Second Life are little more than a test run for the digital version of the real world that Google, Microsoft and others are in the process of building.
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Berliners are taking particular delight in having beaten their rival Hamburgers to the chase. On January 17, Hamburg announced it would be the first city in the world to present itself in 3D on Google Earth. The press conference featured a virtual helicopter flight over the city; viewers floated over Hamburg's city hall and its famous historic port.
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http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,818512,00.jpghttp://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,818480,00.jpghttp://www.3d-stadtmodell-berlin.de/3d/en/seite0.jsphttp://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,470720,00.htmlWell, the "1st" thing is questionable to say the least, but the result is impressive .
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