Google buying satellite maker Skybox for $500M

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is buying Skybox Imaging in a deal that could serve as a launching pad for the Internet company to send its own fleet of satellites to take aerial pictures and provide online access to remote areas of the world.

The $500 million acquisition announced Tuesday initially will provide Google with the means to improve the quality and immediacy of the satellite imagery used in its digital maps.

Google Inc. plans to use Skybox's satellite already in orbit to supplement the material that it licenses from more than 1,000 sources, including other satellite companies such as DigitalGlobe and Astrium.

Eventually, though, Skybox could turn into another Google "moonshot" — a term that CEO Larry Page has embraced for describing ambitious projects that could take several years to materialize.

FULL story at link



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140610/us--google-satellite_acquisition-a5ebf1211f.html

[tomm2thumbs]

1. That'll save the NSA some money -- someone's paying for the images and they snag them en route

come to think of it, what is the difference between Google and NSA computers?

[jmowreader]

6. Google has even fewer restrictions than the NSA

The NSA has a set of regulations telling it what it's allowed to do. Google does whatever the hell it wants.

[TiredOfNo]

2. Could be something more than imaging.

With the "Net Neutral" controversy raging, Google may be thinking in terms of satellite internet access. As an independent ISP they could set their own rules regarding web access. Just an interesting thought..........

[Amonester]

3. Would that mean they could stop foreign proxies like startpage.com from using them?

https://startpage.com is my Home page BTW...

[quakerboy]

4. They are already doing that on the ground

Google fiber has rolled out in a few cities, and appears set to add a bunch more. Google aint perfect, but I'm rather hoping that they come here to Oregon. For a $300 installation fee, you get free basic internet. Or you can pay monthly and get far faster internet than anyone else is offering. And one of their selling points to try and win over cable and dsl Customers is that they dont throttle independant content in preference to their chosen content.

Shy of Free citywide internet, I cant see a better option on the market.

[eggplant]

5. Everything old is new again.

They did the exact same thing ten years ago when they bought up Keyhole.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB109888284313557107

[onehandle]

7. Skynet is becoming reality. nt

[WhiteTara]

8. This is good and this is bad. nt