Comments on: Images: Google takes a satellite view

Google Maps has a new feature that allows you to zoom in on a satellite image of the address for which you're searching.

Sat views old

Even though the satellite views say 'copyright 2005', the Cary, NC images (at least) are evidently older than mid-2004. (They don't have the building I'm sitting in while writing this.)

[ivand67]

Don't worry... they'll update the maps eventually (nm)

nm (no message)

[Anonymous1234567890]

"Copyright"

"Copyright" doesn't mean the year the photo was taken, you know.

[Bob_Barker]

Pretty cool

Maps you can actually read with ease! Compared to mapquest that is. Satellite pictures are a fun even if outdated.

That is so cool

Everyone who sees this should download NASA's World Wind...
Pretty cool techology.

I can see my house from here

and I think that's cool enough to squawk about. way to go, Google.

Google's Artificial Intelligence is what we are waiting for

Most people are falling behind of progress! did evolution started the same way among animals?!

[My-Self]

We used to call it privacy ...

We used to call it privacy, and now it's almost gone ...

Mark Morford wrote an interresting chronicle about this new google feature ...

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2005/04/08/notes040805.DTL

Privacy still intact

I'm not sure what your idea of privacy is, but knowing the color of my roof is not an invasion. There isn't nearly enough detail in these maps to invade privacy, so stop looking for a reason to complain about something that could prove to be very useful. Looking at a map is one this, but being able to see landmarks is another.

This is a great tool, stop looking for a way to ruin it!

[Jonathan]

Ummm do I really care if....

...somone wants to look at anywhere from a 5 year old to a 2 year old snapshot of the top of my house?

Get real. If this was realtime or could read the VIN number off my car, which you can bet your yearly salary that the gov can, that would be one thing. This? This is a useful too that is no more invasive then Google indexing websites for searching.

Interesting, but a little paranoid.

I don't believe there was ever a time that aerial views of your house were ever considered reasonable privacy or an unreasonable search, so we're losing no rights here--we never had those when it comes to aerial photography.

The difference, of course, might apply to infrared and other technologies that can penetrate and see into your house. Such technologies exist, of course, but the mere fact that they are available doesn't make me worried I'm being watched.

Intelligence agencies may be paranoid, but I think everyone overestimates their abilities and their resources. Even if they have taking a picture of me in my bathroom at an. . . *embarrassing* moment, will any of the analysts ever get to it with the mountain of data they collect? Will they even care if they do find it?

Besides, as long as the laws make it an unreasonable search, it doesn't worry me that much.

[sjjaxon]

re artificial intelligence reply

Is your own so badly lacking if this is what you have been looking for ?

N'e'turally

naturally

anonymity not as synonamous to privacy

myself, I am not impressed with the limitations privacy is recieving at the hand of govt and private enterprise. I am less impressed with the thought of being monitored without consent or cause anywhere and someday, perhaps everywhere I go car, plane, subway, store, streetcorner, etc.
I do not get a warm fuzzy feeling that these technologies are going to be used to make elected officals more honest and work harder, reduce crime in order that police be available for other duties, get me a better job, put kids through school faster, etc. Who the hell came up with the idea of teach us to be like sheep and find a way to watch us acting like sheep after that? The training was so good there isn't a need for watching.