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Saturday, October 5, 2024

Google unveils major updates to Google Maps and Google Earth

Countries such as Bosnia, Namibia, Liechtenstein, and Paraguay are among the new locations where users can now take virtual tours.

American tech giant Google has introduced a suite of updates to both Google Maps and Google Earth, designed to enhance user experience and provide a clearer understanding of the world’s evolving geography. The updates, which include expanded Street View coverage, sharper satellite imagery, and historical imagery features, are aimed at helping users explore the planet in greater detail and depth.

Expanding Street View Across 80 Countries

One of the key updates to Google Maps is the expansion of its popular Street View feature. Street View allows users to virtually explore locations across the globe, with images captured from Google’s Street View cars and other specialized equipment. In its latest update, Street View now boasts new imagery in nearly 80 countries, including regions that have previously had limited or no Street View coverage.

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Countries such as Bosnia, Namibia, Liechtenstein, and Paraguay are among the new locations where users can now take virtual tours. This expansion offers a deeper look into areas rich with history and culture, including Namibia’s desert landscapes and Liechtenstein’s medieval castles.

In addition to the expansion of coverage, Google has made the process of creating Street View imagery more efficient, allowing for more frequent updates. Countries such as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, and the Philippines will see new Street View images that capture evolving details in these regions, ensuring users have access to the latest views of streets, neighborhoods, and landmarks.

Sharper Satellite Imagery Powered by AI

In parallel with the Street View updates, Google is also improving the quality of its satellite imagery on both Google Maps and Google Earth. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, the company has developed new models that can remove visual distortions such as cloud cover, haze, and shadows. This allows for sharper, clearer images that provide a more accurate representation of the Earth’s surface.

Google’s Cloud Score+ AI model, trained on millions of images, plays a pivotal role in achieving this enhanced imagery. While it removes undesirable elements like clouds, the AI preserves significant natural features such as snow, mountain shadows, and even real-time weather conditions like ice or storms. This ensures that users are presented with a vibrant and realistic view of the globe, ideal for both casual exploration and detailed research.

Historical Imagery Feature for Google Earth

Perhaps the most exciting addition to Google Earth is the new “historical imagery” feature, which will soon be available on its web version. This feature allows users to turn back time and view satellite and aerial images from as far back as the 1930s. For instance, users can explore major cities like London, Paris, and Berlin to see how their landscapes have transformed over the decades.

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Historical imagery is not only an interesting tool for personal exploration but also a valuable resource for researchers and historians. The feature enables users to visualize long-term geographical changes, from deforestation and urbanization to the effects of climate change on ecosystems. Additionally, users can observe dramatic changes over time in places like California’s Lake Oroville, where imagery from 2018 captures a drought-stricken reservoir, compared to a 2023 image showing it replenished after heavy rains.