Google unveils satellite map feature

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SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- 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/external link, 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.

The satellite maps could unnerve some people, even as the technology impresses others. That's because the Keyhole technology is designed to provide close-up perspective of specific addresses.

Keyhole's previous government ties also have raised anxieties.

Founded in 2001, Keyhole raised some money in 2003 from In-Q-Tel, a venture capital firm backed by the Central Intelligence Agency. Leading up to the Google sale, Keyhole's roughly 10,000 customers included a cross-section of government agencies.

There is little reason for people to be paranoid about the satellite maps because the images generally are six to 12 months old, said John Hanke, Keyhole's general manager. "And it's not like you are going to be able to read a license plate on a car or see what an individual was doing when a particular image was taken," he said.

Google believes most people will like the convenience of generating a satellite image with a few clicks of a computer mouse. The company envisions people using the service as a way to scout a hotel's proximity to the beach for a possible vacation or size up the neighborhood where an apartment is for rent.

Google's free satellite maps initially will be limited to North America, with images covering roughly half the United States, Hanke said.

Although Google is offering the satellite maps on a test basis, the feature will probably force its other online rivals to upgrade their technology, predicted search industry analyst Greg Sterling of the Kelsey Group. "To play in this space, you are going to need some robust mapping capabilities."

Sterling said Google's satellite maps pose the biggest threat to Mapquest, a service owned by Time Warner Corp. that has long operated the most popular Web site for finding directions.

The satellite maps also up the ante for the many challengers chipping away at Google's share of the lucrative Internet search engine market by adding more bells and whistles. For instance, Amazon.com Inc.'s A9 search engine earlier this year introduced a feature that includes an index containing 20 million street-level photographs of building exteriors in 10 major U.S. cities.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/04/05/google.maps.ap/index.html
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This is interesting. Now anyone can find my location via satellite. :Ohno:
 
Awesome! Finally! I've always liked those satellite images! :thumb:
 
Now we'll be able to know where our (teenage) children are with a couple clicks of the mouse and zoom in-- :cool:

It's obvious that this will or could raise privacy concerns, yet the availability of this technical marvel surely can mean other technical developements in the near future for public use could seriously pave the way to greater concerns where 'freedom' gets limited. Although, there are some good positive points for being able to take advantage of this kind of service.



Then again, men simply won't have to ask for directions-- :lol:
 
This service is good fodder for cyber stalkers. They'll get to know if youre swimming in your backyard pool in the nude or not.

Richard
 
That was last year before they put the solar panels on the building's roof as it'd be black now. The red car is Benz's pool service. The dark van at the other side of the parking lot is our company van.
 
Wow..I can see a pic of my own place there! Amazing but Im worried about lack of privacy????
 
The Capital Building in Washington DC is blurred out... obviously for "security reasons". Though the surrounding buildings aren't blurred out.
 
Nesmuth said:
That was last year before they put the solar panels on the building's roof as it'd be black now. The red car is Benz's pool service. The dark van at the other side of the parking lot is our company van.
Click to expand...


Right, I saw you walking into the company van, so you can jerk off there.
 
Banjo said:
The Capital Building in Washington DC is blurred out... obviously for "security reasons". Though the surrounding buildings aren't blurred out.
Click to expand...

Banjo, not only Washington DC. Area 51, too! Those pictures were shot by
American's "Eye-in-the-sky" satellites. So, anything you use American-made
pictures are what you get for those blocked views because of the USA
laws. To find elsewhere that has un-blocked views, use foreign satellite
such as Russian's Ikonos which does not recognized USA laws. Take a peek
at Area 51's photos at:

http://www.fas.org/irp/overhead/groom.htm (scroll all the way down to the
bottom)

Enjoy!
 
I looked some pictures of the 51 Area. I notice that there is a white area that looks like sand. Is it snow? Salt? Why is this runway on the white land?

I wonder if it is a space ship that was buried in the white land because it is so big, and perhaps the military had to cover it with the sand.
 
VamPyroX said:
Awesome! I've always wanted to visit Area 51!
Click to expand...

Do NOT ever go pass those gates! Read all of their warning signs
before taking your own risks. You can see their gate entrances (north and
south) to Area 51:

http://www.lazygranch.com/fg.htm (1st pix is the long dirt road to Area 51,
south gate)

http://www.dreamlandresort.com/area51/cammos.html (cops hawking at you if
you ever come close to the area)

Stay away as far as you can from those two gates, but enjoy the very long
lonely public black-topped asphalt road, the Extraterrestrial Highway
(Nevada Hwy 375), reaching to a small town Rachel, Nev. at
http://rachel.dreamlandresort.com/ . Then, visit the Little A'Le'Inn Gift
Shop and Restaurant from your driving break at http://www.littlealeinn.com
. Been there and done that. Nice. It's only short 95 miles north of Las
Vegas!

Area 51 is consider just a "top secret" place. However, there is an
ultra-super top secret place called S-4 (Site Four) which is a southerly
next door neighbor of Area 51. There are no photos are available on the
internet or anywhere, but very little information about it can be read
from: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/pages/site4.html

webexplorer said:
I looked some pictures of the 51 Area. I notice that there is a white area
that looks like sand. Is it snow? Salt? Why is this runway on the white land?
Click to expand...

Correction, not 51 Area. It's Area 51. Area 51 sits on Groom Lake, a dry
lake bed (evaporated lake water from eons ago) leaving white sand as you
can see. This place was chosen because of surrounding high mountains all
around in 360 degrees. It is an excellent place for keeping curious ground
gawkers away. What you see those famous recognized Area 51 buildings from
a distance (10 miles away) were shot in one of those high mountains named
Freedom Ridge. After the year of 1995, that mountain became the property
of Area 51. So, the only public viewing of Area 51 is at Tikaboo
Peak. It's about 25 miles away from Area 51. You would need a
high-powered telescope to see those buildings. Worth a trekking trip up to
the Peak that is very cold up there? Naw, I'll pass it to other rich
suckers who can afford expensive telescopic optics. More info about it is
found below:
http://www.dreamlandresort.com/area51/panorama_0901.html
 
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