Just thought I would include a recommendation for Google Earth, for those of you that have maybe not played with it already. Its free, although there are also enhanced features for subscribers. Satellite pics in sufficient detail ( at least for cities ) to be able to see the windows on your car. You can just about pick out people and their shadows. UK/USA postcode search, directions and much more.
A very pretty and useful application
Just google on “google earth” and go for the download.
Consider though, that some of the photos are at least 6 years old: ( My driveway shows a car I sold 6 years ago), and that these are pictures at a resolution available to the general public. Now wonder just how good are the spy satellites now? They can probably read, or even look down my T shirt.
You can use maps if you want to go A to B. If you want to see actual ground detail then google earth is just like being on another planet. As an example one guy zoomed in on his house and found it was being overflown by an Avro Lancaster when the SatPic was taken: The only working Lancaster in Europe no less. Incredible.
Something I’ve just discovered is that Google Earth can overlay a picture on the ground; I have a high-resolution aerial photo of the hills around my house, so I can use that instead of the normal lower resolution.
Then you can put tracks from the GPS into it, and see the lines overlaid on the trails on the ground, in 3D wonderfulness.
My dad has just found where he learnt to swim in singapore. made him sooo happy after some family stuff. he told stories of where he went to school and ‘played’ in the area whilst his dad was in the army and where his mum did yoga (she died recently)
Its a grat program. My dad loves it
no, microsoft’s things pictures were taken long ago for most of them and they don’t do you any good
Also theres website that have bookmarked cool things on google sattalite maps, like theres this one in dc of a plane making a emergancy landing on a highway!
The photos in the “bird’s eye” feature DK mentioned are actually quite recent, and were taken from low flying airplanes versus the satellites. The bird’s eye feature isn’t available for all locations, but if you zoom in on more heavily populated areas, you may find it. Example: go to the satellite images and start zooming in on Seattle…eventually you’ll see the bird’s eye highlight appear. Click that and it converts to the airplane images. Using bird’s eye, I can get some amazing details on the riding trails near my house.
Also, most of the satellite images have been updated, and are using same or similar issue to those on google maps.
Playing around earlier I noticed that the route of the Manchester to Blackpool bike ride is entirely within high resolution areas, so here’s the route as recorded by my GPS last year.
It took me blummin’ ages just to scroll along the route, let alone ride it!
In the zip file is one .kml file; double-click it and Google Earth should do the rest.
Doubt it: you have a FULL shadow of the car there. Now as it is unlikely that anyone would be trying to trick Google, for they would not know when the picture was being taken, then it must be some sort of oddball modern sculpture or similar. Its a car on a stick. Or someone else has suggested a bus shelter. Anyone live locally who might know the area: Perth OZ?