The way Google launches new services, quietly and without publicity, surprises competitors, users and even specialists.

After Gmail, the first webmail service that offered 2 GB of storing space, the vlogging (video-blogging) service was next. Only a few hours have passed since the launching and Google is now announcing the Satellite service for Google Maps. Although the link is almost hidden on the page (somewhere in the upper-right corner of the Google Maps screen), the function which allows you to see from the satellite the region you only saw as a linear graphical representation will be a success.

Unfortunately, the images taken through satellite look kind of old or show residential areas still under construction, when in reality they have been finished for a long time.

The providers of the images are DigitalGlobe and EarthSat, and the regions which can be "carefully inspected" are only from the United States and Canada. Using these information one can obtain even schemas similar to the GPS which can ease your orientation at neighborhood or street level. Google Maps has a function which facilitates the viewing of a neighboring image without the user to wait for the reloading of the page with the indicated location.

The technology for the digital maps was bought by Google from Keyhole, an acquisition which took place in October last year. Keyhole uses 3D technology which allows the clear viewing of a region, a city or even an address. Images which are based on information gathered from satellite or from airplanes, can be inclined in different angles for a better viewing.