Uber Takes to the Skies

On Tuesday, DigitalGlobe, a satellite-imagery company, announced that it will provide high-resolution pictures of the planet's surface to Uber. DigitalGlobe is the primary provider of satellite imagery to Google, Apple, and the U.S. government. When you see a satellite image of your home on Google Maps that shows individual cars and trees, odds are that it was captured by one of DigitalGlobe's four satellites. Though some of this imagery may eventually appear in the app, DigitalGlobe representatives said that Uber seems much more interested in pulling information out of the pictures. "Urban landscapes are changing all the time," says Kevin Bullock, the director of product management for the satellite company.