Google has increased the resolution on some of their satellite maps, but it’s a little tricky to find. Based on what I’ve found the higher resolution hasn’t been built into the interface yet, so you’ll have to hack the URL a bit. Here’s how to do it:
- using Google Maps find the location you want, making sure you are using hybrid or satellite.
- click on “Link to this page” on the top right corner of the map (here is the link to my favorite bar in San Francisco, Specs in the North Beach)
- In the URL look for this ‘=h&z=19&’ — that number controls the zoom.
- Now zoom the map to the max, then start fiddling with the URL, increasing the number.
I found that you can increase the zoom to 20 before it breaks, but your mileage may vary depending on what location you’re looking at. Have at it Google Map geek!