Last week the story got out that Google was pushing into 3D maps, rolling around San Francisco with laser imaging equipment. Neglected in my review of Google Earth was the fact that 3D rendering already appears in nearly 40 cities; you just have to turn it on. (Check out newrecruit's detailed summary of Google Earth features, with plenty of screen shots.) Google Earth (and its predecessor Keyhole) also renders natural landscapes in 3D Two main problems exist with Earth's 3D rendering of buildings. First, the towering images are plain gray with no detailed surface features. They present a ghostly look of animation in what is otherwise a realistic window on the world. Second, and more important, flipping the 3D switch in a city drastically slow the program. Buildings take a long time to load, during which period panning, zooming, and tilting become jittery, halting features. In fact, my test machine is throttled completely when Earth is crunching through the display of 3D buildings.