Seriously, Stop Buying These Companies And Finish A Product For Once.

Just after scarfing Writely and a string of other lookers, Google buys "SketchUp" the easy 3D modeling software company. Hmmm... make the buildings on Google Earth into a modeling wiki, where everyone models what they know? That'd be a good way to get a ton of semi accurate data into the system. Of course if you're really talking to VeeDub about putting Google Earth Nav systems into their cars, you need more than semi accurate. Anyway its a nice payoff and recognition for these little companies to be gobbled up by Google (almost like winning an academy award on the web), but you guys need to stop doing this. Finish something! I remember the good old days when Google just said "we're going to do this one thing, and we're going to whoop up on anyone else who tries it."

SketchUp Home

Update
Wow. That was quicker than I expected. Check out these .kmz (google earth) files people made with SketchUp.
Statue of Liberty
SketchUp headquarters
Google Mountain View campus

Official Google Blog: A new home for @Last Software