Tuesday, December 04, 2012

The Strange Beauty of Google Maps Glitches


Abstract Season Changes is a Tumblr of stitching errors in Google Maps' satellite layer. The site is a series of screen-grabs, captured from Google Maps, where two different satellite images, captured in different seasons, have been incongruously stitched together.

The result is a collection of pictures with a strange kind of flawed beauty.


Another Tumblr that likes to find mistakes on Google Maps is Google Maps FAIL.

Every now and again the traditional media likes to jump on a mistake found on Google Maps, for example the recent discovery of the non-existent island Sandy. Google Maps FAIL has been documenting errors on Google Maps since 2009.

I take a lot of comfort from the fact that this Tumblr is so short (cue lots of comments pointing out other errors on Google Maps).


Dronestagram is another Tumblr blog that has recently generated a lot of interest. This Tumblr posts satellite images from Google Maps that show the locations of some U.S. drone attacks.

Dronestagram posts images from Google Maps Satellite view to Instagram, and syndicates this feed to Tumblr and Twitter, along with short summaries of each drone attack site.

5 comments:

  1. I wonder if Google will update for the USA as a lot of images are from 2008-2010.

    I explore Northern California because it's very unique with their mountains and many images are stuck in 2008 though some places like Redding California have been updated and you can go up the hills.


    One town I would like to see filled in a bit......a lot bit more is Paradise California.

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  2. My parents and I think the economy may be affecting Google's ability to take pictures as they don't do as large updates as they used to when they frist started out.


    Edit. First started out.


    Remember when updates used to come once a month on a regular basis?

    Looks like street view is now just a fad as I predicted once when Google started.

    Other companies like Everyscape or Map Jack tried to compete but suddenly ceased updating right when the economy failed.

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  3. It seems technology in general is stuck in a chronic stagnation period with mostly *flashy* devices being showed off but very little meat to them. Furthermore you're still hungry afterwards.

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  4. Anonymous4:14 PM

    So how about this:
    https://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.151059,-117.255259&hl=en&ll=34.151119,-117.255157&spn=0.000956,0.001206&geocode=+&t=h&z=20

    Be sure that you have 45degree image turned off.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous1:53 AM

    I just found this one: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=sigel+pa&hl=en&ll=41.271689,-79.109675&spn=0.000551,0.001321&sll=40.361202,-80.025316&sspn=1.136385,2.705383&t=h&hnear=Sigel,+Jefferson,+Pennsylvania&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.271689,-79.109675&panoid=6MO_ZQc95pocL0vetRZ86g&cbp=12,44.85,,0,6.4

    ReplyDelete