Does anyone know why Google Earth/Maps doesn't replace their imagery on a regular basis, instead of using up to four year old images for their services?

For example in the UK, Cardiff Bay's images are from before the Millennium Centre/Senedd was built and in my area Google has been using the same picture since GE was released.

When I use other mapping services, the images seem to be far more up to date and in some cases higher detail, so why does Google use old (and therefore unreliable) imagery?

If you have the free version, it's obvious.

If you have the not-free version, i got no idea.

I have the free version. Do people with the paid version get updated imagery then?

Google doesn't get every image ever taken. They have their image providers and not always the providers have newer images.

I've seen some places updated, when the first version of google earth came out I looked up the house I have in the bahamas, and it wasn't really visible at all, but once the new layout of google earth came out I noticed that they had updated it sometime in there.

There is some setting I don't recall where, but it shows the date and what satellite took pictures of that location.

Quote from geeman1 :

Google doesn't get every image ever taken. They have their image providers and not always the providers have newer images.

They change them from time to time. My neighborhood maps used to show a big building site of a subway station outdated ofr 3 years, and one day, *puf* it was replaced with the finished photo

Maybe in the future there will be a continuous photographic satellite network updated in a regular basis.

Or we can dream (a lot) and think of online satellite video stream, that would be great

Don't forget that Google Earth's detailed pictures are NOT sattelite pictures. They are aeroplane photographs. Hence the uneven qualities.

I know that the pay version provides higher resolution images in a lot of areas, but I don't know about how often they are updated.

Then why does it say "such and such satellites"?
There is no way Google Earth was done with airplanes, otherwise the poles would look more correct, but rather they are not because satellites do not pass over there.

(The following occurs when you zoom into my house, but other places would still be very similar)
First when you start up, you notice all images are from NASA (satellites), as you zoom in, you notice the images are from Terrametrics.. those are NASA satelite photos too
As you zoom in further, the next step is from Digital Globe
Next is USGS

And there is the end, nothing else, you can also take note that Europa and Navteq are in there, and according to google Europa is Europe's version of USGS, while Navteq is to no surprise also a company that runs satellite imagery.

Now, if you want to see when and where the pictures are taken and binded, go down on your left hand stack under layers, and turn on DigitalGlobe coverage. It will show the date, give an ID, tell cloud coverage percentages, and quality percentages.

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/sho ... r/68845/an/0/page/0#68845

Well maybe in the Usa the coverage is done more by satellites, but in Europe at least, the detailed city pictures are from aircraft, I was shocked to learn it too a year ago, but apparently quite a lot of people knew this. That's why there are some huuuge quality differences in some areas. Go over New York, and then over Idaho. Why do you think there is that much of a difference?

I guess that explains the perspective in the larger cities then, thanks for point that out android I never knew that either.

Cool, I never knew the high-res cities were taken from aircraft. I always thought they were just from satellites with really good zoom lenses like those ones that can read a newspaper headline from space or whatever they are.

Personally I use http://www.flashearth.com/ now because you can search like you do in GE etc but you can switch between the different services' imagery. I find Microsoft usually has the best UK images.

There are some places with very high resolution, like this beach east of Sydney. It's incredible!!

...

Come on guys, stop searching for the topless ladies

In that first picture, whats that black car near the top center, it almost looks like an Elise (front does at least), anyone know what that is?

Hahah I love the last picture of everyone on the beach.

thats what i call hires ^^

http://maps.google.com/maps?f= ... 55&t=k&iwloc=addr

say hello to the guy looking up

@XCnuse
It looks more like a Peugeot 307 for me.
I hope the Link works... searched in G and came to this (down that thread a bit is a Black 307, NOT that Cabrio Version):
Link

I think you're right, good guess.

Maybe playing to much "what car is this" thread has done you in.

buedi - you might wanna sort out that link, mate, there's four URLs in there!

Quote from Kaw :

If you have the free version, it's obvious.

If you have the not-free version, i got no idea.

The free version uses exactly the same imagery as the payware version. You just get extra tools with the payware client.

Personally I use maps.live.com :P

the pic is clearer. had to use MS paint to save :P

local.live.com is much better (round here at least) - actually nicked some images off it for my Geography Coursework :P