Just discovered this little gem (via Wi-Fi toys): a piece of software + subscription-model service that allows you to view almost any location on earth in a graphical animation that makes you feel like Superman flying over your house. I'll be testing it later today. It didn't go unnoticed in the real world, as Google bought it for an undisclosed amount 2 months ago...
From their joint press release:
Google Acquires Keyhole Corp MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - October 27, 2004 - Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) today announced it acquired Keyhole Corp., a Mountain View, Calif.-based digital mapping company.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"With Keyhole, you can fly like a superhero from your computer at home to a street corner somewhere else in the world - or find a local hospital, map a road trip or measure the distance between two points," said Jonathan Rosenberg, vice president, Product Management. "This acquisition gives Google users a powerful new search tool, enabling users to view 3D images of any place on earth as well as tap a rich database of roads, businesses and many other points of interest. Keyhole is a valuable addition to Google's efforts to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."With an Internet connection, users enter an address or other location information and Keyhole's software accesses the database and takes them to a digital image of that location on their computer screen. The interactive software then gives users many options, including the ability to zoom in from space-level to street-level, tilt and rotate the view or search for other information such as hotels, parks, ATMs or subways. Unlike traditional mapping technologies, Keyhole creates a dynamic 3D interface for geographic information.
Keyhole's technology combines a multi-terabyte database of mapping information and images collected from satellites and airplanes with easy-to-use software.
Google also announced, effective immediately, a price reduction for Keyhole 2 LT from $69.95 to $29.95. Keyhole was founded in 2001.
Keyhole customers include consumers, large and small businesses and public agencies. Current Keyhole users will benefit from the expanded resources and operational scale made possible by the integration into Google. Their service will continue uninterrupted. For a free, seven-day trial of Keyhole, please go to www.keyhole.com.
Very interesting indeed. I use the map feature of French yellow pages all the time. New applications can be foreseen with this 3-D approach!
Jean-Michel Billaut mentionned another similar technology recently, from French company Pixelis. Demo here. Any VC has already invested in the guy ?
Update: for some real flying, check this video of a fighter plane (via Régis).
Update on 27/3/05: just discovered NASA World Wind, a programme that lets you "zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth. Leveraging Landsat satellite imagery and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, World Wind lets you experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if you were really there.
Virtually visit any place in the world. Look across the Andes, into the Grand Canyon, over the Alps, or along the African Sahara."
You can download the torrent here.
