Google buys satellite image firm Keyhole By Matt Hines http://news.com.com/Google+buys+satellite+image+firm+Keyhole/2100-1032_3-542 8685.html
Search giant Google said Wednesday that it has acquired Keyhole, a company specializing in Internet software that allows people to view satellite images from around the globe. Financial terms of the deal were not announced, but Google said that it has cut pricing for Keyhole's flagship software package, Keyhole 2 LT, from $69.95 to $29.95. The acquisition of Keyhole underscores Google's efforts to widen its search capabilities beyond basic Web page results, as competition in the search sector heats up. One example of the company's growth strategy is a feature that lets surfers see excerpts from some books. The company began testing the service last year and incorporated it into its main search engine earlier this month. Google also recently unveiled Google Desktop Search, a thin-client application that lets people retrieve e-mail, Microsoft Office documents, AOL chat logs and a history of Web pages previously viewed, all via a Web browser. Google faces competition in the Web search arena from a variety of sources, including Amazon.com and a host of new, smaller companies. Keyhole, founded in 2001, offers software that lets Internet users view geographic images collected from satellites and airplanes. The technology relies on a multi-terabyte database of mapping information. The software gives users the ability to zoom in from space-level; in some cases it can zoom in all the way to a street-level view. The company does not have high-resolution imagery for the entire globe, but its Web site offers a list of cities that are available for more detailed viewing. The company has focused most on covering large metropolitan areas in the United States and is working to expand its coverage. The software lets viewers tilt and rotate an image. Users can also search for information such as the locations of hotels, parks, ATMs and subways. You are a subscribed member of the infowarrior list. Visit www.infowarrior.org for list information or to unsubscribe. This message may be redistributed freely in its entirety. Any and all copyrights appearing in list messages are maintained by their respective owners.
