According to Youtube video posted from Google France Channel and press meeting invitation, Google will launch on monday Google Earth 5.

This new edition might include oceans model and more GPS features that used to be in the Plus edition, discontinued in december.

Should be sweet :)
Thanks for the info Luka! :D

I've seen it too on a Google Italia Channel, but it has been deleted few minutes later.
so, no, Google Ocean will not be launched, but it will be a feature of Google Earth 5.

[Moved from "Google Ocean coming soon?" – Tony]

[...] ince Google Earth launched in 2006 ­millions of people have used its virtual globe to "travel" around the planet without leaving home, climbing a digital version of Mount Everest and even flying into space thanks to the website.

Now the internet company plans to take on one of the last bastions of the unknown: the depths of the ocean.

At a high-profile event in San Francisco, Google is expected to announce the addition of vast amounts of underwater imagery and seabed maps to the Google Earth project. [...]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/feb/01/google-earth-oceans-project

Looks like the ocean photos have been added to Earth and Maps. No Earth update yet though
http://cheesemonger32.googlepages.com/earth.jpg
http://cheesemonger32.googlepages.com/maps.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSuJq4UzkIA

As said :)

hehheh good work

Does it mean we won't be able to see the surface of the ocean anymore ?
Funny things or lost people on wreckage ;-)

Download:
http://dl.google.com/tag/s/appguid%3D%7B74AF07D8-FB8F-4d51-8AC7-927721D56EBB%7D%26iid%3D%7B68BC1B9F-A111-A305-8DBF-79E22096FADE%7D%26lang%3Den%26browser%3D0%26usagestats%3D0%26appname%3DGoogle%2520Earth%26needsadmin%3DTrue/earth/client/GoogleEarthSetup.exe

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/dive-into-new-google-earth.html

Google Plex in 1948:
http://i43.tinypic.com/2cxudsp.jpg

Cool, the Googleplex, or Las Vegas,

1950
http://www.websonic.nl/nieuws/022009/images/google_earth_5_11.jpg

1965
http://www.websonic.nl/nieuws/022009/images/google_earth_5_13.jpg

1977
http://www.websonic.nl/nieuws/022009/images/google_earth_5_14.jpg

2007
http://www.websonic.nl/nieuws/022009/images/google_earth_5_12.jpg

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10154741-52.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

There's a bug i believe..
When you switch the language from English to something else, it does show you the option for downloading the 5th edition in the main page (http://earth.google.de/intl/de/index.html), but when you go to the following page and change the language to anything besides English (US and UK) you can only download the 4.3 software.
http://earth.google.de/intl/de/download-earth.html
http://earth.google.de/intl/fr/download-earth.html

etc'

-Update-
Well, they fixed it for some languages, but the bug still repeats itself when you play with it a bit (like refresh the page, or go to the home page and try downloading it from there..)

BTW, does anyone who downloaded Google Earth know the full number of the release?
(just hit 'About' and see the number)

Google Earth – 5.0.11337.1968 (beta)

I can't find ANY submarines and see no fish? :)

tell me how to see subs and fish.
[I'd like to see the Titanic too..]

I'm wondering if the plane in the flight simulator can fall into the ocean now. :)

Thanks WebSonic.nl!

This is the direct download link :
http://dl.google.com/earth/client/ge5/release_5_0/googleearth-win-plus-5.0.11337.1968.exe

Google Earth Ocean floor subpage is at
http://earth.google.com/ocean/

How do you go into Ocean Mode? I do not understand that and can't find it anywhere.

Orea, after downloading and installing the latest version of Google Earth, run it and in the Layers pane, check the Ocean box. Now you can zoom into the ocean and go below water, and you'll find 3d terrain.

With version 5.0 and the Ocean box checked I still just bounce on the water surface, am I doing something else wrong?

there is NO ocean box to check....and I have downloaded the damn thing....5.0....5 times now. what a waste of time.

There is, its under "Layers"

I did check the ocean box but I still cannot see under water... what am I missing? Where do I see under the ocean?

You Just Check the terrain box and then you can go underwater:D
hope that helps:P.