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June 01, 2008
Sneaky Google Earth Imagery Update
Last week, during the Google I/O conference, it appears Google managed to make another imagery update for Google Earth - and apparently already in Maps as well. So far Google has not officially announced the update. Maybe they were trying to turn it into a June update? However, GEB readers are way too savvy for that. Thanks to several tips from readers here, I have a list of sites which do indeed appear to have received new imagery last week (I'm still waiting for confirmation from Google):
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Europe - Austria was the first place I heard got new imagery. There was even a news piece about this new 25 cm aerial imagery. Thanks to Martin for the tip. Several other eastern european countries appear to have updates including Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Serbia, and Montenegro.
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Central America - Mexico - many areas around the country, but particularly the outskirts of Mexico City; Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, Panama, and Honduras - all got some new strips of Digital Globe imagery. Also, a lot of new coverage for Dominican Republic.
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South America - Some new coverage for Peru, Brazil; also, Trinidad and Tobago. A bit north, Grenada got some new strips as well.
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Africa - Nigeria got a lot of new coverage; nearby countries may also have some new coverage as well. Abidjan for example got a bunch of new images. Kampala in Uganda got some.
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India - It appears a lot of new imagery was added for India.
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Myanmar - Not surprisingly, some new imagery showed up for this storm-damaged country.
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Thailand - Lots of new imagery for Thailand.
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Philippines - I have seen many reports about the new imagery in the Philippines.
Thanks to all the many folks who sent me tips on the imagery over the last week. My apologies for not listing everyone's name, it's been a busy day of posts and catching up with E-mails! If you've heard of other areas, leave a comment here.
Posted by FrankTaylor at June 1, 2008 11:08 AM
Comments
Posted by: Pete at June 1, 2008 12:14 PM
Some parts of Mexico, the state of Sonora has now high resolution!
Posted by: Canoro at June 1, 2008 03:47 PM
Some parts of Singapore have been updated - Sengkang, Punggol, Ang Mo Kio area. Even though the imagery is dated 2004, it is still much better than the earlier low-res version.
On a separate note, a lot of areas now have cloud compared to imagery in the previous years. :( I guess our constant cloud cover is a problem.
P/s to Google: How about getting more imagery in the hot summer months like May-Jul instead of the monsoon seasons like Nov-Jan? ;)
Posted by: tongwing at June 1, 2008 09:34 PM
Bangladesh: Jessore/Khulna area
Bhutan: Thimpu
Indonesia: Makassar (Ujung Pandang)
Malaysia: Miri, Sibu
Singapore: Kranji
Thailand: Ban Phachi, Salaya, Lamphun
Posted by: Dodo at June 1, 2008 09:40 PM
Some cities in Romania too: Suceava, Vaslui. Could be more.
Posted by: Andrei at June 2, 2008 02:49 AM
For Victoria, Australia there is a small update. New aerial imagery has appeared for Benalla, although there is patchy cloud covering the imagey. The High Country (Great Dividing Range around Omeo) has also received some new imagery.
Posted by: Luke W at June 2, 2008 05:29 AM
All the UEFA Euro 2008 stadiums have been updated
Posted by: Bullet at June 2, 2008 08:22 AM
In see that Swaziland is now fully covered with aerial photos - at last! Not sure of resolution - how is that worked out?
Posted by: Rex Brown at June 2, 2008 11:18 AM
Center of Zurich has covering 3D buildings.
Posted by: MaxTheC at June 4, 2008 06:14 AM
Parts of Northwestern & Northeastern Albania, parts of Kosova (Gjakova, Podujeva and other towns).
Posted by: Edi at June 5, 2008 03:47 AM
Bagan (Pagan), Burma has been partially updated in much higher resolution. Though frustratingly the update covers less than half of this incredible ancient site. The update is centred on the eastern side of the site and takes in Ngaung U airport. The high res. imagery is itself is out of date by several years as hotel construction sites reveal. Annoyingly even better quality hi res. images have been updated to the eastern side of the airport - which reveals little of interest. Whilst probably the greatest ancient architectural site in all of SE Asia is left mostly in a blur of low res imagery.
Mandalay, Burma has had more hi res imagery added around Mandalay Hill.
Mrauk U, Burma has also been slightly updated, but remains a blur. Google incorrectly states there is an airport at MrauK U - there isn't and the nearest is Sittwe (a 5 hour boat journey away)
Posted by: Joe at June 5, 2008 10:56 AM
I want to see high res. imagery from Vratsa city, Bulgaria (pop. 90 000)
Posted by: Valeri Milkov at June 6, 2008 06:14 AM
The other half of Hue, Vietnam is in hi-res... I can see my house now!!
Posted by: nxdat at June 7, 2008 04:33 PM
There are some updates in Java Island, finally Borobudur areas covered with high res images !!!
Despite Jakarta areas still doesn't get updates since long ago, but I will be happy with more updates in big entire Java areas than at one city, though.
Posted by: Brad at June 8, 2008 08:31 AM
Wonosobo and Garut Area in Java island also got updated.
Posted by: Bram at June 8, 2008 01:24 PM
Bandung area has updated imagery, excellent, now some upper areas which previouslnya doesn't have high res, this time got high res imagery such lembang area.
Posted by: Frey at June 9, 2008 07:34 AM
In Czech republic, Jeseniky mountains, Beskydy moutains and place around wilage Hruba Voda
Posted by: swenney at June 9, 2008 02:39 PM
Da Lat in Vietnam looks fantastic now!
Posted by: Reid at June 10, 2008 05:37 PM
Recently the images in Google earth seem to have gone dark, someone told me that it was due to day/night setting introduced in Google earth, but on my computer it is always dark & changing the day/night setting is of no help. Previously the images were bright & sunny. I tried to search for the cause but found none. Can anyone help?
Posted by: Shahab at June 26, 2008 01:28 PM
Most of the new Layers for Thailand are cloudy and of poor Quality. So is Bangkok, Pattaya, Phi Phi Island and others.
Posted by: Mangon at June 29, 2008 10:36 AM
They ruined the waters around St. Petersburg, FL. We used the imagery to look at the sea bottom for local boating and fishing. The new imagery is poorly taken and shows only surface reflections. The old imagery was MUCH better.
bummer.
Posted by: Jack Coletti at July 13, 2008 10:49 PM
For the Philippines, I've noticed the higher resolution imagery update for Mayon Volcano. Thanks to Google Earth, but still there are vast areas obscured by clouds and the dates the imagery were taken are not the same and so the colors appear inconsistent.
Posted by: James at July 18, 2008 03:39 AM
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Hellfire Pass, Kanchanaburi region, Thailand.
Area surrounding Sangkhlaburi, Thailand.
Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai region, Thailand.
Vientiane, Laos.
Hue, Vietnam (bit cloudy though)
Pete.