Yahoo! Maps pwns Google Maps
So I was looking at Claire's photos of Knocknasink in Co. Wicklow (very Lord-Of-The-Rings-ey), and she points out that new-ish feature where you can add a map to a photo page, pointing out where the picture was taken. I zoomed in on the map and found that the satellite photos of the area (a fairly remote place) were really good, and they're supplied by Yahoo Maps.
See, I've been checking Google Maps and Google Earth's satellite imagery of North Dublin, to see if you can see my Mam and Dad's house, in Garristown, on them. Basically, you can't. When you go to Google Maps/Earth and look at most of North Dublin, it looks like this:
So like, just a big blurry mess then. I don't even know if this is even near the actual area I'm looking for, as it's such a big mess. It doesn't even have any roads on it for crying out loud, and this is the "hybrid" of satellite and map images.
So when I looked on Yahoo Maps at the area I'm looking for, I was delighted to see it looked like this:
Brilliant! The roads are on it, the picture is clear, everything I know is present and correct. The area at the top centre of the pic is Phil Wogans' farm. Babs and Rebecca and probably Andy will know what I'm talking about here. If you can see the little + sign (just left of the centre of the image), my Mam and Dads' house is just above it (it's a dark grey rectangle laying north by northwest). Just above that with the dark blue roof is the enormous shed that myself and my Dad restored about ten years ago. Both the shed and the house itself are made of stone, and are about 250-300 years old.
Across the road (on the left of the picture) is the building site that's been wrecking my Mam and Dad's buzz for the past year or so. They're building 20-something houses there, more houses than have been built in one place in Garristown since like, ever. And at the bottom-right of the picture is the local GAA ground, which has been completely rebuilt from the ground up over the past two years.
Another brilliant thing about Yahoo! Maps compared to Google Maps is that the URL in the address bar of your browser constantly updates as you move around, so there's not need to press that "link to this page" button like in Google Maps.
So there you have it, I can officially see my Mam and Dads' on the internet now! And Yahoo Maps totally pwns Google Maps. For now anyway.
(posts)
4.21-en
Geek Support, fixing of bugger-ups, moral support, code splicing, tech. administration, whining, über-nerdery and fetching of fluffy coffees by 
Comments
sort-of connected - have you seen this?
http://www.geogreeting.com/
You could send Nikki a card...
Posted by: annie | February 20, 2007 10:31 PM
Interesting site that one, but also a wee bit cheesy or something, I dunno? Thanks though!
Posted by: Matt | February 21, 2007 12:47 AM
It does depend on where you are looking at. My parents place in Limerick is in high definition colour. I can see their cars in the driveway, and I can tell when the picture was taken (in the summer around the mid to late morning - the trees have leaves, the shadows are pretty small and they lean to the left meaning it was before midday).
Posted by: Seamus | February 21, 2007 2:17 PM
Is your parents place in Limerick city? Google Maps is pretty good at having most cities covered in high-resolution.
The problem is, outside the cities (excluding some nice mountain and cliff areas), it goes from high resolution to no resolution. Yahoo's maps on the other hand, although in a lower resolution, have a much larger area covered, and even have some regional townlands marked on the maps that I had no idea even existed.
When you go to North Dublin on Google Maps, there isn't even a map, never mind satellite imagery. Nothing.
Posted by: Matt | February 21, 2007 3:46 PM
Their place is in the sticks outside limerick. About 15km from the city.
Posted by: Seamus | February 21, 2007 4:11 PM
Interesting! It must be in one of those swathes of land that happened to have been surveyed in one of Googles' fly-overs. Half of North Dublin hasn't yet had that luxury.
Posted by: Matt | February 21, 2007 4:39 PM
Well it is the "nort-side". It's not safe for them to fly over it.
Posted by: Seamus | February 21, 2007 5:25 PM
oooh take that back!! We're north countiers anyway so it doesn't count!!
Posted by: babs | February 21, 2007 8:03 PM
Exactly. We're from like, BEYOND THE NORTH SIDE. We're almost (but not quite) boggers like.
Posted by: Matt | February 21, 2007 8:14 PM
What Matt is trying to say is that there is a bog near our house, but fortunately we were spared the whole bogger accent due to our parents being from the big smoke, who would also have killed us if we came out with anything like "I done/seen etc". There is a Garristonian accent though, which is surprising, seeing as there is only a population of about 10, and also Seamus, you are from Limerick!!! :) so don't go throwing about the whole "all North siders are knacks" thing.....righ'?
Posted by: babs | February 21, 2007 9:53 PM
Actually, according to the most recent census the population of G-Town is 289 (possibly 290 counting Baby Isobel.
And yeah Seamus, you come from feckin' Limerick! It may not be safe to fly over the Northside, but it's not safe to drive a tank into Moyross.
Posted by: Matt | February 21, 2007 10:13 PM
Not only am I an from Limerick, I am a Keane from Limerick. And my brother is Kieran Keane.
Der will be no further dissing of Limerick. R'oi?
Posted by: Seamus | February 21, 2007 10:50 PM
Nothing scares me, just FYI.
Posted by: Babs | February 22, 2007 10:40 AM