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For many of us, Finding Nemo may mark the last occasion we spent any significant about of time thinking about the ocean.

For World Oceans Day, Google has come to the rescue with a cool collection of visualization apps that use Google Earth to encourage analysis of the big blue. According to last night's post on the Google LatLong Blog, "To help get our heads around the watery part of our planet, we've collected a few visualizations of both issues facing the ocean and cutting edge science. Have a look at the problem of plastics in our oceans, find out about where currents might take your trash, the health of the world's fisheries, and what the latest satellite data says about the state of the ocean."

Every age brings new wars, and every war brings public expressions of collective grief and respect for the dead. My parents' generation had the Vietnam Memorial, and their parents' generation now have the National World War II Memorial. Our generation has fought a very different, very difficult war in the Middle East over the past eight years; as of today, one memorial offers perhaps the most comprehensive and deeply detailed picture of the human cost to date.

A new app, Map the Fallen, gathers and aggregates information on war casualties in the Middle East from U.S. and coalition nations, giving dead servicemembers' names, ages, pictures, hometowns, places of death, and the cause or incident of death.

We just came across UpNext NYC (iTunes link), a new mapping application for the iPhone that takes mobile maps to a new level. For now, UpNext NYC is, as the name implies, only available for New York City, but even if you don't live around New York or plan to visit anytime soon, this app is worth the $2.99, simply because it can give you a good idea what mobile maps could look like in the future. UpNext displays a 3D map of the city and allows you to click on any building to see what's in there. In addition, you can search for businesses and restaurants, and get data about public transport as well.

Google just released a major new update to Google Earth that now includes the rumored maps of the ocean floor. Google unveiled this update at an event at the California Academy of Sciences. After installing the latest version of Google Earth, you will be able to explore the ocean floor in the same way you browse the Earth's surface. Besides mapping the oceans, however, Google has also added three more interesting new features to Google Earth: easier access to historical imagery, the ability to record and narrate fly-through tours with the new 'touring' feature, and a 3D map of Mars.

It's a well-known fact that Google is working to capture high-resolution images of the landscape for its mapping products. What might come as a surprise is that they're also pursuing a similar challenge within the walls of one of the most famous museums in the world - The Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain. Now, thanks to this groundbreaking project, you can get closer to the masterpieces of The Prado than you ever imagined - using Google Earth.

You've been good all year. But did you make the official "nice" list? If you celebrate Christmas, you'll no doubt be wondering when the big man will be swinging by your house with Rudolph and the gang. "Up on the housetop, click click click" and all of that. Instead of waiting around for the jingle of sleigh bells and the pawing of tiny hoofs, why not put technology to work for you? Google and the US-Candian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) - because nothing says "Christmas" quite like tracking thermonuclear weaponry - have teamed up again to help you figure out when Santa Claus will be landing on a rooftop near you.

For a lot of students, the history of ancient Rome is not exactly a gripping subject. Google, together with the University of Virginia's Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities (IATH) is trying to change this. Starting today, Google Earth will feature a new layer, 'Ancient Rome 3D,' which is based on the IATH's 'Rome Reborn' model and which displays a 3D model of the city as it existed in 320 AD.

Google just released an iPhone version (iTunes link) of its popular Google Earth desktop mapping application. We have seen a wide range of interesting iPhone applications lately, but few have been as impressive as Google Earth on the iPhone. Google has taken the basics of the Google Earth interface and brought them to the iPhone. The app feels highly responsive and effectively mimics the desktop application on the iPhone.