Given that they bought keyhole.com, it is very far from surprising that google has integrated its satellite imagery fu with its already excellent map service.
Given that google generally and consistently does things well, it is far from surprising that the result is impressive.
Still, I’m pretty blown away. Try the “satellite” link from any page of google maps, and you’ll see the from-space version of the map view (or the directions view!) you were previously looking at. Awesome. Even better, defining maps.google-isms like the pretty shadowed pinpoints and the no-page-reload-required APEX that drives the zoom control work in satellite view.
If it’s not clear, I’m excited by this. Sorry things have been quiet here lately — I was in Savannah, GA for a long weekend / mini-vacation. Had a good time enjoying spring, friends and family (was there for a wedding), and Savannah’s food and drink. A and I went here on Sunday night — I’d greatly recommend the scored flounder if you’re ever in the neighborhood.
Only a matter of time before this gets co-opted by The Man. If nothing else this should certainly help Him find some new golf courses.
(More seriously though, this thing does kick ass.)
Hey, Chet! Glad to see you here.
Sadly, I’m sure The Man already has much better … 🙁
Heck, google already has much better — the res on the free trial of the (for-fee, subscription based) Keyhole service is a good deal higher than that tied into the maps at this point.
Will reading an old-fashioned map become like telling analog time? That doesn’t feel like quite the right comparison, but the conceptual abstraction involved in reading a map is a lot harder than looking at a picture, and I wonder if a similar regression might occur if it were no longer necessary to be able to follow the abstraction in order to get directions. [Some folks can navigate by the stars, but probably fewer than could a few hundred years ago.]
From here it seems inevitable — higher res imagery first, then it’s not a huge jump to integrate webcam views where they’re available … how far off is the ability to remotely see what’s going on at ground level in an arbitrary place from a ground level PoV?
May we live in interesting times, indeed …
Now I can monitor your next BBQ from 1000 miles away!
Coming soon! for a modest fee, you can pin point your enemies via satellite and Google will eliminate them from space, then give you a three dimentional map leading straight to their charred remains!
…wish I could eliminate people from space…
Yeah, except they don’t have satellite images for really close up on some images (like 220 kronke drive, sun prairie, wi).. Thbbpt!
Also see the free mobile google maps app. handy for when you’re lost in an urban wilderness.
http://www.mgmaps.com