Street View ist auf Deutschen Straßen

Spiegel reports that Google Street View cars have not only been spotted driving around German roads, but residents of some towns in northwest Germany object to Google using the images on the web. Yes, again.

Most likely, Google's lawyers will win again, and users will get to see German Street Views by the end of next year.

Northwest Germany includes Hamburg, which has been added to the list of upcoming Street View locations. Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany, after Berlin the capital city.

Wii Jog

A person from Japan modified Street View to use with his Wii Fit, so he could jog through Tokyo. He just clips on his Wiimote, and starts jogging. Pretty cool, no?

You can dowload the code for this to try out at Google Code.

Google Street View has a Huge Lead

[chart removed]

The above chart shows how far Street View* has gone, compared to its so-called "competition" EveryScape**, MapJack, and StreetSide.

[chart removed]

This chart shows how fast Street View is updating, compared to its "competition".

Google has absolutely nothing to worry about. At this rate, the number of locations by 2015:

Street View - 574 locations
EveryScape - 542 locations
MapJack - 105 locations
StreetSide - 2 locations

*Not including the areas without camera icons.
**Based on main page listings.

Peg Man Parties!

Peg Man is shown in Street View today wearing a party hat and holding balloons in Google colors. He could be partying because of the new T-Mobile G1 phone that runs on Android, will be released today. This phone will include a Street View application that has a built-in compass that will show you your viewpoint in Street View.

Party, party, party!

oΣ=

Mobile Street View, Flat Tire Video

Also, the real name of the Street View guy is finally revealed in the above video; Peg Man!

UPDATE: Pegman, not Peg Man. Sorry.

Street View Doing Duluth!

We received an email with another Street View car sighting in Hermantown, Minnesota, which is right next to Duluth, the third largest city in Minnesota, after Minneapolis and St. Paul, both of which already have Street View coverage.

It was spotted on August 19, 2008.

Sydney Street View Spy Game

You have signed up to be a spy. You rent a hotel in Sydney. The next morning, Agent X gives you your first mission. That is the setting of a new Street View game found by Google Maps Mania. Try it out! The game might not work properly for some Internet Explorer users.

Street View Stuff will post a few hints if you get stuck, but only if you get stuck, please. Use a keyword cipher for the hints, only if you need them, please! ;-)

You're at the hotel at the beginning oF THE GAme.
GM SG QQ GH GO SD NM

You're reading the secoND MESsage.
NL KS IS TT SQ RU DR TF TU TF LK MF OC SQ

You're talking to the GUARD.
JM QJ MA MQ 01
GP DN JG AD KD LS

Have fun!

Panorama Paranoia

This PCAnswer post by Larry Magid tells of a new group, StopInternetPredators.org, which is trying to ban Street View for the safety of children. The video above shows a mother concerned about pedophiles using Street View to locate "even your children".

Why parents have nothing to worry about:

1. The photographs on Street View are not very detailed.
2. All photographs of people that are distinguishable are blurred.
3. While photographs of homes are visible, addresses of those homes are not, and Google Maps has not perfected its addressing algorithm, either.

Outside the Box

I received an email from a Street View user who wanted to know why Street View coverage ends in Gridley, California. It's because of an interesting phenomenon where all imagery for a certain location is inside an imaginary rectangle. All or most roads within the box are put in Street View, but the question is...why?

This isn't only in California; Nashville, Toledo, Rochester, and Wichita also are contained in boxes. These boxes are only located in the United States.

Graphing Street View Updates

The above chart graphs the increasing number of Street View locations over time. Currently there are 100. If this graph were continued to predict the next update, the number for the next update would be approximately 144.