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Google Acquires Keyhole Corp.
telstar writes "As part of their ever-expanding online presence, Google has acquired online map provider Keyhole Corp.. Keyhole's technology allows users to perform virtual flyovers of satellite imagery of the earth's surface. The immediate impact of this acquisition is a price drop in Keyhole's service charge. Beyond that, Google does 'not have any announced plans regarding how this technology will integrate with our current products and services.'"
Now i can cyberstalk for real!
SourceHosting.net, LLC
Ready. Set. Code.
http://www.sourcehosting.net/
You can get similar images from the NASA Worldwind software for free, although they need to fix their servers after the massive slashdotting they got.
This is great pinky. I can now make plans to take over the world!
So if they don't yet know how they're going to use it, why did they buy it? I hope Google isn't falling into the trap of buying up companies with cool ideas because they have lots of money burning holes in their pockets. That will lead to overexpansion, and with MS breathing down their necks, they can ill afford missteps in their corporate strategy.
12:50 - press return.
It'd be neat if they integrated this technology with the google local search. Imagine searching for a local business then getting to see it on a satellite map, cool.
Coming soon: Google maps. Better than the rest, because we give you sattelite images of your destination!
This is of course..... not true.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
With its neverending quest to be able to search everything and anything, perhaphs you'll be able to search the surface of the earth for things in the future through google. Like mapquest but without needing an address, just a starting location then a google search for something as the destination. Come to think of it, that could be pretty cool. What else could they use this for? It can't just be another revenue stream for google can it?
WikiAfterDark.com It's a sex wiki, go now!
Not even William Shatner and Leonard Nemoy can save Priceline from this move. Not only will you be able to name your own price on hotels and airfare, you'll be able to take a virtual walk down the street to the hotel. And you'll see William Shatner inside fighting Leonard Nemoy to get his "job" back. Then google have Scotty beam them up.
And I probably dont have to build a dual proc box to run it.
This is very much in line with google's mission statement.
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Opera Watch - An Opera browser blog.
I know that, like Apple, they're a darling of the slashdot crowd. But unlike Apple, they are rapidly approaching a sort of online monopoly that we haven't seen before.
I don't care what they claim in their corporate mission statements. "Do no evil" my ass, I'm not stupid enough to take anything a bunch of suits say without a grain of salt. MSFT was an underdog with noble goals once upon a time.
Google's growth worries me, the way they seek to be the worlds largest advertising company worries me.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
I have a subscription for Keyhole. It was $35 for a year subscription, so a drop in price is welcome. The max speed I've EVER gotten off their server is 36k. Lag is especially horrible during the day. Hopefully this will mean an increase in speed & responsiveness.
"...we dont care about the economics; we just want to be able to hack great stuff."
http://maps.google.com/q=nuclear+OR+Cbiological+OR +chemical+weapons+-usa+-china%+-uk&sourceid=mozill a-search
Carousel is a lie!
Rest assured, Google has thought ahead. They do have geocoder type apps in the works and this is just a logical acquisition to make, ESPECIALLY when you're flush with cash (Don't forget their stock price has really climbed). After all, if you're going to use Google Local then you might want to provide a map.
I can definitely see use for this, imagine googling your intended location "Jim's Steakhouse"
Not only could google give you the directions, but a map, a menu, and an aerial photo. Sometimes aerial photos are AMAZINGLY helpful. You can see tons of things not on maps such as:
- Where there's nearby parking (lots)
- How many lanes on the hiway (turn lanes too)
- Color of the building/surroundings, which really helps if you've never been there before
- Nearby landmarks (streams, forests, trees, big buildings)
I for one welcome our new google overlords.Let's get one thing perfectly clear, I did not vote for George W Bush, and I do not endorse what he does or says.
"
So, yes, it'd be nice if the app worked on linux/macosx, BUT this is one of the more impressive applications I've seen.
It reminds me of the feeling I had the first time I used Mosaic a long time ago.
Now, off to waste a few more hours with it...
Your search results will be preceded by a way cool zoom in from orbit to the current location of your computer. The last thing you see before the file list is an image of you at your desktop. You now must be extra careful when you search for your porn. I suggest you now wait to drop your knickers and start your "session" until your search has completed and you have disconnected the network cable.
id really like to see google put out a whereis.com-like service, except on a global scale. It'd really help out tourists and your average lost person.
Of course, that's prolly what GPS is for.
OMG dont say that BallResin, you could put the whole IPO and the future of Google in jeopardy if you continue not to subscribe to this service.
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
In other news, The NYT have picked up on a story from Slashdot with "undeniable proof" that Google is planning to use RFID tags to take satellite photos of people.
You read it here first.
I've got more mod points and GMail invi
Screw that. If it doesn't readily work on OS X or through X11... I'm out.
