Google Street View goes live in Australia
Street View, the driver's-eye view on Google Maps is now available in Australia. The service allows you to take virtual walks, pan rotate and zoom the camera angle, as well as explore cityscapes, landmarks and points of interest.
Google Street View
was first introduced in the United States on May 25,
2007. Google has stated that its ultimate goal is to provide street views of the entire world, although the company has not disclosed in advance the exact dates when any particular locations will be added.
The Street View service has raised privacy concerns. In response to this, Google has invested in an algorithm to ensure individual’s faces are blurred in Street View – the
computer algorithm searches Google's image database for faces, then blurs them, said John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Google Maps.
In defence, Google spokesperson has stated that "Street View only features imagery taken on public property. This imagery is no different from what any person can readily capture or see walking down the street." Indeed, Google allows users to flag inappropriate or sensitive imagery for Google to review and remove. When the service was first launched, the process for requesting that an image be removed was not trivial; however, Google has since changed its policy to make removal more straightforward.
Top 10 Street View tips for everyday use
- Explore parts of Australia you've always wanted to visit, from tourist attractions, CBDs to the most remote areas.
- Preview your holiday accommodation and see how close it is to the beach and transport.
- Show your overseas or interstate friends and family where you live and work.
- Walk the streets and find that amazing restaurant you forgot the name of. Use driving directions with Street View images of intersections and landmarks to get there.
- Study the geography, vegetation and landscape of different parts of the continent, from the tropical north to the dusty outback.
- Show party guests where the venue is, or team-mates where the weekend sportsground is.
- Looking to buy or rent a property? Take a virtual walk-through of the area to check amenities. Save time by not going to open houses that don't meet your criteria.
- Share recommendations with friends about places to stay and how to get there.
- Search for buildings which provide wheelchair access.
- Arrange meeting spots with friends, or just familiarise yourself with a new city or a new part of town you're visiting.
References:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10006040-2.html?hhTest=1
http://maps.google.com.au/help/maps/streetview/10-tips-for-everyday-use.html
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2007-06-01-google-maps-privacy_N.htm
http://www.ddj.com/web-development/199904845
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/08/google-lets-you-remove-people-from.html
The Street View service has raised privacy concerns. In response to this, Google has invested in an algorithm to ensure individual’s faces are blurred in Street View – the
computer algorithm searches Google's image database for faces, then blurs them, said John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Google Maps.
In defence, Google spokesperson has stated that "Street View only features imagery taken on public property. This imagery is no different from what any person can readily capture or see walking down the street." Indeed, Google allows users to flag inappropriate or sensitive imagery for Google to review and remove. When the service was first launched, the process for requesting that an image be removed was not trivial; however, Google has since changed its policy to make removal more straightforward.
Top 10 Street View tips for everyday use
- Explore parts of Australia you've always wanted to visit, from tourist attractions, CBDs to the most remote areas.
- Preview your holiday accommodation and see how close it is to the beach and transport.
- Show your overseas or interstate friends and family where you live and work.
- Walk the streets and find that amazing restaurant you forgot the name of. Use driving directions with Street View images of intersections and landmarks to get there.
- Study the geography, vegetation and landscape of different parts of the continent, from the tropical north to the dusty outback.
- Show party guests where the venue is, or team-mates where the weekend sportsground is.
- Looking to buy or rent a property? Take a virtual walk-through of the area to check amenities. Save time by not going to open houses that don't meet your criteria.
- Share recommendations with friends about places to stay and how to get there.
- Search for buildings which provide wheelchair access.
- Arrange meeting spots with friends, or just familiarise yourself with a new city or a new part of town you're visiting.
References:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10006040-2.html?hhTest=1
http://maps.google.com.au/help/maps/streetview/10-tips-for-everyday-use.html
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2007-06-01-google-maps-privacy_N.htm
http://www.ddj.com/web-development/199904845
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/08/google-lets-you-remove-people-from.html