My jaw dropped when I saw this one...

from The Wall St. Journal, page B1 (9/12/00)

"Now You, Too, Can Be A Spy"

New Web Site Offers Photos From Sattelites, Planes; Some Fret About Privacy

by Don Clark

"A new world of earth images, once available only to spies and military strategists, is opening up for consumers.

"In the latest development, a start-up called GlobeXplorer Inc. today plans to launch a Website to access unusually detailed aerial and satellite photos. Users can enter many addresses in the United States and, in the case of most metropolitan areas, zoom down to view neighborhoods, buildings, and even individual homes, using maps that pop up to aid navigation."

There's much more in the article, but I don't have time to type it all in.

Here's the website:

GlobeXplorer

Have fun -- well, not TOO much fun. (ulp...hope I wasn't out sunbathing that day...)

-- eve (eve_rebekah@yahoo.com), September 12, 2000

Answers

I found this a couple months back and didn't see my house. The photos are over a year old, when my house was a vacant lot. But it's a neat find, anyway.

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), September 12, 2000.

Again, I've been tempted, but I absolutely refuse to "cheat" by patching on a post just to get this over into "New Answers." I'm sorry, but it just ain't gonna happen. No way.

(arms folded, defiant look -- well, defiant in a cute sorta way, as I haven't yet mastered a truly defiant look...but I'm gettin' there.)

-- eve (eve_rebekah@yahoo.com), September 12, 2000.

Maria, I didn't read the whole article, but I got the impression the article said the site was just now being launched, and that the one I linked to was the new one. I'm hereby, therefore, and henceforth embarrassed that this is an old site.

This is what happens sometimes when I get really excited about something. My emotions take over and careful examination go out the window.

Also, we posted at the same time, so my silly message above lost its point, too.

Oh, fie! Well...at least it's Friday.

-- eve (eve_rebekah@yahoo.com), September 12, 2000.

:) I'm on this forum too much lately. Can't get into work at the moment.

Well how new is a new site? It is measured in minutes, days, weeks? It still could be considered new even after a few months, can't it?

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), September 12, 2000.

Also try this older site: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/

-- (links@r.us), September 12, 2000.

Oh yes, Maria...but I titled this thread using the words "brand new." Other than that, I'm ok with it, and still glad I posted it.

-- eve (eve_rebekah@yahoo.com), September 12, 2000.

Thanks for the link, "links." I'll check it out.

"Links 'r' us," eh? You know National Lampoon's "True Facts" series showed a photo (from one of their first "True Facts" books -- from the '70s or so, and probably out of print, as I haven't seen it since) of a pharmacy in California called "Drugs 'r' Us." I swear.

-- eve (eve_rebekah@yahoo.com), September 12, 2000.

eve,

Get with the times, babe.

It's "Drug 'b' Us" now

-- flora (***@__._), September 12, 2000.

Is that you down there, eve? Cover up, girl.

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), September 12, 2000.

Eve, totally cool site, thanks for the link. We found our house, then the kids schools..which they loved, then our OLD house, then the mall, then the jail and the park and the boardwalk. The kids were fascinated by it! Bookmarked and thanks again!

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), September 12, 2000.

flora, good one. But remember...that was back in the 70s. Ill bet the pharmacy HAS changed its name to something like you suggested. Well...good business practices would have called for it, anyway.

Im Here,

Well, no wonder I wasnt able to click in closer to my house. Too many of yall had gotten there sooner and clicked in and gone and tied up the final photo site with your gawkin!

kritter,

Now just your post alone would have made this whole thing worth it to me! Thank YOU for sharing the joys yall found there.

-- eve (eve_rebekah@yahoo.com), September 12, 2000.

The "Big four" aerial photo sites I enjoy are: Globexplorer.com, Terraserver.microsoft.com, Aerialsexpress.com, Airphotousa.com, and many many local internet access GIS aplications which have been known to show 3"=1 pixle resolution Aerial photos of certain metropolitan cities etc.

Without a doubt, These Online GIS aplications my well show yourself outside in your swiming pool. 3"=1 pixle reselution will allow you to tell which car you have.(Use Photodeluxe to udjust the quality of all arial photos, as it helps there contrast and size etc).

:)

-- John Williams (clonejerec@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.