<google> Dang, there goes an entire percent of our market! I guess we'll just have to be happy with the 99% that's left running windows.</google>
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listening to my iPod now, my PC shipped yesterday Thanks!
Geotag my images from my GPS data, publish via picasa - sweet.
Or, point to place on map with keyhole, query local images using google desktop to find those close by?
Go away link spammer! Someone please mod this crap down. It contributes nothing to the discuission and was clearly posted just to get traffic for a pyramid scheme.
why use keyhole when NASA has a FREE and open source solution, which looks very similar WorldWind
of course it only runs on windows... Open Source.Net
it may not be as geared toward streetmaps, but I have found it useful for finding back roads and stuff.
if only the images were real time! How could would it be to google for available parking spaces on the block
www.geyhole.com
Sounds good...
Or is Google starting to look like Big Brother?
isnt keyhole the name of the series of american spy satellites? do the pictures come from them?
i, for one, welcome our new satellite overgoogles
Buying other companies is a way good way to sell your overvalued stock without notifying everyone that you think that the current price is a great sale.
They have a Trailing P/E of 225. That means their stock is trading for way way more than they're making. Compare it to someone like Amazon with ~1/5th of that, or GE with ~1/10th of that. Even their forward P/E (what they think they'll make in the future vs what their presently worth) is double Amazon's and triple GE's.
It may take a decade to surface, but I think it's self correcting: See Microsoft, Apple, and Linux.
If Google really does have such a rich source of revenue, it makes lots of sense for a competitor to come up and try to take it from them. So the richer they get, the more likely someone will come to challenge them.
Linux is of course slightly different because it wasn't born of profit, but born of the desire for a better product than Windows. Apple is a mix of both. We'll see what happens in the next 10 years and if my optimism is warranted.
GPL Deconstructed
I seem to remember Mpaquest offering this sort of service for free a few years back. Anybody know what became of it? I remember getting an arial view of my apartment in Sunnyvale as well as a map to it.
Drill baby drill - on Mars
Google seems like a volcano about to erupt. Or maybe a sleeping tiger waking up. Whatever their plans are, I'm sure we will be in for quite a few changes in how we use the web, as well as and an entertaining show as the Empire panics and responds.
I repeat my earlier speculation that if Google releases its own Linux distro, with a custom desktop, integrated office suite and web functionality, they could end up Owning The World. Then maybe the sun would shine and the birds would sing, or would we all start hating Google and feeling sorry for MS?
I have no doubt that they will be looking to replace their current links to yahoo maps and mapquest when doing an address search.
I look forward to see if they can improve online map services and reduce the costs. The competition in email services has already forced others to improve. I would expect more of the same from google, which is a good thing.
Their networks are fiber connected at the core on a high-performance ring from Neopolitan Networks, so there is no shortage of capacity on their end. That network can handle an order of magnitude more bandwidth than is used to drive Keyhole without even breaking a sweat. I'm also on Neopolitan's network, and Keyhole performance is great. I suspect the bottleneck is closer to your end.
This sounds a little scary. I hope they have some unannounced plans. I'd hate to think they're just blowing their cash pile on neat stuff, with no clue what they're going to do with it all.
See what I've been reading.
How long before Google becomes the next monster corporation that all the geeks love to hate, a la Microsoft?
"With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine." -- RFC 1925
It's the imagery.
Keeping this stuff organized and easy to get at is expensive and a pain in the ass. Getting it all in the first place is no walk in the park either. Keeping it up to date...
Wonder when google will begin subscription service for their internet archives?
Do not look into LASER with remaining eye!
*down in the deep, dark google laboratories*
What are we gonna do tonite Dr. Eric E. Schmidt?
The same thing we do every night, Sergey Brin... Try to take over the world!!!
*obligatory google themesong* -coming December 2004
Slashdot.. Land of nerds, trolls, and FlameBait..
"X" Marks the gSpot
Well, if any of you Earthlings can use the combined might of Google and Keyhole to find any signs of intelligent life on Earth, please contact our Mothership, because we've given up looking.
Sincerely,
The Greys.
Some people have been playing around with Google's SMS Service http://www.google.com/sms/ and have found if you SMS "Directions" to 46645 you get a reply back "Looking for driving directions? Unfortunately this feature is not yet supported."
Another undocumented feature is for flight times. Try SMSing flight WN 764 and you get the same reply.
This post was inspired by http://www.engadget.com/entry/8423209320818510/
Mmmmmmmmm.... Central Pivot Irrigation
I can only guess how this might impact web searches in the future when, eventually, the semantic web comes to fruition. Imagine all the depth this could bring online encyclopedias. Imagine flying over citymaps and clicking an area to search for information on the city, current news, history, etc. I know it'd be awesome if I could do a fly over of NYC and click on certain areas to find information about resturaunts, etc., before I make my own trip. This is definately the wave of the future. The more and more I see of the technologies that Google buys into, the more I like the company. They actually have the balls to look towards the future and make investments without any forseeable return in revinue.
