This feat was achieved by streaming detailed map data from the cloud, ... The Untold Story Behind Microsoft Flight Simulator’s Ultra-Realistic World Map.

World Sunlight Map in Google Earth. ... 2008. Automatically updates every 30 minutes, real-time clouds, ... but keep the more realistic view available when you zoom out for a view from space!

Clouds, tall buildings and the risk of typhoons were among the challenges for a Hong Kong company charged with taking the images behind the first 3D Google Earth map of an Asian city.