Better Google Maps

Along with releasing Google News out of Beta today, Google has also quietly released a new set of 6" satellite imagery for Google Earth.

What's really exciting about this release, is that they've now synched the imagery available on Google Earth, with Google Local. And to take advantage of the new high quality images they've added two further levels of zoom!

For some areas (the UK especially) this is a significant improvement on quality, and the extra levels of zoom put it in line with Google Earth. Which just leaves the Google Earth style 'tilt' on my Google Maps wish-list.

Ah, There's a Whale in the Thames

Now there's something you don't see every day, it appears a 20' northern bottle-nosed whale has gone on a site-seeing tour of central London, starting with river cruise up the Thames.

Cynical observers claim that the whale has 'lost its way', others think he's just taken the opportunity of a rare sunny day in London to cruise the river.

BBC online are offering a live video stream entitled "Watch the whale in the River Thames", featuring live real-time video of the whale in action. Or at least they would be if they hadn't lost it. Stay tuned!

Google Partnering with Intel and Motorola

Google's announced two new partnerships (perhaps alluded to earlier when they denied impending production of 'Google PCs', instead referring to their existing 'great partners'?).

The first is a partnership with Intel to leverage the Viiv platform for bringing Google Video to your living room, the second an alignment with Motorola to add a 'single click access' to Google on a number of their devices.

The Intel announcement is an interesting fusion of the two big rumors floating around the net -- the WSJ predicts a relaunched and expanded Google Video service with the ability to buy video from content provider, and the LA Times article predicting a Google hardware device that many hoped would be some sort of home-Google gateway for search and video.

Personally, I hope it is a combination, with Google announcing the updated Google Video service, as well as a Google branded Viiv box. I mean seriously -- how long until I get my Google-Viiv powered video on-demand+PVR set-top box?

So. How many hours until Larry's keynote at CES??