Wise men say, "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."
Since I've got the flyovers from satellite data down.
You live under a rock? Apple's market share is crawling back up fast.
And I'm sure there's plenty of third-party products google would love to let advertise to all of the iPod-bearing %70 of all MP3 player owners that also are usually a bit more internet savvy than the average drip of water.
You should keep better tabs on the tech world if you think Apple is a mere streak on the window.
I got nothin'.
If they purchase eBay, they can have the best search engine, mapping service, and auction tools anywhere, plus paypal to boot. They'd be unstoppable. Might even make an OS after that . . . he he . . . Bye bye yahoo!
Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?
Since Google can see what I search for, and read all my email, it just makes sense that they can zoom in on my exact location anywhere on Earth.
http://map.search.ch/ is a swiss map server with aerial photos, completely web based. client side, it is pure javascript and seems to work well on non-IE browsers, too.
I am the only one thinking that Google is doomed. It seemed like Google was going to be one of those "mainstays" of the internet that is so sorely needed. A real proof of technology as a whole. It is quickly slipping away! And why? Really, it boils down to greed. Too bad for us all. M
$ whatis msft msft: nothing appropriate
How ironic that you whine about contributing nothing when you contribue nothing yourself
Add this map stuff to the SMS search and I can find my p0rn for *REAL* anywhere!
;)
Search Results for "XXX teens"
XXX Teens
Red Light Street 69 3rd floor Cached Map Link
In related technology, there is a very cool piece of software out there (free download) called Usa Photo Maps - This allows you to use Microsoft's terraserver photo maps as a base for your GPS tracks and numerous other GPS functions. Very cool for overlaying your tracks after a day of hiking or skiing, or even just out driving. Downsides are that it's windows only, and terraserver data is very old.
Don't Tread on Me
Picture this...you enter someone's name into google. Right now, you can most likely determine their address and phone number, which is already kind of invasive to their privacy, but no more so than a phone book.
With the new technology, you could search on google, and then get a 3m resolution picture of the persons house and property. This would certainly make it easy to stalk someone (or plan some sort of assault on the house, T.P., burglary etc). What possible use could google have for this?
Keyhole is a cool piece of software for anyone who has not checked it out.
Strangely, the only thing I thought when reading this was "how long before there is a tag in the HTLM spec?"
>What about Worldwind?
me: heard of worldwind?
coworker: no, lets google it...
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Google is the TIA that never happened.
If you need satellite pictures, how are you going to search for them? Through Google, perhaps, since it's the biggest and most beautiful. What if they censor some areas. You'll never know!
Over in a boardroom somewhere, Terry Semel is swearing. "God Dammit," he says. "Now we have to buy a 3d GIS company too? I wish these guys would give us more notice about what we're going to be doing next; it plays hell with our planning process."
Pretty soon most digital cameras will have GPS coordinates recorded with every pic. Could be some pretty cool uses.
When I need to drive somewhere I haven't been before I fly over the route using Keyhole and note landmarks, buildings, etc. that a map just won't give you.
I used this to get from Pheonix airport to the site of the legal conference I went to last August in no time.
I hope they keep up their "Where in the World" contest, I'm four for four.
If you don't want to repeat the past, stop living in it.
Mapquest with downloadable video directions?
vk.
OK, so we start with a wearable computer. Stuff an NVidia in it. Get a chord type keyboard that's wearable. Display in glasses or the cool new lasers that draw on your retina. GPS jacked into computer. Keyhole maps.
I can finally type 'whereami' and find out!
This is all doable with current technology...
If only it worked in Linux...
I see it all now, there was never any FUD !
Google are going to sell our surfing secrets to the terrorists ! - Hell, worse still, to the Iraqis ! - Oh NO, Wait, we ARE the Iraqis ! - arrghghgh - The Irainians, the Iranians, they have NUKES - arrhghghg ! - Help, save us George W ! - Arghgh !
A slashdotting - you get the stick first and then the carrot !
I've noticed data downloading in V2 was noticeably slower than previous versions. Anywhere high-res used to come up in secnds and now the "Streaming.." status is getting as irritating as Real's "Buffering.."
If you don't want to repeat the past, stop living in it.
Earth Satellite Corporation offers a 15 meter resolution satellite product that competes with Keyhole. It's called GeoCover NaturalVue 2000. http://www.earthsat.com/ArcIMS/naturalvue
Man, I hear Workbench 3.0 is coming out for the Amiga. Better watch out!
