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Google's Satellite Map Gets a 700-Trillion-Pixel Makeover (theatlantic.com)
An anonymous reader writes: On Monday, Google Maps has received a makeover with 700 trillion pixels of new data added to the service. The Atlantic reports: "The new map, which activates this week for all users of Google Maps and Google Earth, consists of orbital imagery that is newer, more detailed, and of higher contrast than the previous version. Most importantly, this new map contains fewer clouds than before -- only the second time Google has unveiled a "cloudless" map. Google had not updated its low- and medium- resolution satellite map in three years. The new version of the map includes data from Landsat 8, the newer version of the same satellite (Landsat 7, the U.S. government satellite which supplied the older map's imagery data), letting Google clear the ugly artifacts. Google's new update doesn't include imagery at the highest zoom levels, like the kind needed to closely inspect an individual house, pool, or baseball field. Those pictures do not come from Landsat at all, but from a mix of other public and private aerial and space-based cameras, including DigitalGlobe's high-resolution satellites. The image processing for this most recent map was completed entirely in Google Earth Engine, the company's geospatial-focused cloud infrastructure. In fact, the entire algorithm to create the cloudless map was written in Javascript in the Earth Engine development interface."
Google Make-Over
US government releases new 700 trillion pixel images with fewer clouds. Groups using old US government data (including Google Maps) upgrade to new data.
Your ad here. Ask me how!
Seriously? This was done in Java Script? No wonder it took so long. Just sayin'.
I have a nagging feeling that where parts of this where written in Java Script (as in the user interface stuff that displays this shiny new data) the actual image processing to find and edit out the clouds was written in something else.... I don't work for Google so it's just a hunch...
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
While your post was somewhat humorous, it was way off topic. They probably modded you down for that.
:p
BTW, we (USA) could probably BUY Canada, but what would we do with all that empty space?
I'm still seeing imagery that is more than eight years old in places. And by now wildly different: The images show farmland, even though even google knows that there's all sorts of roads and buildings there by now.
Fun fact: Did you know it's almost impossible to distinguish Canadians from very very dull white people?
In fact, the entire algorithm to create the cloudless map was written in Javascript in the Earth Engine development interface."
Good to know Javascript is still relevant. The other day, I read some post here on Slashdot, about a fella who said TypeScript is better because it's "Java that scales." True or not, I have no clue!
but what would we do with all that empty space?
I have the CEO of Starbucks on line 3 for you, sir.
Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
i for one welcome our new canadian overlords, eh?
The assholes at my city hall have been using Google Earth for years to hunt down domestic terrorists who put up temporary sheds and carports, so that they can be taxed into safety.
You said "most of Europe", which European countries aren't failed states in you opinion?
And BTW, Canada is in North America, you are American.
Not only was it way off-topic, it's also a shitpost that this guy has been posting in stories having nothing to do with the brexit for the last few days. He always gets modded down for it, and he often follows up with the butthurt post about "censorship". I guess he's trolling, but I can't imagine it's very satisfying when you immediately get modded down and ignored. Nonetheless, he persists.
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Eu acho que essa puta da Helena queria ir embora e colocaram um otário fingindo que era Eu falando com a merdinha. Olha, quem falou com essa retardada não era quem ela pensava. Por mim, essa merda pode fazer o que ela bem entender (de preferência se matar)
Most local governments use these sorts of services to find people who don't respect the building codes and don't get the required approval.
In many cases they use services other than Google. There are ones which supply new data on a monthly basis.
Well, yes, I'm trolling. Thanks for stating the obvious. It's good for a few bites when I can't quickly think of an on-topic troll. As for complaining about the downmod, when a post gets modded down in under a minute, complaining about the downmod is another opportunity to troll. Honestly, moderation is pretty worthless and I don't care about getting modded down. As for the trolling, I view many of the stories posted here as shit posts, so I put about as much quality in my comments. Maybe the traffic here is up 10% but the quality is at an all-time low.
This seems to eliminate the craptacular impressionistic 3D rendering that they have been doing to satellite images for the past year or two. So basically, they're back to where we were two years ago and have caught up to Bing's Bird Eye view, but without Silver Light.
THANK GOD!
>will quickly hide it at -1
They're doing Canada a favor. A guy running around yelling "CANADA RULES, US/EU DROOLS" on the internet sounds like a national embarrassment.
Thanks for that info. I honestly thought they were the same people.
In my neighborhood, it looks like Google Earth was processed through some kind of bad Instagram filter designed to make things look blurry. I can tell the images are new because of the solar panels on our house. And I noticed that all of the trees have had geometric shaped boundaries applied, all sharp edges and precise angles, curiously not applied to the shadows cast on the ground! Nearly everyone's lawn looks like a patch of dirt. It honestly looks like something out of a 10-15 year old video game.
Guess how far Google's engineering office in Boulder is from DigitalGlobe's?
little red riding hood!
In case you don't understand Google spying and tracking and US government involvement...
When you use their street view, the license plates are blurred on YOUR PC. Not on theirs.
And they have real time drones on demand and street cameras that scan your plates and it is all cross-referenced through US government databases.
Now here's the catch: the FBI is full of international moles.
math anyone?
Don't forget somewhat quiet helicopters with similar gear and small propeller aircraft. Much of their aircraft are registered under completely unrelated fictitious businesses.
Sure Obama let those foreigners come right on in for refuge uh huh. Save them from Mexico terror and shit. Give them educations on the backs of already broken social services.
MOTHER FUCKER THAT IS TREASON.
Do you really expect the public to believe Hillary is going to counter one single spy apparatus? She is a puppet. And Trump has too much to lose.
Look out for Vice Presidentbergs
How many Libraries of Congress is that?
I thought the google maps imagery is based on aerial photography.
Google’s version of this algorithm factors in other special circumstances, like seasonal affects.
So they can afford to buy new satellite imagery to replace three-year-old images, but they can't afford to consult a human interface expert to get the UI back to a usable state?
Follow the law then. Its not that hard.
BTW, we (USA) could probably BUY Canada
"Hey, China, how good is the US credit line?"
Oh, I'm sorry sir, I thought you were referring to me, Mr. Wensleydale.
So, let's see, to get rid of clouds, processing was done in the cloud? How could it ever finish?
Soon enough, you will all bow down to your Canadian overlords as we become the dominant economy and dominant culture throughout the world.
You guys have a head of state that doesn't even live in your own country, and you think you're going to become the dominant culture?
Well, I'll tell you what - you guys work on building a world-leading space program, and when you get there make sure to let the rest of the world know so that we can figure out if your culture is the dominant one.
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
I don't know, they did bring us this guy:
http://chrishadfield.ca/
If the Canadian space program actually existed, maybe he could be a director?
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
Chandigarh Escorts
And still no Palestine.
Fuck you, Google.
>I'm so thankful for being a Canadian
Canada could have had American technology, French cooking, and English culture but they ended up with French technology, English cooking, and American culture.
Thats not so bad though, because in Heaven you have American house, Japanese wife, and Chinese food, but in Hell you have Chinese house, Japanese cooking, and American wife.....