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Google Adds Satellite Imagery to Maps

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i-can't-see-my-house-from-here dept.

Ant writes "BetaNews reports that Google quietly updated its maps service late Monday to include satellite imagery, a first in the industry... Much of Google Maps remains the same - just with detailed pictures from high-tech satellites instead of standard map graphics. Maps can be dragged to view adjacent areas, which means users do not have click and wait for graphics to reload. Zooming is also instantaneous with the help of a slider placed atop the map." The resolution doesn't seem very high, but the integration is very seamless.

14 of 661 comments (clear)

  1. Comeon, 1 meter per pixel.... by purduephotog · · Score: 5, Informative

    ... thats the standard for commercial imagery and, with CitiPix flyovers (non-space) it's down around 1/3 of that.

    Frankly most of what's available is only good for mapping, and that isn't that good at best. Most of the images have been jpg'd to the point that an 8x8 block is destroying what little detail is available.

    For example, 8x8 blocked JPG at 10 meters per pixel is a boatload of image data lost.

    And yes, I work with Satellite imagery.

  2. First in the industry??? by glesga_kiss · · Score: 4, Informative

    Eh, no. Multimap had aerial imagery at least three years ago and they still do. Not satellite, but as far as the end-user is concerned, the effect is identical.

    1. Re:First in the industry??? by baker_tony · · Score: 5, Informative
      > but as far as the end-user is concerned, the effect is identical.

      No, you're wrong, the multimap is much more detailed and better looking than google's :-) (as well as being able to display the map at the same time as the image).

    2. Re:First in the industry??? by markus_baertschi · · Score: 4, Informative

      The Swiss mapping site map.search.ch does have satellite images since a long time.

      Here a sample link map.search.ch/etoy of my village. Click more to zoom in !

      Markus

  3. First? by oddrune · · Score: 5, Informative

    Do you mean that Google is the first in the industry to have satellite images on a map-site?
    Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten have had this on their map-service for almost a year now. At any time in the map-search you can switch between a vector-based map and the satellite images. Very neat :)

  4. Re:Example by betelgeuse-4 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Look for the "Map - Satellite" in the top right corner and click Satellite.

    --
    Decode these
  5. Not a first. by nberardi · · Score: 4, Informative

    This isn't a first in the industry, Microsoft did this over 5 years ago, with their Terraserver project. http://terraserver.microsoft.com/ It might have not had the same goals as Google Maps, but it definitly is the same concept.

  6. Re:But when will the rest of the world be included by generic-man · · Score: 5, Informative

    Dear rest of world,

    Hi this is Google

    Our software is in beta

    Please do not criticize it until we say you can

    Sincerely,
    Google

    --
    For more information, click here.
  7. Mapquest had this ages ago by cryogenix · · Score: 5, Informative

    Mapquest had arial photos for a long time that zoomed in farther than what google offers. I haven't seen them on their site in a while however.

  8. Re:Erm by markov_chain · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually Mapquest used to have aerial photos. I'm not sure why they got rid of it.

    Go ahead, split hairs about aerial vs. satellite... :)

    --
    Tsunami -- You can't bring a good wave down!
  9. Re:Different dataset from Keyhole by ecklesweb · · Score: 5, Informative

    The photos of Memphis, TN, were taken in the first half of 2003. You can tell by the state of completion of the FedEx Forum.

  10. Sand in Central Park by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Informative
    "Tres cool. So what are those patches of sand in Central Park anyway?"

    Without looking, I am guessing that if the patches are vaguely fan-shaped, they are baseball/softball/etc diamonds. I've seen these on many other air photos.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  11. Re:Erm by antdude · · Score: 4, Informative

    IIRC, MapQuest said it was about the cost when I e-mailed MapQuest about it a few years ago.

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  12. Re:Goolge Watermarks by DaoudaW · · Score: 5, Informative

    these look like they are straight off of TerraServer

    The Google images are not straight off of TerraServer. Actually to even say that perpetuates a misnomer. TerraServer is not a source of imagery. It simply serves public-domain USGS images which were created using our tax dollars. I'm not complaining, they are serving the public interest, but I'd be upset if they started putting watermarks on them or claiming copyright.

    The Google images come from DigitalGlobe's QuickBird satellite. This is a private, for-profit corporation which raised enough money to put up their own satellite and start taking pictures which they are now selling on the open-market. I'm sure that their contract with Google necessitates the watermarks. Fair enough.