No offense to Google But....
...the new satellite imagery / mapping service isn't that great.
Despite all the hype (and even Mark Morford's love / hate column today in which Morford continues to define "out of the loop" and gives a perfect example of how he shouldn't really talk about technology) the imagery really isn't that good. Sure sure, the little popup address box is mildly amusing but the images suck.
Let's look at a better service shall we? Microsoft's TerraServer. It's been around for going on three years now and uses USGS images for the bulk of it's product. The service is free and they even have a web service interface.
To use one of Morford's examples let's look up Alamo Sqaure in San Francisco.
The "rave" imagery of Google
The same address at Terra Server
Hope that doesn't creep you out too much Mark. Frankly you're way out of the loop in the capabilities of satellites and aerial imagery. Yes, yes, I know that wasn't the point of the column (which at least for once wasn't bordering on obscene), but maybe this will make you even more paranoid ;)
Despite all the hype (and even Mark Morford's love / hate column today in which Morford continues to define "out of the loop" and gives a perfect example of how he shouldn't really talk about technology) the imagery really isn't that good. Sure sure, the little popup address box is mildly amusing but the images suck.
Let's look at a better service shall we? Microsoft's TerraServer. It's been around for going on three years now and uses USGS images for the bulk of it's product. The service is free and they even have a web service interface.
To use one of Morford's examples let's look up Alamo Sqaure in San Francisco.
The "rave" imagery of Google
The same address at Terra Server
Hope that doesn't creep you out too much Mark. Frankly you're way out of the loop in the capabilities of satellites and aerial imagery. Yes, yes, I know that wasn't the point of the column (which at least for once wasn't bordering on obscene), but maybe this will make you even more paranoid ;)