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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.

15 of 661 comments (clear)

  1. Sounds like good technology for lots of uses by DeadSea · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Googles map software is pretty nifty. It seems like something that wouldn't be to hard to whip up for any large image file.

    I can imagine taking some very high resolution artwork and displaying it using this technology. I can zoom in to the max resolution or your can scroll around forever.

    Anybody have any software that would take a large image file and apply a google-map-like interface to it? The software should be something as simple as:

    1. Resize the image to various resolutions
    2. Break the images into 200x200 pixel chunks at each resolution and save those chunks as individual image files
    3. Put a javascript interface on

    If you are smart about your image naming conventions you shouldn't even need a powerful webserver. The whole thing could be served up via static files from a webserver with enough disk space and a big enough pipe.

    I'd like to see this for things like:

    • Local maps such as for state parks
    • Scanned artwork such as paintings - Like the Gigapixel Tapestries covered the other day.
    • Circular panorama photos that could be scrolled only in one direction

    --
    On-line Currency Exchange Rate Conversion Calculator

  2. Different dataset from Keyhole by willith · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Looks like, at least in parts, the imagery is from an older dataset than what's on the Keyhole service. I live in a large neighborhood that's been under construction for 3 years across the various sections, and there are more houses in the Keyhole dataset than on the Google Maps satellite images.

    No idea how much older, but it can't be more than a year or so.

    1. Re:Different dataset from Keyhole by garcia · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Looks like, at least in parts, the imagery is from an older dataset than what's on the Keyhole service. I live in a large neighborhood that's been under construction for 3 years across the various sections, and there are more houses in the Keyhole dataset than on the Google Maps satellite images.

      We were already talking about this this morning on our local geocaching assocation forum. Two of us (St. Paul and Apple Valley, MN) show that the images are at least 4 years old or newer.

      My house was built in 2001 and it shows it there. Google doesn't know my address and gives something nearby but I still can see the house :)

  3. Re:Erm by ishepherd · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Not really - try mousing over this map (hope the link works).

    --
    fud, notfud, yes, no, maybe
  4. Re:I do not see any change by Sinus0idal · · Score: 4, Interesting

    hmmm, I'm sure the whitehouse roof isn't quite that plain in real life :-)

  5. Re:Erm by 19thNervousBreakdown · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Try getting directions, then change to satellite view. Your route is still overlayed perfectly over the roads you need to take, even though the images are slightly different than the vector map.

    This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. If it was possible to center the Google map based on lat/lon, just imagine how easy it would be to write a script that took input from your GPS and used it to scroll the map.

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    <xml><I><am><so><damn>Web 2.0</damn></so></am></I></xml>
  6. link by coult · · Score: 5, Interesting

    http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=44.962159395217896, -93.5434341430664&spn=0.008153915405273438,0.01179 0990829467773&t=k&hl=en

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    All is Number -Pythagoras.

  7. Re:Not blocking? by biglig2 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They've done something to the roofs of the neighbouring buildings (to the white house) as well...

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    ~~~~~ BigLig2? You mean there's another one of me?
  8. Re:Erm by rebeka+thomas · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Or until it shows Area 51, which I notice is conspicuously missing.

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    RST
  9. Re:varying seasons by Mignon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Nice one. I thought it was cool that the shadows of the towers of the George Washington Bridge (New York City) were pointing in different directions. (Sorry I couldn't get a URL, so you'll have to search for it yourself. Try "178th and Broadway New York City" then scroll left a little.)

  10. Re:Area 51? by BillBrasky · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yeah, it was the second place I searched for (after my house). http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Rachel,Nevada&ll=37. 249146,-115.809631&spn=0.129948,0.191231&t=k&hl=en

  11. High-interest targets obscurred? by Chappy01 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Check this out, the US Capital Building congressional offices in Washington are totally obscured...
    http://maps.google.com/maps?q=constitution+ave+and +1st+street,washington,+dc&ll=38.891006,-77.008873 &spn=0.008444,0.010664&t=k&hl=en

    It's the same with KeyHole as well (screenshot):
    http://www.allbootdisks.com/images/keyhole.jpg

    Is keyhole doing this to all 'sensitive' targets?

  12. Re:More likely... by PedanticSpellingTrol · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Except that Aerial Ortho dataset was produced by the USGS and is public domain. Check out World Wind 1.3 for a smooth-scrolling, translatable, 3d globe that dynamically downlads any dataset you request and grabs higher res versions as you zoom in.

  13. Dates to mid-2002 at my house by Reziac · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm looking at my house right now. A tree that was cut down early in 2003 is still there. A circular path started in summer 2002 (made by exercising a horse, so it's very visible) is also there. And by the amount of greenery here in the desert, and that our veggie garden had already died off, it is probably early in the dry season. So at least in my neighbourhood, the image appears to date from about July of 2002.

    The resolution is good enough that I can see the single stripe down the middle of a nearby two-lane highway. I can also see two cars and an 18-wheeler. The smallest visible object is a 4x8 sheet of plywood atop the shelter in my corral. I can also see my kennel concrete, which at that point is 15 feet wide, represented by 5 pixels on the saved image (you can pillage them via Moz's Page Info function). So there's the max resolution -- one pixel = about 3 feet (plus or minus some blurring).

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    ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
  14. Re:Comeon, 1 meter per pixel.... by jmc · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Good enough to see SR-71s parked on a tarmac:

    http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Kramer+Junction,CA&l l=34.952788,-117.884331&spn=0.006480,0.006738&t=k& hl=en

    Scroll east to see a huge compass rose painted in desert.