Chapter 2 — The Google Local Interface 25
Occasionally, satellite information is obscured by cloud cover (see Figure 2-10). This (and the
shadows the clouds cast on the ground) is an unfortunate side effect of taking images from
space or from a high-altitude vehicle, and is obviously not Google’s fault. You may also see other
images, such as boats on the water, planes at airports, and any other structure large enough to
be picked up by the camera. These images, despite what you may have heard, are not live. You
cannot watch yourself — or anybody else, for that matter — using Google.
FIGURE2-10: Clouds and shadows on a satellite image.
Changing the View Types.
By now, you know that the Google Local service provides maps and satellite images. What you
may not know is that it, in fact, provides threedifferent views, between which you can switch at
any time by using the links at the top-right corner of the map view:
Maps:These are street-level maps — correct in location, length, and shape — that
include the names of roads, open spaces (when named), lakes, rivers, seas, oceans, and
other identifiable items. These maps can be used to provide location information and
routes for points of interest, such as the Brooklyn Bridge (see Figure 2-11). For roads,
the color defines the relative capacity of the road (in addition to the size representation),
and as you can see in Figure 2-11, information on the direction of traffic (for one-way
streets) is shown where known.