As I commented on the Core77 entry where I saw the news, this really isn’t a surprise. The Google Earth forum was full of comments when I visited it some weeks back and 99.99% of what I read were questions about SketchUp. The question in my mind is: how will Google integrate SketchUp into it’s virtual planet and will improvements to GE be forthcoming (especially in the area of textures)?
Anyway, you can read the official announcement on the SketchUp site for yourself (Link).
Yeat another blip on the ambitious Google acquisitions list. This one, though, feels like shot heard ’round the world that kick-started the Metaverse Aggregation Wars, or Web 3.0 Era, whichever you prefer.