Gizmodo: street view

iPhone 2.2 Update Finally Brings Google Street View to Maps?

John Mahoney — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:40:00 EDT

After being sent out to developers last week promising only "compatibility testing" enhancements, the pre-release version of iPhone software 2.2 is starting to spill its secrets. The folks at Mac Rumors have dug up evidence that appears to indicate Google Maps' Street View finally making it into the Maps app, after popping up in the regular mobile Maps applications for non-iPhones as well as, of course, Android, with the cool Compass view feature. On top of Street View, they've also uncovered a few other new features, including the ability to disable the text auto-correction feature while typing.

Namely, the ability to turn off the keyboard's auto-correction feature and support for Japanese emoji emoticons—the typically adorable little icons that Japanese teens (and adults?) can't live without. Lack of emoji support has actually been blamed for slower iPhone sales in Japan, so there you go. I'm not sure who would want to live without keyboard auto-correction though—that would take a mastery of multitouch typing that I have yet to see. [Mac Rumors - image is a 'Shop, not the actual implementation]

Google Maps Mobile App Now Does Full-Screen Street View

John Mahoney — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:10:00 EDT

Google's been busy with the Street View drones—and now you can see their tireless work on your phone with today's new version of the Maps app. Standing on your boring corner, you can full-screen, say, Tokyo's streets and compare. The new version also adds more accurate geolocations and a few other interface tweaks, which Googler Josh was kind enough to walk us through, even while hallucinating the Street View "peg man" in his pocket.

Oh Google. [Official Google Mobile Blog]

Pretend You're Actually Venturing Outside With Wii Balance Board and Google Street View

matt buchanan — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:40:00 EDT

Sort of like the hacked Wii Balance Board that'll surf Google Earth, but a little more down to earth, this mod will let you act like you're strolling through town with Google Street View. You walk to move forward or lean on one foot to turn—it actually seems to work pretty well. With a giant display, you could visit New York and walk around without suffering from the gross and smelly summer, or you know, just use it as another excuse to never leave the massive pillow fort you've converted your living room into. [blog.katsuma.tv via Balanceboarding - Thanks Mark!]

Tour Infinite Loop With Google Street View

matt buchanan — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT

If you've ever wanted to take a street tour of the center of the Apple universe, now's your chance. The Google Street View car has finished making its rounds at Infinite Loop, so you can zoom around like you belong there from your computer chair.

There aren't any pictures of Steve Jobs passed out drunk in front of 1 Infinite Loop, Woz rolling by on a Segway or mysterious suitcases being lugged around by the MIB, but I'm sure if you look really hard, you'll find something worth starting a rumor over. [Google Maps via TUAW]

Google StreetView Sees Man Passed Out Drunk On Mother's Lawn

Jason Chen — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:40:00 EDT

Not content to just capture houses burning and other embarrassing shenanigans in the US, Google StreetView has gone overseas and done the same to a drunk Australian man passed out in his own lawn. Now that man is pissed—not in his pants, but at Google—for the invasion of privacy.

The story goes that "Bill" just came back from a drink, in the middle of the day no less, in order to get over the fact that his best friend was killed in a boating accident. After being dropped off by a taxi at his mother's house, he passed out on the lawn (and kinda on the curb), ripe for Google's StreetView car. The image has since been blotted out from Google Maps, but This Is London got a screenshot before. Sorry "Bill", or should I say, Luke from Kotaku! [Daily Mail]

Tour Tokyo's Tech Paradise, Now On Google Street View

John Mahoney — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Google's dutiful camera vans have finished canvassing Tokyo, which means today you can now tour some of the world's most geek-friendly real estate in "electric town" Akihabara without the 14 hour plane flight. The folks at Mars Mag have put together a tour of some of their favorite Linux Maid Cafes, Dream PC builders, arcade palaces and electronics megastores that call Akihabara home.

Places like the Linux Cafe, your Gateway to the Open Source Computers!

Or Yodobashi Camera, one of the biggest electronics stores anywhere. A bajillion floors packed to the brims.

And little hovels like the Queen Dolce Cafe, where untold costumed geekery happens well above street level.

