Google Updates Maps And Google Earth, Removes Clouds, Adds 800,000 MP Worth Imaging

Google’s attempt to compress the entire world’s streets, websites, businesses, and countries into one comprehensive database got another boost today with the announcement of an updated version of Google Maps’ Earth view. 

Google have updated their popular Google Maps and Google Earth with 800,000 megapixels of new imagery.

Google Earth for Android or iOS now features a new user-interface and Street View imagery, enabling explorers to virtually browse the Earth from street-level straight from their handsets.

“We’re unveiling new satellite imagery for all Google mapping products today. This stunning new imagery of the earth from space virtually eliminates clouds, includes refreshed imagery for regions of the world where high-resolution imagery is not yet available, and offers a more comprehensive and accurate view of the texture of our planet’s landscape,” wrote Matt Hancher, Tech Lead for Google Earth Engine in a blog post.

The updated app brings a new streamlined interface, where a tap on the Earth logo in the top-left corner serves up informative layers like Panoramio Photos and Wikipedia. Google Earth also features improved directions, allowing users to “visualise step-by-step transit, walking and biking directions in full 3D”, according to a post on the Google Lat Long blog.

The new imagery offers a nearly cloud-free snapshot of the entire planet, providing unobstructed views of Earth’s topography, as well as more detailed looks at previously low-resolution areas of the map.

Thanks to hundreds of terabytes of data swiped from the USGS’s and NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite, zooming out to a global view now fills your screen with 800,000 megapixels of pristine, cloudless Earth. Plus, multiple regions have been bestowed with refreshened imagery including Russia, Indonesia and central Africa.

Google said the new Landsat 8 satellite, which launched earlier this year, would capture even more up-to-date imagery in the months and years ahead. Users can access the new satellite imagery by going to Google Maps and turning on satellite view or by launching Google Earth.