LIFE Photo Archive Available on Google

GOP Convention, Baltimore, Maryland 1952, Time, Inc.

We think you are going to want to bookmark this extraordinary collection of over 10 million LIFE magazine images, now available on Google. LIFE Magazine was committed to the philosophy that a picture can tell a story...and mastered it. Thousands of photographers contributed to this amazing collection that spans from 1750 to today. Many of the images were never published!

For gathering a sense of history and place, this collection provides a good excuse for hours of online exploration. (Just for fun, we searched "bowling" and wonderful energized images appeared.) The images in the collection run the gamut from mundane to iconic. As much as we LOVE Flickr, and we do, we applaud the collection's simple interface and the refreshing absence of self-consciousness.

The humanity of this collection dazzles.

How Much is Your Roof Worth?

Al Gore's Solar Roof

"RoofRay is a fantastic new Google Maps hack that allows you to zoom in on any American address' rooftop, specify the surface area available on that roof for solar panels and then calculate the potential power of the system, in total and per square foot. You need to know some arcane details — like the roof angle, a good guess will do— but it's an excellent resource if you're trying to get a rough independent gauge on whether an investment in solar power would pay for itself any time in your lifetime." Boing Boing

Google Hearts Architecture

Berlin Central Train Station

Goggle has begun offering, in concert with cities around the world, Google 3-D virtual architectural tours. It's a terrific advancement. We find it looks a little too rudimentary, but the first effort is remarkable. Here is a demonstration of a architectural tour of Berlin. Hold on to your seat!