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I'm afraid I agree with Viggo on this one.

Such a program for free is just astounding to me and we have used it many times, not just for camping but for finding our way around towns that are unknown to us.

This new addition of street level photograghs is just something else!!!! Now I can find shops and businesses as if I was standing right there in the street looking at them.

I could sit for hours just playing with Google Earth, visiting houses I used to live in or visiting places I will never see in real life.

So many hours of entertainment, all of it factual and all of it free.

No doubt eventually the whole of the UK will be there in detail but in the meantime I am more than happy with what is there, now.

I do find the maps on UKCS quicker than Google Earth. 

Most of the photographs used by these systems are all pretty much in the public domain, one way or another. Since they were all taken by the various space agencies and militaries we have around the globe (NASA being the obvious “big daddy”) they were all, in effect paid for by taxpayers, and have been made available at minimum cost either voluntarily or by freedom of information laws. Only the “classified” military stuff is unavailable.

This was a major reason why any of this software was ever written in the first place – the real expensive bit (photographing the entire planet from space to quite a high resolution) had already been done. That’s not to demean the technological problem of how to make all that data easily accessible over the internet to people with very differing devices and connection speeds globally –it is a major problem, and the solution is constantly evolving and getting better all the time.

Now this technology is becoming so ubiquitous (and making money) the software companies can now go back to the space people and pay them to photograph bits of the planet they feel they need better images of, and to slowly “refresh” the images to try to keep as current as possible. They can also pick and choose a bit more; this explains the slight differences you see between the systems.

I work in the software industry btw, but still have to pinch myself about how powerful this stuff really is. If you had described Google Earth to me when I studied computer science in the 80’s (even the concept of the “global network”) I would have laughed and then said: “not in my life time”.

Right, I’ll now go and lie down now in a darkened room

>>>  Right, I’ll now go and lie down now in a darkened room <<<

You can lie doon in my darkened room anytime!!!

Thanks for the information.

Quote: Originally posted by AudsleyI on 14/10/2009

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Most of the photographs used by these systems are all pretty much in the public domain, one way or another. Since they were all taken by the various space agencies and militaries we have around the globe (NASA being the obvious “big daddy”) they were all, in effect paid for by taxpayers, and have been made available at minimum cost either voluntarily or by freedom of information laws. Only the “classified” military stuff is unavailable.

This was a major reason why any of this software was ever written in the first place – the real expensive bit (photographing the entire planet from space to quite a high resolution) had already been done. That’s not to demean the technological problem of how to make all that data easily accessible over the internet to people with very differing devices and connection speeds globally –it is a major problem, and the solution is constantly evolving and getting better all the time.

Now this technology is becoming so ubiquitous (and making money) the software companies can now go back to the space people and pay them to photograph bits of the planet they feel they need better images of, and to slowly “refresh” the images to try to keep as current as possible. They can also pick and choose a bit more; this explains the slight differences you see between the systems.

I work in the software industry btw, but still have to pinch myself about how powerful this stuff really is. If you had described Google Earth to me when I studied computer science in the 80’s (even the concept of the “global network”) I would have laughed and then said: “not in my life time”.

Right, I’ll now go and lie down now in a darkened room

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Yes cheers audsleyl !  I almost knew this - as my OH is a bit of a clever lad & had told me before... but I'm not too good on this sort of thing so whilst I vaguely remembered the basic principle, I forgot all the facts to back it up ! OH was not about at the time.

Thanks for putting it so eloquently.  

And it is still great to have access to it even if you are in/want to look at one of the more neglected areas !

PS Lobey the dog food is going down a treat, thanks from my dog, & us.

>>>  PS Lobey the dog food is going down a treat, thanks from my dog, & us.<<<

Glad to be of assistance.

My new pup was already on it when he came to us and it took me a while to get the older dog onto it but they are both on it now.

As Bichons are prone to Tear Staining when they eat Beef Products, our only alternative is to feed them small doses of Angels Glow which has to come from the USA at £52 a tub!!!!

JW dog food is a far better option and a great deal healthier, food wise for them and pocket wise for me!

Up to a point, Audsley.

Satellite photos (NASA & military) are used only for relatively low resolution - about 2m/pixel. Closer in than that and it's aerial photography. In England, that's generally done by a small number of firms who get funded by local councils, utility companies etc to fly over their area, take the photos & rectify them to match the OS grid. And it can cost several thousands to get reasonable resolution - usually about 25cm/pixel, maybe 10cm/pixel in urban areas. Obviously, public authorities & utilities need fairly up-to-date piccies, but after a few years the photography firms will sell the images for a fairly low sum - which is how Google ( and Microsoft & others) get their imagery.

But I'd agree with previous posters - it would have been unimaginable only a few years ago.

Re: Updating.

It only updates the software... the maps / images downlown live from the net.

Aha, that explains why suddenly where we live is now all detailed (whole area previously just an indistinct great blob - no roads even !) without us actually doing a damned thing. Cheers MrBanana, mystery solved !  And thanks again Audsley & all for other info.  It's great having all the maps, especially nice to know what's reliable & what's not, like whether or not places do exist !

Quote: Originally posted by MrBanana on 18/10/2009

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Re: Updating.

It only updates the software... the maps / images downlown live from the net.

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Updating, whether it is just software or not, does make a difference in that some maps also upgrade in detail and others, which were wrong before upgrading, are suddenly correct.

Personally I do not understand it but it is so.