From our house to your house

Satellite photo of Chelsea Creek from Google Maps.

"I found the coolest thing at work today while I was bored out of my mind," wrote the other Sissy, proprietor of And What Next . . . a couple of days ago:

At Google Maps you can get your usual maps and driving instructions, but then you can also get Satellite Images! Oh, this was so cool and took up the majority of my afternoon!!

We won't tell her boss.  Meanwhile, Drudge has linked the story this morning, so now anyone with internet access who knows your address can virtually beat a path to your door. For an easy-to-maneuver map, just type in your address and click. One more click for satellite view. Goomp loves it:

Double wow. Got [Goomp's address in Maine] on satellite and the directions from [our address in Chelsea].

Egad!  Orange pin marks the spot. Metropolitan areas like Boston -- more strategic? -- have finer grained closeups than, for example, Goomp's picturesque village on the coast of Maine.

"The satellite maps could unnerve some people, even as the technology impresses others. That's because the Keyhole technology is designed to provide close-up perspective of specific addresses," reports TheDenverChannel.com:

Online search engine leader Google Inc. has unveiled a new feature that will enable its users to zoom in on homes and businesses using satellite images, an advance that may raise privacy concerns as well as intensify the competitive pressures on its rivals.

The satellite technology, which Google began offering late Monday at http://Maps.Google.com, is part of the package that the Mountain View-based company acquired when it bought digital map maker Keyhole Corp. for an undisclosed amount nearly six months ago.

There is little reason for people to be paranoid about the satellite maps because the images generally are six to 12 months old, said John Hanke, Keyhole's general manager. "And it's not like you are going to be able to read a license plate on a car or see what an individual was doing when a particular image was taken," he said.

For now, maybe, but as competition drives development, real-time images of you skinnydipping in the pool will be in the public domain. Better keep that bathing suit handy.

Comments

[mog]

I played with the maps, don't zoom in close enough to tell how many cars are in the driveway let alone people. However one can easily see the © Google plastered all over the map.

[Sissy Willis]

. . . let alone how many cats are lounging on the couch. :)

[Laurence Simon]

I wish they'd announce flyover times. I'd love to see if Edloe is visible from space.