So, how long until we can do that thing where you can see an image of the world that's constantly being refreshed by various sources? You can start as high as you like, and then drill down until it's quite close and clear.
All Google would have to do now is buy a bunch of webcam sites and tie them together by location. Link to various freeway cams and other sources and now you're really cooking.
It will be integrated with Google Local.
This sounds like the software "Earth" in Stephenson's Snow Crash, that let the user do a virtual fly-by of composite satellite photos, as well as scale closer and closer to a particular geographic location, getting more detailed maps.
that scotty is in the proverbial hades. as he is dead currently, beaming him 'up' would certainly be a feat. :-)
Never did get it working on that machine; had to get a refund from Keyhole.
Looks like they quietly got rid of it, which is a shame because it was really accurate.
Unlimited growth == Cancer.
Keyhole comes from a military program for Satellite Imager used in hte Intelligence field.
This looks like an interesting product. What I would finder even better is to have Celestia be able to do something like this. That would mean you could navigate around space and then zoom into ground level detail.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
A Linux client would be nice =)
Just to say that looking at the system requirements, Windows needed. Sorry no Linux or MacOS X support :( Shame I would have been a little more tempted otherwise.
On the subject, does anyone know of good GIS software (open source or commercial) for either MacOS X or Linux? At the moment all the ones I have seen are for MS-Widnows and I can't seem to find any affordable maps, that I could eventually write a program for.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
I realize that is meant at least in part as a jest. However, there are at least two observations that should be made. First the Mac is much more than one percent of the target market. Second, the Keyhole client program was developed with the Qt development system which is cross platform for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. With the added resources that Keyhole has now they could probably afford to do the remaining work that would be needed to support the other platforms. So I don't think Mac users should despair quite yet. On the other hand, Keyhole and low cost HDTV were all I needed to justify getting an Athlon box to share my desk with Mac OS X.
Does this not scare anyone else? When Google becomes self-aware...
How much for the latest Area 51 pics?
//Information does not want to be free; it wants to breed.
Since no-one else made the Google-text messaging connection yet, I'll weigh in with my own wild speculation:
Since lots of phones can receive MMS messages these days, Google is going to provide geographic information along with your Google Local queries. And driving directions, too.
"It's Dot Com!"
My city's GIS/Aerial Photography website has higher resolution than that. Newer photos and data too. Plus it's free (relatively speaking)
Isn't "crawling back up fast" an oxymoron? And yet, it seems to accurately portray Apple's marketshare perfectly... /me types this from a 12" powerbook, 1ghz, 768meg RAM.
NASA has a similar application. It's not as sleek as keyhole; on the other hand it's free.
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CuTest
keyhole bbs
Once the technology is integrated, you'll be able to find the WMD's and Osama in the middle east landscape by googling for it!
I've played with Keyhole and World Wind before, and they are neat little interactive globes, but who is spending monthly fees on them and for what purpose?
1. Read Slashdot ...
2. Register every suggested address
5. PROFIT!
http://www.keyhole.com/images/home/googleArt.gif
They want it all..
Keyhole's services appear to be offered only via a windows-only binary application.
Eg, useless.
Hopefully google will retrofit their services to be web-based, or provide a documented API, to remove the 'windows only' limitation.
Cyberstalking only works with realtime
data. The real KeyHole's (KH-9, etc.)
are all owned by NSA. You be dreamin'.
I'm looking for a source of satellite and/or aerial photos of Russia, especially Kemerovo Oblast. I've googled for these several times on-and-off over the past 18 months, with no success. Keyhole seems to have pix of neighboring hot-spots, but none of Russia itself. Anyone able to help? Thanks.
Nothing for 6-digit uids?
The only thing Keyhole lacks--well, besides a few more hi-res areas--is a path-finding function. There's a nice little distance-calculating function, but it's as-the-crow-flies. Keyhole will show you the streets, but it can't navigate you through them. I expect Google will change that.
And regarding the rampant speculation on Google's possibly-evil future: Google has earned my trust in a way no other company, online or otherwise, has. Throughout their history, they've shown altruism, and proven that it works. (One wishes more companies would follow their example.) It is entirely possible that Google will turn on us at some point in the future, but until they do, I will continue to trust them and use Google as my search engine exclusively.
Google has a spotless record so far. Until they act otherwise, I see no reason to assume they'll go bad.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized!
GMap.com there you go.
Gmail.com
Google.com
Gnome.com [oops]
How can 15 meter satellite data compete with a 3 inch per pixel aerial photo data streaming service? Not knocking EarthSat, but even if their data is great, it seems that these two styled of business are too different to "compete".
Cool! Soon Google will start to provide a new service! GPS (Google Positioning Service)
Try searching for this;
xrlubyr
it's keyhole in rot13.
Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23