Google Earth Street View

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by Osaban, Aug 24, 2011.

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  1. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    I've heard about this new feature (new to me anyway) which has created quite a few privacy problems and lawsuits to Google. Well the results are absolutely breathtaking: as an example one can choose some well known landmark like for example the Coliseum in Rome or the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

    Once there you can drag the icon representing a human to any area of interest and instantly you find yourself at street level in one of those exploratory photographs: you are in "street view mode" and by using the mouse or the keyboard one has the feeling to walk around the area, one can turn around move forward, look up etc, quite an amazing experience.
     

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  2. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

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    Yeah, cool isn't it? :cool:
     
  3. ams963

    ams963 Registered Member

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    totally:thumb:
     
  4. guest

    guest Guest

    cool
    but does not always give you a clear picture
     
  5. twl845

    twl845 Registered Member

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    I put up street view of my house. There was a guy climbing out the window. :D
     
  6. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    True, I think it is still in development, and it takes a lot of computer resources. One should also know that there are 2 modes available: "ground level view" which is a 3D reconstruction of the environment similar to computer games and "street view" which is an exploratory photograph, not always available for certain locations, a feature that will improve in the future. You can toggle easily between the two different views at the top right hand side of the page.
     

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  7. John Bull

    John Bull Registered Member

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    Google Earth is the most remarkable "mission impossible" program ever to be loaded on the Internet. How they did this is way beyond comprehension.

    Not wishing to provoke any sour comments, I have a Degree in several scientific and engineering subjects including Mathematics and have spent my entire working life in these fields, but I simply cannot understand how Google have done this immense and unbelievable task
    .
    To cover every part of the world in both aerial view and tens of millions of minute street views with road names and addresses is nothing short of a miracle. We can visit anywhere in the world from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Cape Kennedy, all cities and towns/villages down to my own little old road and house. I can even see my garden gnomes and from a height of around 150-250 miles, that`s not bad going eh ?

    The street photo`s are so detailed and clear that none of us could do better with our own camera. My car number plate can be read, but is fuzzed out by the decency of Google`s privacy policy, as is my house number. We can even get any road travel routes we wish from A to B, giving the distance and time taken.

    What is more we can crash our planes after take-off at all the major airports in the world by entering the Flight Simulator.

    FANTASTIC !

    John
     
  8. SweX

    SweX Registered Member

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    Afaik Google bought KeyHole Corp wich is the company behinde the "idea", and Google later re-named the product to Google Earth. And made it Free. More info: http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/keyhole.html

    The first time I heard about KeyHole was before Google bought them on a CBS 60 Minutes TV show and when the show was over I went strait to the KeyHole website and started my trial of the program. But at that time there was no "street view" only raw satellite images. Street View and similar features was implemented by Google later on. Feels like a long time ago now :)
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2011
  9. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

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    For the street views apparently they have teams employed in most countries to drive about with a car with an odd 'football' shaped camera on top of it which takes almost 360 degree photos.

    Yeah, I have crashed that virtual F-16 so many times I could have bankrupted a virtual air force!
     
  10. John Bull

    John Bull Registered Member

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    Hi Dave,

    Gosh they must have millions of cars with footballs on to cover all the worlds roads etc. The camera`s are very frequent up each road. You can go from Red Square Moscow right down to some piffling little road and all the names are there. To think they can do this in every country on this massive Planet is mind boggling. Unbelievable !

    I just cannot imagine how such a task has been carried out in every minor detail.

    As for that Flight Simulator, I've crashed so many times in so many places that I have given it up in favour of a walking frame.

    John
     
  11. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

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    I know people who have seen the Google-mobile taking photos, yet I've never seen it myself. I can see two relatives of mine who have actually been caught on camera (even with their faces pixilated I can recognise them) & they can't recall seeing the car that photographed them. Maybe it has a stealth mode. It is very impressive how they've done it all though.

    Yeah, I don't think even Biggles could fly that thing!
     
  12. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    Very good feature I'd say, as long as sensitive information are censored.
     
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