Today, the Google Earth team announced some improvements for its latest version of the the service, 6.2. With the update comes some visual enhancements as well as some social ones thanks to Google+ integration.

Here’s what the team had to say today about Google Earth 6.2:

We’re taking bird’s eye view to a whole new level with the latest version of Google Earth, released today. With Google Earth 6.2, we’re bringing you the most beautiful Google Earth yet, with more seamless imagery and a new search interface. Additionally, we’ve introduced a feature that enables you to share an image from within Google Earth, so you can now simply and easily share your virtual adventures with family and friends on Google+.

The visual updates are quite dramatic as you can see in the below screenshot of a before and after of the Grand Canyon (after being on the right hand side):

Since Google Earth is made up of multiple satellite images, what you see on the app can sometimes appear to be patchy, since it’s comprised of stitched together photos. The team has said it solved that with its latest version by smoothing out the seams between photos. It’s really impressive stuff.

Along with the prettier still photos of locations on Google Earth, the team has done what every other Google property is working on doing, and that’s integrating its social network Google+.

When you are searching for locations on the app, you can then share those screenshots on Google+ in just a few clicks:

After you click share, you’ll be presented with the familiar Google+ dialog that asks you which circles you’d like to share with. It’s a nice way to share landmarks that you’ve visited or start conversation about places you’d like to go.

Depending on what type of machine you’re running, Google Earth can be a bit of a resource hog, considering that it’s zooming in close to any location you search on. To help you with searching, Google Earth now has autocomplete much like Google’s search engine does now. That will help you find locations easier and skip the headache of spelling streets or venues incorrectly.

The march to socialize all Google products continues under its latest CEO Larry Page, who recently announced that Google+ had hit 90 million users.

➤ Google Earth 6.2

While we’ve known for quite some time that the Earth isn’t flat, it doesn’t make this display any less impressive.

In 2009, Google debuted a technology called “Liquid Galaxy” that was able to display a Google Earth map on a whopping eight screens. At the time, that was insanely impressive. Three years later, that modern marvel has been wiped out thanks to this display in Paris, which includes 48 screens.

Here’s what the Google LatLong team had to say about the feat:

Late last year, the Paris Center for Architecture and Urbanism: Le Pavillon de l’Arsenal, approached us asking if they could use Google Earth to power a new interactive display highlighting the Paris metropolitan area in 2020 with upcoming buildings in 3D. Naturally, we were excited about the project, especially when they shared that the display would be 40 square meters – posing a fun and unique challenge.

A year later, we are excited to share that the first 48 screen Liquid Galaxy is now on display in Paris. We believe this to be the largest screen showing Google Earth to date!

You have to see it to believe it, so watch the video below showing the assembly of this beast:

Think you can do better? Google will be open sourcing the technology behind this project, so that you can take a stab at making the world’s largest display of Google Earth. Do I hear fifty screens, anyone?

Read the latest Google news every day at TNW Google.

Watch this cool demo of a new augmented reality iOS app from Japan that allows you to track satellites in realtime and shows you exactly where in the sky to look to see them.  There’s also a web page that will allow you to simulate the satellite passes in Google Earth and street view.

Forget about the upcoming A-Team movie this summer – this is much cooler – you can now drive the A-Team van right around in Google Earth (the app lets you choose from a number of major cities). Unfortunately, the app isn’t embeddable (and runs on the Google Earth plugin, which tends to crash) so you’ll have to go to the site to bring your plan together fool.

h/t Mano Marks

Google ran a worldwide competition over the last couple of months for people to use their SketchUp 3D modeling online software to build 3D model of their towns. Google announced the winner today: the Barranco District of Lima, Peru. Below is a one minute video of the model, and of course, the 3D models can be explored on Google Earth.