The search engine giant Google Inc. (www.google.com) announced on April 5 a new feature that will enable its users to zoom in on homes and businesses using satellite images. The satellite technology, which Google is offering at http://maps.google.com, is part of the package that Google acquired when it bought the digital map maker Keyhole Corp. (www.keyhole.com) six months ago.
Google offers for the first time free access to Keyhole's high-tech maps through its search engine. Users previously had to pay $29.95 to download a version of Keyhole's basic software package. Keyhole's general manager John Hanke said that there is little reason for people to be paranoid about the satellite maps because the images generally are six to twelve months old, and that Google's free satellite maps initially will be limited to North America, with images covering roughly half the United States.
