A small but solid update for Google Earth 4.0 beta is out for Mac (4.0.1658), PC (4.0.1657) and likely Linux too (build date: July 5). Download from the usual place. Google Earth blog has the scoop. As the Mac version does not contain the updated release notes, I’m posting the complete changelog below the fold.

Changes From Version 4.0.1565

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– Language selection in client: Tools->Options then the “General” tab

– Restore missing Search/Places/Layers panes if the user chose to hide them version 3.0

– Scroll wheel now defaults to “zoom in” for “wheel up”. The setting can be

reversed in Tools->Options then the “Navigation” tab

– More reliable reading and writing of kmz files on systems with non-ascii

usernames

– Fixed imported terrain for SketchUp occasionally showing ‘divots’

– Client now remembers the checked status of all layers between restarts

– Improved memory management, client does not require as much memory

– Automatic setting of memory cache based on machine RAM, improves

performance and prevents flickering overlays

– Fixed warnings about Software Emulation and DirectX on Mac and PC systems

Developer Notes:

– Fixed tag operation

– Fixed deletion of local kmz file when linked to by network link

– Fixed style information being lost upon restart of client (for some styles

that were shared across a folder)

– Using on LineString coordinates now replaces all coordinates

rather than appends

– Fixed network link occasionally going into fast continuous refresh