Google Unveils Satellite Map Feature

KingFishKingFish
edited April 2005 in Science & Tech
Online search engine leader Google Inc. has unveiled a new feature that will enable its users to zoom in on homes and businesses using satellite images, an advance that may raise privacy concerns as well as intensify the competitive pressures on its rivals.
The satellite technology, which Google began offering late Monday at http://maps.google.com/, is part of the package that the Mountain View-based company acquired when it bought digital map maker Keyhole Corp. for an undisclosed amount nearly six months ago.

This marks the first time since the deal closed that Google has offered free access to Keyhole's high-tech maps through its search engine. Users previously had to pay $29.95 to download a version of Keyhole's basic software package.

A more traditional map will continue to be the first choice served up by Google's search engine. Users will have the option of retrieving a satellite picture by clicking on a button.
Source: CNN

Comments

  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited April 2005
    Oh, people are totally worried about nothing.
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited April 2005
    Oh, nevermind, I guess they would be very worried...
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited April 2005
    Hahahaha damn, you beat me to it.


    myhouse.jpg
  • fatcatfatcat Mizzou Icrontian
    edited April 2005
    hmm, weird, the satelite pics for me just come up as a bunch of red X's...might have to enable something, any suggestions?
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited April 2005
    I do believe its java enabled. You might not have it installed (red X's in java apps occur when java isn't installed in Internet Explorer)

    Download it from here.
    http://javashoplm.sun.com/ECom/docs/Welcome.jsp?StoreId=22&PartDetailId=jre-1.5.0_02-oth-JPR&SiteId=JSC&TransactionId=noreg
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited April 2005
    People have had access to this data for a very long time, it's just the ease of access to it that has changed. I'm not worried, but then again, I work with this kind of stuff.
  • a2jfreaka2jfreak Houston, TX Member
    edited April 2005
    Saw this on Slashdot. Someone posted a link to the AREA 51 coordinates (supposedly anyway, I didn't verify them because I honestly don't care enough) but I clicked on it just to see. You can only zoom in to the 3rd or 4th closest level before Google displays images saying it doesn't have zoom data at the specified resolution. Conspiracy theorists unite!
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited April 2005
    Call Space Imaging or Digital Globe and tell them you want an image at those coordinates (their data has about 1m resoultion). They'll probably say "um, we're not allowed to give out data from that area..."

    Of course, if they let you, then you'll get a bill for a couple thousand.
  • fatcatfatcat Mizzou Icrontian
    edited April 2005
    thank you sir :thumbsup:
    danball1976 wrote:
    I do believe its java enabled. You might not have it installed (red X's in java apps occur when java isn't installed in Internet Explorer)

    Download it from here.
    http://javashoplm.sun.com/ECom/docs/Welcome.jsp?StoreId=22&PartDetailId=jre-1.5.0_02-oth-JPR&SiteId=JSC&TransactionId=noreg
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