Google announced today that Google Maps is no longer in beta and has been merged with Google’s local search technology. It is now known as Google Local and is now found at http://local.google.com/

Via GISuser.com

Using Panoramio, you can browse photos from different places in the world or add your own. They don’t have a lot of photos yet, but a cool site.

Check out Panoramio here

Via Digg.com

This free game uses Google Earth to play a kind of geocaching, where you launch the game from within Google Earth and follow the clues to various location checkpoints. If you find the envelope “hidden somewhere on Earth, you will advance to the Big Game.”

I haven’t played it myself yet, but I may give it a try in between actually trying to get my GIS work done.

For a basic tutorial, check out the Earth Contest website

Via Ogle Earth