Google Buys @Last

[yasunobu13]

link

For those of who never heard of @last, their a company with a super-easy to use 3D modeling program called Sketchup.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?!!
Here’s the story. We got to know a bunch of Googlers while we were building the Google Earth Plugin for SketchUp, and it quickly became apparent that we could really stir things up together. At first, it was kind of hard to imagine; after all, we'd been blazing our own trail for so long. But after we kicked it around awhile, it started to seem right. One thing led to another, and here we are. This is one of those wonderful win-win situations; it would have been impossible for us to feel good about this acquisition if we didn't feel our culture, our users and our mission would be in good hands.

(If you've never seen it, Google Earth lets you explore the world from your desktop and it's free! Remember those flying dreams you had as a kid? This is it...only without the flannel pajamas; mine had those built in feet. Just type in where you want to go and this thing will fly you directly over the spot!)

Google's resources will allow us to serve our current users better, and Google's reach will allow us to expose more people to SketchUp in one year than we could have touched in ten years on our own. "3D for Everyone" is becoming a reality; we're bringing the '3D' part; Google's contributing the 'Everyone.'

[robbmcaulay]

I'll sleep easy tonight!

[argonauta]

So, when's google buying Flashkit?

[gerbick]

that's 1/3rd of the Boulder 3D app builders... Anark and Electric Rain (makers of Swift3D) make up the other two. And they're all on the same street or within eyesight of each other.

[Markp.com]

So, when's google buying Flashkit?

*buys shares in flashkit*

[Googooboyy]

.... but it isn't free... (yet?)...

[gerbick]

Sketchup? They're going to continue selling it. The "free" aspect... usage on expanding Google Map.