In their never ending attempt to control all that is Holy — or at least Internet — Google has added satellite photo coverage to it's new map service. Oh yeah, a birds eye view of the whole country! Well not really the whole country. Google has focused on metro areas for detailed images. Around the cities is a small buffer of lower-res images and then beyond that the rest is filled in with a standard low res image that restricts zooming in significantly. Not that you need a lot of detail in the country for driving directions, but it would still be cool to zoom in anywhere. One feature that is noticeably missing, in my opinion, is the ability to click on the map and find out where THAT is. I mean where IS that nice looking lake front property? Or that rugged mountain trail? Or that hot chick sun bathing in her backyard? :D Just kidding. The zoom is stops way before such voyeurism is possible. So don't worry, only the 15 US Agencies and 3 Foreign Governments with access to current and full-res imagery can see that book your reading out on your deck. If that doesn't put you at ease… know that the satellite images are old. Terrorists planning to assassinate me will find their Google Intel somewhat lacking when they discover their forested staging ground behind my house is now high-end condos. Hmmm. I bet that's a selling feature the developer didn't think of: retirement condos, reducing terrorism in your neighborhood.
Thanks Adam