Google Maps has rolled out a feature to the main map that has been previously available to developers and through Google Map Labs – viewing locations at a 45 degree angle.
The new satilitte imagery is available for select US cities but can be viewed by any Google Maps user worldwide. As Google puts it on their LatLong blog:
This type of imagery allows you to explore the sides of buildings and other locations — you can even rotate around a particular point of interest using the compass ring to view it from four different perspectives. To see the new imagery, simply zoom into an area while in Satellite mode. Where we have 45° imagery available, the imagery will switch from an overhead to 45° angle as you zoom all the way in. You can then pan smoothly across the map to get a richer view of the area.
If you haven’t previously played with this kind of imagery, it is pretty cool stuff that can have very useful applications, such as researching a home to buy and the neighborhood, etc. Here are some examples:
I was wondering when Google would make this possible.
Microsoft is already doing it for a few years now with Live Maps and now Bing Maps “Birds eye” feature…
A welcome addition. It’s funny though, due to a general anti Microsoft sentiment by many in the tech industry, MS has had this “Birdseye” view capability for over two years. In some spots you can even rotate the direction of the overhead view.
who cares about what ms had, crap which works only few browsers and slow as hell
It actually works with every browser.
I usually love Google products more than Microsoft products as well.
But the whole “fanboy-thing” really is just childish in my opinion.
Yeah, Farid is right, sorry, it works in all browsers, and I love Google, but M$ has done this great for years.
Google copying bing again. Bing has this for several years
Who would have thought it would come to this so many times.
omg…45degrees view was awesome… :) Google rocks!!
Thats amazing. Is there anything Google cant do?
LOu
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