Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch are about to defy competition with the latest and most incredible application: Google Earth, which offers "the same imagery and offers the same navigational capabilities as the desktop client and at launch will feature layers with geo-located Wikipedia articles and Panoramio photos, as well as map labels and borders," according to the company. Google Earth for the iPhone can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store. It's available in 18 languages and works with both generations of iPhones.

In case you’ve missed this one, Google Earth is an application that lets people virtually fly around a 3D view of the world made from satellite and aerial imagery mapped onto the planet's mountains and valleys. And paired with Wikipedia and eight million Panoramio geo-located photos, you can touch location-specific icons to read up on your locale and check out some beautiful snaps.

Google Earth for iPhone has a small Webkit-based browser to show the specific information users click on, and includes a link to the Safari browser Apple builds into the iPhone. When you click the address of a business using the local search engine, the iPhone will intercept the command and show it on the Google Maps application, enabling you to get directions instantly.

iPhone's multitouch screen actually makes using the application easy. You can tilt the phone up or down to switch to the horizon view, which is perfect for mountainous terrain. You can also make two-fingered circles and spin the landscape to your liking.

Tapping on the compass in the upper right-hand corner of the screen realigns you northward. Enjoy!