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Posts with tag Street View

Hybrid 'Googlemobile' Ticketed!

by Tim Stevens, posted Jun 17th 2008 at 12:23PMBreaking News

Hybrid Googlemobile Ticketed!
We've seen the Googlemobile before, captured in a window's reflection as it wove its way through the streets capturing images for Google's Street View feature on Google Maps. Since that earlier photo was taken, it seems Google's gone a bit green, ditching that big ugly van and choosing a Prius with a silly tall camera mounted on the roof. Being green doesn't mean necessarily being lawful, however, as this hybrid Googlemobile apparently broke some traffic violation and is about to be on the receiving end of a ticket from a California motorcycle policeman.

CHiPs it ain't, as we're guessing there wasn't a high-speed chase before this picture was taken, but it's an interesting look at the tech that makes Street View possible. [Source: The San Francisco Citizen]
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Private Neighborhood Wants Off Google's Street View, Google Complies

by Tim Stevens, posted Jun 2nd 2008 at 9:20AMBreaking News

Private Neighborhood Requests Off from Google Street View
There's certainly been no shortage of fallout from Google's Street View feature on the popular Google Maps. The tool, which lets you view photographs of a rapidly growing collection of streets around the country, has caused plenty of controversy over its questionable handling of privacy, with many finding that questionable pictures of themselves or others were captured without their knowledge. Now, a private Minnesota neighborhood has succeeded in having images of its streets removed from the site.

The neighborhood, North Oaks, is completely privately owned. This even includes the streets, meaning that just casually turning in for a quick tour could see you on the wrong side of the law. There are prominent "no trespassing" signs posted at every entrance, and apparently the Googlemobile ignored these and went in anyway. Neighborhood representatives complained, and you are now unable to scope out the neighborhood via Street View any longer.

Victory for privacy advocates everywhere, or an overly insulated community throwing a fit? Either way, it's no real loss; we can't see too many people wanting to visit there. [Source: StarTribune]
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Streetviewr Collects Odd Google Streetview Sightings

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 1st 2008 at 1:58PM

Streetviewr Collects Odd Google Streetview Sightings
We've been tracking odd Google StreetView sightings since day one, and plenty of other sites have gotten in on the action. But all of our lists cant possibly compare to the epic effort going on at Streetviewr which collects and catalogs every glitch, funny picture, or unexplainable shape in Google StreetView. Its catalog of over 2,300 images and counting makes all of our lists obsolete. We make way for the new king of Google Streetview absurdity, Streetviewr. [Source: Streetviewr, Via: Urlesque]

Gallery: StreetViewr

  • Nose picker
  • Segway Gang
  • Cell Phone Man
  • Crime in progress?
  • Silly walk
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Google Street View Starts Blurring Faces

by Terrence O'Brien, posted May 15th 2008 at 3:54PMBreaking News

Google Street View Starts Blurring Faces

Google's Street View has been a source of amusement for some, ire for others, and a concern for privacy advocates. Google is finally starting to conceal the identity of some of the hapless victims of its panoramic photo-taking van. The company has started implementing a new facial recognition tool that will automatically blur the faces of people captured by its Street View cameras.

The technology isn't perfect -- a quick look around Manhattan (the only city to see any blurring yet) reveals some still identifiable faces, and some spots have been blurred that clearly aren't people. Google has been working on the technology for the last year, likely in preparation for a global expansion of Street View. These up-close and potentially embarrassing images may run into tougher legal and cultural opposition on other parts of the globe. [Source: USA Today]
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Couple Sues Google Over Street View of Its House

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Apr 8th 2008 at 9:12AMBreaking News

Couple Sues Google Over Street View of Their House

We are all in agreement, Google Street View is freaking creepy, but is it lawsuit worthy? Aaron C. and Christine A. Boring (yes, their real names) are suing Google because images of their home appear on Google Maps' Street View. According to the Boring suit filed in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Oakridge Lane is a private road and the "reckless conduct" of Google has "exposed plaintiff's private information to the public."

Never mind that there is clearly no Private Road sign at the beginning of Oakridge Lane when viewing it in Google Maps Street View, or that photos of the Boring home, its approximate value, taxes paid, and details of the internal structure are all available on the Allegheny County Web site.

All of that is even completely irrelevant, since taking photographs of homes from public streets is clearly protected by the First Amendment. Just ask Barbara Streisand who sued an aerial mapping company for including photographs of her home in its products. Streisand lost that suit and was forced to pay the companies legal fees.

From Newsvine

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10 More Scary Google StreetView Finds

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Mar 11th 2008 at 12:52PM

10 More of the Strangest Google Street View Finds

It's no secret that Google Maps is cool, but it's also a bit creepy. If super close zooms of camels and a well in Chad weren't disturbing enough, the people spending hours on Google StreetView tracking down disturbing images and deeply personal glances into people's lives and living rooms.

We put together our own round up of scary street views last June, but new ones pop up every day. Times Online has collected 10 more confounding images and we feel obligated to share this new collection of frightening Street Views.

Gallery: 10 More Google Street Views

  • The Hot Girls Truck
  • Googlemobile Stops for Lunch
  • The Alien Invasion has Begun
  • Giant Robot Attack?
  • Headless Figure Next to a Freshly Dug Grave?


From Valleywag

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U.S. Military Bans Google Street View From Bases

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 7th 2008 at 9:48AM

Military Bans Google Street View from Bases

The launch last year of Google's Street View -- which gives you a driver's seat view of actual streets -- made all of us a little freaked out about the prospects of our dwindling privacy. Now, the U.S. military is similarly concerned, and has banned Google from mapping out the streets of its military bases.

The move will mean that Google's so-called Googlemobile, a roving van that takes 360-degree images of the streets for use on the site, will be stopped at the gates of any base. That is, of course, assuming the driver of the van would actually try to get into the base in the first place.

We're sure that someone out there will cry foul about the U.S. government limiting our freedoms, but this is one restriction on the availability of information on the Internet that we can get behind. Granted, these days most military bases look little different inside than your average housing development, but that doesn't mean we need to let everyone around the world see that for themselves.

From Fark and Breitbart.com

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The Googlemobile Spotted!

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 1st 2007 at 10:48AM



If you haven't checked out the freshly-launched Street View feature to Google Maps, do so immediately -- it will freak you out. In some neighborhoods (major metro areas, so far), you can go from the grid view or satellite shot right down to a 360-degree photo taken at street level. What's more, you can then use Street View to navigate through city streets as if you were walking or driving around.

How the heck is Google doing this? Look in the reflection of the window in the picture above to find your answer. It's not magic, voodoo or wizardry; it's a dude in a crappy van.
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