Try this link for a satellite view of the World Trade Center site, with map superimposed, for example:

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=34.036764,-...9&z=1&t=h&hl=en

I tried to locate "high knob, virginia" and bizarrely got a shot of coastal California. I tried again with "norton, virginia" and was able to sidle over to High Knob.

Another Google service I just learned about is scholar.google.com. I ran a search on " java eclipse" and got about 3000 hits, "java beans", about 8000, "css style sheet" -- about 1800. The results come from scholarly and professional journals, which may not be freely available. For example, one link for java eclipse led me to the ACM site, where I found I had to be an ACM and SIGSOFT member to get free access, otherwise I could buy the article (after getting a free ACM web account).

Oh, yeah, gotta give credit to slashdot, where I found these. Slashdot is usually the first thing I read every morning.

Hey wow! Those google maps are awesome! Zoom out, pic a place anywhere in the world and then zoom in and in and in and then wow! I'm gonna have some fun playing around with this for a while! This is similar to the post about the moon maps, except this time when u zoom in, it doesn't turn to... well you can answer that by_going_here!

Thanx for the links xcaverx

People here might want to read this short article. It compares Google's mapping efforts with distantly related ones by Microsoft and A9, owned by Amazon.

I read the article and I fail to see how useful that service would be. The only reason I would care to know "where" I am with an accurace of 30m is if I was kidnapped and taken to a major urban center. Then if I managed to get a laptop, or if by chance the kidnappers let me keep my laptop, I could tell what part of the country I'm in or what part of what city I had been taken to. But heck. But hey, I'm glad MS is thinking about all those wealthy, computer-literate, laptop-toting, extremely lucky kidnapping victims.

Just played around with this a little more. Actually not that bad - was bored so I entered a few locations to test it out. Would be better if it allows us to zoom in more, but it's free and you should get the idea...

Yeah, at first I was lost on that moon map. Too detailed LOL.

Google Maps is cool! Tried it the first time with my own house and found an almost accurate bird's eye view of my house. Now I'm wondering if they actually surveyed the whole earth to get such results! Or did they create a 3D simulation of your area which comes to the reason why they don't allow you to zoom further. But hey, its free and so accurate you can look at it and even if the landmark is not labled you'll know where you are already!

Hey is that Mcdonalds behind that building over there......?

Funny how far Technology has come! This thing is tight, I'm able to view my entire neighborhood and surrsoundding areas! I even looked up a few of my old houses to see how those old neighborrhoods are lookin now 'n' days!

Yeah I know google maps are great; esp. considering that it doesnt even have the best zoom capabilites of all the map services...Oh man one time I even saw a car crash captured by satilte!

These maps are one of the latest fields for competition among the big cheeses of the computing world, and they may have some use in certain professions, but personally, I've never once used them, and have never seen the need to.

Software to give you clear instructions for driving from one place to another is a different story.

Wow! haha that is awsome technology is advancing and its fun...i think i saw my house...it was awsome i cant believe they put this on the internet! it makes me feel like the FBI or somethin trackin down myself