Episode Fourteen - Google Street View

If you've ever picked your nose or have worn an unfortunate thong in public, Google Maps is probably no longer your pal. The everyman's cartography tool from Google has just added Google Street View functionality. What's that? Right now its panoramic street level views of streetscapes of high traffic areas in New York City, San Francisco, Miami, Denver, Las Vegas, and their surronds. It's quite wonderful. I was recently in New York and, just now, revisited the neighbourhood I was in at Park Avenue and E 35th. There, in streetview was the apartment I was in. I could then move the little golden stick figure and screen and I was heading around the corner watched the well to do up and down Park Avenue. The images are captured by a van with a knobbly multiple camera rig on the roof that snaps synchronized images every half-block or so. And yes, some of those pics have shown nasal exploratio, a glimpse of thong-cradled butt and some furniture in open windows all of which have raised privacy issues, none of which, I think should get even our publically exposed knickers in a twist. It's an amazing tool for travel, real and virtual and is a natural extension of what Google, Mapquest and Microsoft have already been doing. If you haven't scoped it out yet, check out http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/ [7]. Then check your butt cleavage before driving in Manhattan. I'm just saying. For my emerging tech company w8nc I'm Wayne MacPhail.

Comments