Been to Google lately and used the maps?

 

This is a little off topic, but a lot of us seem to like to have the latest maps and I thought that some of you would enjoy it.

I went to Google.com and clicked on "Maps" and then on "Satellite". First thing I noticed is that the software was drawing the images differently as I zoomed in. It's hard to describe, but as you zoom in quickly it creates very large "Pixels" and then refreshes them very quickly.

It's much improved (at least for a 5 mps cable connection) and the images are from this year (for Williamsburg, VA). Higher resolution too, for my house anyway. I can actually tell that our pool has a green cover on it and not looking like it's full of green algae like the old photos.

Just for hoho's, I checked "Google Earth" and it's using the same images.

Who knows, maybe they'll get into the GPS map market.

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Metricman DriveSmart 76 Williamsburg, VA

May be Regional? Looks the

May be Regional? Looks the same as usual for my location - Montreal, Canada.

Timing

I'd guess the images from my area are a Monday, late Fall 2008 through early Spring 2009. The trash can is out, car is in the drive, and the golf net is up. The leaves don't exist and the grass isn't green.

My old place in Virginia is likewise 2008 or beyond.

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"It's not where you start, but where you end up." Where am I and what am I doing in this hand basket?

Hmmm

Doesn't look different to me, but I will check it again later.

No changes for me

I just looked. It is the same in Waynesboro, VA.

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Dwayne, Nuvi 1690

same

looks same to me in ottawa, canada

Street View

Relooked at Google Maps. Street view for current and previous homes is earlier than 2008. Satellite view for both is fall of 2008 or later.

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"It's not where you start, but where you end up." Where am I and what am I doing in this hand basket?

Looks the same to me too.

Looks the same to me too.

To my knowledge, Google map

To my knowledge, Google map uses different set of maps when you are at different zoom level. For instance, when you are at a "higher altitude", the pictures are taken by the satellites. As you zoom in, it will switch to plane shots, if there is any. And there can be multiple sets of pictures taken at different altitude. These sets can be taken at different times, that's why when you zoom, it might seems different sometime. (e.g. satellite pictures from 2005, plane shots from 2009)

The very large "Pixels" are the zoomed in pictures from your last view, while the software trying to fetch the proper set of pictures.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

google

Looks all the same to me

Google Earth "Histpry" featre

If you use Google Earth (I don't think this is available in Google maps yet), there is a horizontal indicator and slider that lets you move between different satellite views when Google has different views from different dates, and the toll will also indicate approximately when each photo was taken.

This can be pretty handy. In addition to showing alternative vies for a location, it will show how areas develop with new construction.

hmmm...

Seems to me to be behaving the same. The image of my neighborhood remains the same as it has for the last year or so.

It could be a regional thing, as suggested already.

I imagine that Google would continue trying to optimize how they deliver map data to users, so maybe they've improved that recently as well.

Anybody try Google Earth on the iPad yet? I understand it works very nicely. Seems a good application for the platform.

They are dirrerent

We have been here since 2003 and all Google Maps showed was vacant land. Now our house is here and it looks like it may have been late last summer. I look at the maps a lot and this is new.

It is not as close as the old map of the acrage. You could see rocks on the ground on the old map but now now.

Thanks for the update

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Mary, Nuvi 2450, Garmin Viago, Honda Navigation, Nuvi 750 (gave to son)

I Wish Other Servers Would Update

I use TopoFusion to route my ATV trips, and their images are 8 years old at least. Google has images that are a lot newer.

I wish TopoFusion would update their images as well.

Maybe it has to do with the deeper pockets of Google.

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If you ain't got pictures, I wasn't there.

image still dated but quality may be better

The image of my home spot is still at least a couple of years old but the image seems improved. Same for the surrounding area. If you search for zip 33050 (Florida Keys) and zoom on Boot Key Harbor you can see detail for the individual boats lined up on their mooring balls. The detail for all the surrounding water seems much improved.

Seems the same for me!

Seems the same for me!

Same

I did not notice any difference either. All the same.

guy

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guy-----C320>nuvi 200>Nuvi 255W

Yes

Metricman,

the way GM displays during zoom has changed in the past few weeks. Besides the pixelization you mention, it now momentarily draws red brackets around the center point of the zoom.

The actual images at whatever zoom level are constantly being updated, both in currency and quality. If some don't notice a change in that, their locations just haven't gotten an update for whatever reason, but the "mechanics" of Google Map's zoom have indeed changed.

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Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195

Old View

I just looked at goggle earth and the image date it mar 2006. I looked at my location and the neighbor, His still shows a red car he hasn't had for a few years, and doesn't shoe the big garage he has started building two years ago. I think they only update where the population is large.

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johnm405 660 & MSS&T

Google maps

rocknicehunter wrote:

Metricman,

the way GM displays during zoom has changed in the past few weeks. Besides the pixelization you mention, it now momentarily draws red brackets around the center point of the zoom.

The actual images at whatever zoom level are constantly being updated, both in currency and quality. If some don't notice a change in that, their locations just haven't gotten an update for whatever reason, but the "mechanics" of Google Map's zoom have indeed changed.

I knew about the different images for different zoom levels. Lots of places change seasons as you zoom in. One place in Canada, I was following an Ice Road down a river and it suddenly ended as the next image was a summer image. Also, in remote areas you can really see the difference in resolution where ever there is a town (it usually gets better).

Since we were on the edge of a high population area, I guess they moved the edge of it up the peninsula some and we are now included. The aerial view of our house used to be poor and was from the winter. Now it's from late spring of this year - trees have lots of leaves, our deck looks new (was rebuilt early spring) and the foundation contractor trucks are parked in front of our neighbors house.

"Street view" in Google Earth is from at least 1 yr. ago though. Previous neighbors van is in driveway.

In the 90's there were several Military satellites launched that had extremly high resolution and there were several articles published discussing the fact that these new satellites could tell what brand a pack of cigarettes was. That's kinda scary and they are probably better now.

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Metricman DriveSmart 76 Williamsburg, VA