[UK-CONTEST] Google Earth vs Microsoft

[Ian White GM3SEK]

Colin wrote:
>I suspect the high definition areas at the moment are those of high 
>population density.   A couple of hundred metres after leaving the 
>greater Southampton conurbation and enter the New Forest District on 
>the A36 the maps go 'fuzzy' and that includes where I live.

Those are the changeovers between the low-resolution satellite images 
that allow them to map the whole Earth, and the high-res images from 
conventional aerial photography.

The providers of these sites are spending their budget where it will 
attract the largest number of viewers. Since they are buying images in 
big blocks, there is some coverage outside the big city areas.

Having said that, some rural areas of the UK seem to do rather well in 
terms of high-res images on Google Earth. I wonder if these were 
originally taken by DEFRA, eg to check on claims for set-aside payments, 
and then last year's images might have been sold on.

> There are locations, as Chris remarked on, that will probably remain 
>'fuzzy'. Check the exclusion areas in the BR68!
>
>The U.S. authorities on the other hand take a little artistic licence 
>with Paint Shop Pro and just remove offending objects.

On the other-other hand (but don't go there unless you have time to 
spare): 
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/14/google_earth_competition_results
/>

Getting back to contesting, you can enter the street address of any big 
gun in the USA, and if it happens to be in a  high-res area you can see 
quite a lot.


-- 
73 from Ian GM3SEK