The spectacular 45-degree aerial and satellite imageries features have been around in Google Maps and Earth for a while, but they’ve never been updated and improved at such an outstandingly fast pace as in the past couple of months.

We’ve seen 17 cities and 112 countries or regions getting new higher-resolution images back in September, and now, less than two months in, another 224 cities and 108 countries are getting some new GMaps treats. Not to mention all of the other Maps and Earth updates lately, including the 250,000 miles of roads refreshed in Street View and the 25 million new building footprints.

With so many tweaks and upgrades being released however, one might lose perspective and start thinking Google is simply showing off with even the tiniest refreshments to its already impressive services. Then again, how can anyone call today’s update for example tiny?

As a matter of fact, I dare you to go to Google’s LatLong blog and read the full list of places with new or updated imagery. And not just browse through it, but read the whole thing. Did you do it? Or did you tire in the process and give up?

Now think about how much work Google put into bringing high resolution satellite images for the first time in countries like Luxembourg and Romania. Or how much effort it took for 45-degree imagery to be introduced to 40 new US cities and 20 more internationally.

Or how Kenya, Uganda, Mexico, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Germany, United Kingdom, Portugal, Kuwait, New Zealand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, countries that are literally from all corners of the world, all got something new… again. And all that so we can enjoy “traveling” without spending money or ever leaving our bedrooms. If that's not impressive and worthy of praise, I don't know what is.