Google Improves Map Images Using ''Kite View''

[gogogadgetliver]

@mrface an evolved descendant perhaps. What about Street Slide? (another Bing thing that makes google look complacent). Pretty sure that's just pure MS R&D.

 

[glass330]

None of the images in Google earth are actually from a satellite you morons!! Can you image the focal length of the lens?

They are all areal photographs from airplanes strung together.

This is really embarrassing TOM

 

[gm0n3y]

[citation][nom]glass330[/nom]None of the images in Google earth are actually from a satellite you morons!! Can you image the focal length of the lens?They are all areal photographs from airplanes strung together.This is really embarrassing TOM[/citation]
That is incorrect. Many of the images in Google Earth are from satellites. The images of most of the oceans, and uninhabited areas of the world are satellite images. Think about all of those places that you can't zoom in for the last few levels of magnification.

 

[gogogadgetliver]

[citation][nom]glass330[/nom]None of the images in Google earth are actually from a satellite you morons!! Can you image the focal length of the lens?They are all areal photographs from airplanes strung together.This is really embarrassing TOM[/citation]

If you're going to slam someone and talk about their embarassment you better make sure you're right.

Google Earth uses multiple sources and some of them are indeed from satellite. http://www.google.com/librariancenter/articles/0604_01.html

 

[fooldog01]

Don't you mean "mind-bottling"? Duh.

 

[mdillenbeck]

[citation][nom]mayankleoboy1[/nom]there goes my privacy down the drain....[/citation]
Interestingly enough, when the US was founded there was the right of passage/to hunt on lands even "privately" held. In fact, the only way you could block the right of passage was to cultivate the land and put a fence around it. (Of course, we then killed most the game in the east and that right became pointless.) Your "privacy" never really existed, and some would argue actually infringes on others' rights. For example, could you ban anyone from looking at your private property ...from above? ...from the street? ...indirectly on a map? ...in there imagination?

 

[fooldog01]

[citation][nom]MDillenbeck[/nom]Interestingly enough, when the US was founded there was the right of passage/to hunt on lands even "privately" held. In fact, the only way you could block the right of passage was to cultivate the land and put a fence around it. (Of course, we then killed most the game in the east and that right became pointless.) Your "privacy" never really existed, and some would argue actually infringes on others' rights. For example, could you ban anyone from looking at your private property ...from above? ...from the street? ...indirectly on a map? ...in there imagination?[/citation]

Although my previous Blades of Glory reference has destroyed all my credibility, I agree with this well worded and almost indisputable argument. The only visual privacy you are entitled to is the privacy you manually generate. As long as there is a line of sight to your home from some type of public domain it's unreasonable to expect anything else. I suspect people should either stop crying or build an underground bunker to live in... or require that all those passing by wear blinders and look ahead. That might be doable.

 

[dark_lord69]

[citation][nom]dormantreign[/nom]Holy i didn't even know that place existed and i'm super good with maps and shit. A ring island, thats pretty neat.[/citation]
Most of the French Polynesian Islands are ring shaped like that. They also happen to be some of the most beautiful vacation spots in the world. Many Vacation websites use pictures from French Polynesia for that white sand beach tropical vacation people dream of.

 

[gogogadgetliver]

@ the guy who didn't know what an Atoll was...

Man you need to at least *pretend* to plan for a vacation even if you never actually take one. Geez man get outside more.

 

[Guest]

next up google gets UAVs

with autonomous land and air vehicles 2/3 of the earth is theirs for the taking

 

[Guest]

@dark_lord69

except maybe Bikini Atoll...... only Godzilla goes their for vacation

 

[ender21]

[citation][nom]Snipergod87[/nom]They arent invading your property, anybody can view your property from above legaly. Its well within anyones rights to do this.[/citation]

Actually, stating that you're being within the boundaries of the law doesn't necessarily mean you have a "right." It just means you're not breaking any law.

By your rationale if a government decides to pass a law banning pancakes then we no longer have a "right" to them, which I think many would passionately argue otherwise.

I would argue that "freedom from" is infinitely more important than "freedom to"

 

[belardo]

Wow... thats sharp.

 

[f-14]

damn cia, damn nasa, damn google, damn power puff girls. how long before the patriot missle system becomes affordable? guess i need to start moding my desk missle launcher system for my pc. i shall call it the kite killer™ ® ©. anbody know of a good laser guidance system and explosive to use in an estes™ model rocket? and DAMN any of you who think to use mirrored foil made or covered kites!

okay okay okay, ya, got a little carried away there, whew, bet you thought i was starting to sound like an applefanboi

 

[Simple11]

What bout the UAV drone they wanted.

 

[xyz001]

only very dessert places in google maps are based on satellite photos...Most cities are based on aerial photos taken from a plane flying around 10,000-20,000 feet altitude.

Anyway, Bing maps has been much better resolution for years now, and they have 4 angle birds-eye as well. They also have way better satellite photos (without the photoshopped air-brushed blue water). I don't get why google hasn't got access to the same database yet.

 

[xyz001]

...desert that is

 

[Goro]

I could be mistaken but these island were used for nuclear testing by the French, I think.

 

[back_by_demand]

[citation][nom]Snipergod87[/nom]They arent invading your property, anybody can view your property from above legaly. Its well within anyones rights to do this.[/citation]
But taking photos and then distibuting them? There are already cases of aerial photography companies being sued because even though the air itself is public space then taking a photograph into someones private property invades their right to reasonable privacy.

If you take a photo me walking down the street I am not protected, but if I sit in my garden with a 20ft wall around it and you get a ladder, poke a camera over the top and snap away I will sue you, same applies for another taller property nearby, a helicopter or a kite.

http://www.photosecrets.com/photography-law-privacy.html
My favourite bit is this

Intrusion of solitude. Home, seclusion, private place, a place out of public view, reasonable expectation of privacy. similar to trespass if the intrusion would be highly offensive to a reasonable person.

Inside a 20ft walled garden could be reasonably expected to be out of public view and your viewpoint being extended by artificial means has legality issues relevant to the country in which it takes place.
India for example requires a permit to be applied for.
England has it's own privacy laws.
The European Convention on Human Rights has plenty to say.

Just because in the USA you can be a pervert and take pictures of people sunbathing nude in their private back gardens, the law doesn't make it right.

 

[h2o_skiman]

I am not impressed by Bing Birds Eye. I just looked at Bing Birds Eye versus Google for my house and the photo on Bing is more than three years old based on changes made to the landscaping three years ago not being seen. The photo on Google in less three months old, (new trees planted this year, plus a lawn chair is visible that I purchased in July. The Birds Eye photo appears to be slightly better quality than the Google, but it is primarily because it is taken at a 60 degree angle instead of near 90. The sidewalk expansion joints are visible in the Google map, but not in the Birds Eye.

I vote recent content. Greater than three years is a long time when it comes to viewing the environment.