Google Street View also hit in Australia today, so if anyone unearths a magical district of electronics wonders down under, let me know. And hit Mars Mag for more: [Mars Mag]

Google Street View Car Drives Into Microsoft Campus, Gets Laughed At By Windows Live Maps

Jason Chen — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:01:39 EDT

Reader Don sends in this fantastic tip about a Google Street View car actually driving around and taking pictures inside a Microsoft campus. The GooCar—shown here photographed by Microsoftees—wasn't just covering regular roads, they were going in-between buildings and getting as many angles as they could of the campus. That's ballsy. What's even funnier, says Don, is that the Google guys were driving around the team that does Windows Live Maps, like nothing was wrong, when other Microsoft guys were laughing and yelling at them. Much nerd hilarity ensued. [Thanks Don!]

Camera Shy Minnesota Town Bans Google Maps Street View

Jack Loftus — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EDT

The townsfolk of North Oaks, Minnesota, want to be able to pick their nose, flash cars, conduct drug deals and fall down on the sidewalk without the whole world knowing about it, so they've forbidden Google Maps Streetview cars from crossing city limits. At least those are the only reasons I can think of as to why this quiet community of 4,500 would want to go all Wuher at Chulum's Cantina and ban Google's voyeuristic fleet of droid-like camera cars.

North Oaks can get away with this because all the roads in town are privately owned, with "No Trespassing" signs greeting visitors when they enter (apparently no packages are ever delivered to North Oaks — J.L.). When city officials noticed their streets on Google Maps Streetview in January, they filed a complaint with Google, which immediately took the offending images offline. The image above is as close as you can get to town when using Google to navigate the North Oaks area.

This isn't the first time Google's street level map service has encountered blowback from miffed privacy advocates. When it launched in 2007, complaints were filed regarding people's faces and license plates. Just recently Google began blurring the faces of pedestrians who were caught in the Web 2.0 crossfire.

And last month, a Pittsburgh family sued Google when one of its cars drove up the length of their private driveway and took pictures of their house. Who wouldn't want that in their community? [CNET News]

Google Street View Becomes Google Bag View in Alaska

AddyDugdale — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:40:00 EDT

One of the occupational hazards of Google Street View is, I guess, having the camera obscured by something. It could be a pterodactyl, perhaps, flying low for a closer view, it could be a giant Monty Python-style animated brogue homing in on the car as if it were a roach ripe for the squishing. Or it could be a plastic bag. One minute it's dancing around, American Beauty-style, the next it's spread-eagled over the camera rather like an over-amorous spinster at a barn dance. This is what Minnie Street in Fairbanks, Alaska, looks like, according to Google Street View. [Google Maps via Google Sightseeing]

Google Street View Invades Cat's Privacy

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 10:12:01 EDT

It's only been out for a day, yet Google's new Street View feature is already causing havoc, invading the privacy of Mary Kalin-Casey, whose cat Monty is shown in the above photo outside her home. Personally, I can barely make out a cat in that photo. What do you guys think? Is this an invasion of privacy—should Google take the image down? – Louis Ramirez

Google Photos Stir Debate Over Privacy [NYT]

The Google Maps Street View Camera

Jason Chen — Thu, 31 May 2007 17:15:26 EDT

Your friends have undoubtedly been clogging up your in-box with funny pictures from Google Maps Street View, but do you know how those pictures were taken? You do now. Google licensed shots from Immersive Media, a company that specializes in 360-degree videos, in order to fill out their coverage in cities like NYC.

As you can see, IM mounts a 11-camera contraption on top of their vehicle as they drive in order to capture the 360-degree view you get on Google Maps. One thing to note, however, is that Google's San Francisco shots look a lot more detailed than their NYC shots. That's because Google took their own van out to take the SF pics. – Jason Chen

Google Maps zoom: here's the device and vehicle behind it [Boing Boing]

Google Maps Street View Found E.T.

Travis Hudson — Wed, 30 May 2007 13:40:39 EDT

In the biggest twist of the year, including last year, it seems that the new Google Maps Street View found E.T. and an accompanying laser beam.

Or maybe it isn't a laser beam or E.T. at all and I've just drank myself stupid, but it's pretty convincing. Thanks, CptPoland –Travis Hudson