Something Google Doesn't Know?

[crokett]

I was looking for the name/phone number of a garden supply place that is near my house but far enough away to make it inconvenient to drive there on spec. I looked on Google maps for approximate location and searched near there for gardening stuff but could not find it. I finally looked at street view and was able to pull a name from a sign. From there I got an address but even after plugging that into Google maps it still would not show this business. So I found something Google doesn't know!

[LinuxRandal]

My work has one address, as well as one location (as compared to some businesses that have a mail to, and warehouse space). Until recently, google maps had us in three different spots, that were all on highways, whose number didn't match that of our address. They had one fairly close (about 3 miles away on a cross highway).

We also have been getting a few walkin's for a business (indoor soccer arena), that has them at our location (love those deer in the headlight looks).

Mapquest has been SOOOOOOOOOo much better, I am suprised that google didn't buy them out. Locally, they are getting the streetview pictures and correcting stuff. (although that is a pain, they still screwed things up and want you to "register" an account with them to correct things (aka, they get money and get to send you ads and junk))

[DonHo]

"I finally looked at street view and was able to pull a name from a sign. From there I got an address but even after plugging that into Google maps it still would not show this business. So I found something Google doesn't know!"

Actually this sounds like me, I know it (you got the name off google) but they don't know they know it ( retrival system doesn't work as well as it used to). It seems to get worse every year

DonHo

[Schleeper]

Technology may be great, but it ain't perfect.

Last time I upgraded my cell phone, I made sure I got one that handles the newfangled GPS driving directions, etc. (With OnStar discontinuing service for cars with analog transceivers, I wanted my directions-challenged spouse to have something to show her the way home.) I've tried it a few times, and it's pretty amazing. However, when I used it to direct me to a specific bar & grille in Granite City Illinois, it took me to someone's house, in a residential area. So I used the search feature to bring up the restaurant's telephone number, and I called them to get directions. I got somebody's home voice mail! I never did find the place.

All was forgiven, however, when I used it the next night to find my way out of downtown Baltimore. I was driving home from BWI airport on the Baltimore Washington Expressway after 11 pm, and missed the ramp for I-95. I quickly found myself in an area of Baltimore that I didn't want to be in, so I fired up VZ Navigator on my phone, and was back on the highway within minutes. Whew!

[atgcpaul]

Right now Mapquest has the most up-to-date picture of my house in aerial
view but it's not as zoomed in as Google.

The aerial view in Google is showing my house during spring/summer. The
older photos showed it in fall or winter when all the leaves had fallen. Even
the newer spring/summer picture is still 1.5 years old, though. However, the
Google picture is clearer.

My GPS unit is no longer up to date. If I don't know the address to enter,
I text the business or person name with city/state to Google and Google texts
me the address back in less than 10 seconds. Very handy when I was on
vacation in Seattle. Texting to Google is free except for text messaging fees.

[JeffG78]

Right now Mapquest has the most up-to-date picture of my house in aerial
view but it's not as zoomed in as Google.

Lately, I have been using http://maps.live.com/. It is a Microsoft map site that has very new aerial photos of many areas. They have a birdseye view that works very well. Once you find the location you want to see, the birdseye view allows you to view the location from N,S,E & W.

[atgcpaul]

Lately, I have been using http://maps.live.com/. It is a Microsoft map site that has very new aerial photos of many areas. They have a birdseye view that works very well. Once you find the location you want to see, the birdseye view allows you to view the location from N,S,E & W.

Zillow.com uses or used to use map.live for their aerial shots. They are the
highest quality images but definitely not the newest images.

They are at least 2 years old and maybe more than 5 years old because
the cherry trees the previous owner planted are not there yet.

The N,S,E & W views are definitely cool.

Paul

[rnelson0]

It seems to get worse every year

I don't think it gets worse, we just expect more every year. Think about it - 5 years ago, how long and how much would it have cost you to get an aerial photo of your house? Now you can do it at 4:22AM on a weekend, and you don't even have to leave your chair

Which doesn't matter to me, since I live too close to Norfolk for anyone to be allowed to show images close enough to matter. I can pick out the large shopping malls at the highest resolution allowed, maybe a few state parks, but that's it. Back in Raleigh, I could see my wife's car in the driveway.