Hello, Google Earth -- GOOOOOOODBYE, Earthscape Basic!

Google has just announced the iPhone/iPod Touch version of their popular Google Earth program -- a version they brag to have been dreaming about even before GoogEarth's 2005 debut:

"With just a swipe of your finger you can fly from Peoria to Paris to Papua New Guinea, or anywhere in between. It may be small, but it brings all the power of Google Earth to the palm of your hand, including all of the same global imagery and 3D terrain. You can even browse any of our 8 million Panoramio photos or read Wikipedia articles."

The app also allows you to: tilt your iPhone to adjust your view to see mountainous terrain, view the Panoramio layer and browse the millions of geo-located photos from around the world, view geo-located Wikipedia articles, use the 'Location' feature to fly to your current location, and search for cities, places and business around the globe with Google Local Search.

Unfortunately, the release of "iGE" sounds the death knell for Churchill Navigation's Earthscape Basic for iPhone; not only does the official Google app do more than Earthscape, it does it for a lot less than Earthscape's US$9.99 price.  Lots and lots less.  Like, um...free.  Visit iTunes if you don't believe us...

[Via the Official Google Blog]