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Scrappad was first to announce the major news today: the launch of ESRI's ArcGIS Explorer virtual globe and ArcGIS Online. Prepare yourself to hear a lot about it on the various geospatial blogs. From the ArcGIS Online page: "ArcGIS Online provides a series of ready-to-use online map services, globe services, and other GIS services for use with ArcGIS. These include both 2D maps and 3D digital worlds (globes) that you can use directly in ArcGIS Explorer." Read Spatially Adjusted on why ArcGIS Online is more significant than ArcGIS Explorer, but don't rush to the download site: "Looks like they are only allowing those with current maintenance to download it and those in the beta.". Here's the system requirements. Additionally, Ogle Earth shares interesting comments on AGX labels. Read this long insightful comment on why ArcGIS Explorer is not a competitor to Google Earth, Virtual Earth or World Wind. Update: 11/29 17:24 GMT by S :I forgot to link to ESRI's Bernie Szukalski podcast on ArcGIS Explorer [mp3 file] (via SP). Update #2: 11/29 22:09 GMT by S :Additional entries: ArcIMS services in ArcGIS Explorer and Christian Spanring first impressions, including: "Still, the major drawback of ArcGIS Explorer is its overall performance. Once you’ve seen how fast you can move and fly around in Google Earth, it’s hard to go back to a sluggish performance like the one you’re experiencing in ArcGIS Explorer."

With this week's ESRI User Conference 2007, attracting 13,500 GIS professionals, expect several posts regarding this important event in the geospatial world. Very Spatial offer long and informative morning plenary notes (congrats VS for your Award), including informing us Arc products 9.3 will be available in 2008, APB shares some info on ArcGIS Server 9.3 and the repositioning of GITA on infrastructure, the It is what it is blog provide it's own critical summary of the UC, Scrappad has notes on the upcoming ArcGIS 9.3 products, Spatially Adjusted informs us about RSS feeds available for ESRI support categories, the VE4Gov blog discuss the announced ESRI REST API and finally, ESRI's Dave Bouwman shares his own plenary notes. Expect additional links to blog entries in the comments below.

GE Blog has a seasonal piece on the educational uses of Google Earth, including links to previous stories demonstrating uses of GE in literature, science, and of course geography. Google also has their own site dedicated to educating with GE.