Google launches Street View, Mapplets

Users can now get 3-D photos of streets. They can also control their own little yellow person.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

This morning Google added Street View, an all new way to browse Google Maps. Launching with five major cities, Street View joins satellite and traffic maps as new ways to view geography. When in an area with a Street View, users can toggle the mode to navigate within a 3-D photograph using their mouse or keyboard shortcuts. Users get their own "person" that shows which direction you're looking at.You can also just click and drag them to new locations. The experience is a mix between Quicktime's VR environment and Microsoft Live Labs' PhotoSynth project since users can zoom in closer in any shot. Google describes it as "immersive photography."

Google also announced the launch of Mapplets, which joins the My Maps feature they launched in early April. With Mapplets, users can create their own maps mash-ups, which can be combined and toggled on and off. The example shown at this morning's press demo was a Chicago transit map, which could be mixed up with other maps shared or uploaded to the service.

Here's a street view of CNET's headquarters in San Francisco. To see any part closer up, just double click it.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

[potatophysics]

Immersive Photography? Try Immersive Media

See the company Immersive Media for streaming video
panoramas of that dataset. Their coverage map is
http://demos.immersivemedia.com/onlinecities/

[donwahl]

GOOGLE MAPLETS

WHERE IS REFERENCE TO A DOWNLOAD FOR MAPLETS?

[SirGemini]

Google Mapplets

This new service is very nice and I'm sure many folks will find it helpful. However, it would be even nicer if Google would allow enlarging the acutal map window. The smallish map window within which one must manuver is really restricting. This is particularly noticable when printing the map, there is no way to print it to fit the page. Having to paste several maps together because of this "one-size-fits-all" display becomes very frustrating. I know one can scroll in and out to show more, but many times much detail is lost when doing that; so, please consider allowing for the increasing of the map's window size.
Thank you.

[geotrotter]

Google Street View sights list

I added here the best Google Street View.

[geotrotter]

Google Street View sights list

I added here the best Google Street View.

[mcbryano]

I just finished a website that I used street view on. If you go to any of the featured listings you can click on a button that gives you property view and from there click street view.

http://www.klrealty.net

[47project]

Cool technology....yet the Big Brother potential is high....

-Rich
http://www.47project.com