Can't help blurting about Google Maps -- its a beautiful implementation of a mapping solution. Combined with their recent acquisition of Keyhole, the mind boggles as to what sort of solutions they'll be unleashing next.
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Keyhole's technology and products are an excellent addition to our efforts to do that. We do not have any announced plans regarding how this technology will integrate with our current products and services.
Keyhole provides detailed satellite photography of the world, overlayed onto contour maps giving a realitic 3D view of cities and landscapes. These images can be tilted and viewed from different angles, allowing for fly-bys and other visual treats. Images take you down to less than a meter in resolution and the coverage is much greater than simply the United States.
Like Google Maps, Keyhole maps can have locations pinned to the map. It will be incredible if Google opens this technology up to the world.
UPDATE
Found this interesting map of Switzerland done in much the same way only with satellite imagery and overlays. Note the technology is from TeleAtlas, the same crew working with Google on Google Maps.
Also a nice entry demystifying the DHTML interface at Mapping Google
By now, many of you will have gone and tried out the new Google Maps application. By and large, you have to admit that it's pretty damned slick for a DHTML web application -- even my wife was impressed, and that's not easy with geek toys. So, in the spirit of Google Suggest and GMail, I've decided to have a quick peek under the hood to figure out what makes it tick.
Posted by modius at 08:45 AM | Permalink
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