OT - GOOGLE Maps - "Street View"

[barman]

Just discovered this feature today when I looked up the address for a new sales call.

Had certainly used Google Maps before and had even checked out the Satellite view feature.

But today used the "Street View" feature and damned if you don't get a straight shot of your house as if viewed via a webcam being held in the street in front of your crib.

And you can use the Rotate button and it pans all the way around your street, showing all the other houses.

Not sure how often the image is updated, since in my case, I couldn't precisely see my front door, but rather the other townhouse that abuts mine.

HOW DOES that work? Where one can see most any street in America from that angle?

In my case, I live in a townhouse on a cul-de-sac with six "double units".

The camera shot is from the street intersection where one would turn into the culdesac. And if you pan 180 degrees, it shows the more major street that leads into my community.

If you don't know what I'm yappin' about, Google your street address with city

123 Main St, HappyTown

And then select STREET VIEW

 

[FuriousDrew]

This is a pretty bad ass feature and they are adding tons more street view areas all the time. I heard google actually got sued for having close up shots of people's homes and had to remove a couple of the street view shots.

 

[Birdcage]

Big brother has been watching us for years, now at least we get to watch us too. Kind of scary in a Deja vu sort of way how much the man knows about us.

 

[goodcall]

they just drove around in a van or something with a camera attached to the roof

when I first noticed this there was only data for five cities or so...looks like they really turned this into a major project!

 

[fhmesq44]

I discovered it yesterday and it is pretty bad ass. Based on the growth of our landscaping, the picture of our street was done about a year ago. It was off on the street addresses though.

 

[barman]

Yeah...I put in my Mom's address in Kansas City and it came up on the MAP Search like normal, but when I selected STREET VIEW it changed to the address across the street.

When you do the Rotate, it pans around where you can see her house on the other side (and up about 500 feet), so it's obviously not perfect.

 

[barman]

Based on the growth of our landscaping, the picture of our street was done about a year ago.

Oh...so my running outside earlier and showing my ass to the street intersection won't show up then?

 

[fhmesq44]

probably not.

 

[barman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Street_View

 

[barman]

cripes, I don't know why I bother my friends at the Rx with these type questions when it's all been fucking summarized at Wikipedia or elsewhere faster than most of us can keep up.

 

[barman]

..check that earlier statement I made...incorrect

I said you couldn't see my carport.

But if you use FULL SCREEN and then put your mouse on the wide white line on the street, it will "drive you" in that direction.

In my case, it was one day when I had my truck backed into the driveway.

And the rest of the cul de sac parking lot is empty as are most of the other carports.

So likely mid day when the rest of my hood is gone to work and I'm home inside posting to the RxForum and handicapping sports like a Good Honest Degenerate

 

[barman]

Hmmmm....If you use that white line arrow gimmick, you can "drive" right out of your street and pretty much wherever you want to go.

 

[cutacrossshorty]

Scumbag Dick Cheney had the pictures of his properties removed from Google maps. They can't be seen.

 

[crookedlink]

LOL you guys are so late on this shit.

Anyway Google uses cars similar to these to drive around with a camera that can take multiple angle shots. I've even seen them driving around a few times.

 

[artiesliver]

Oh...so my running outside earlier and showing my ass to the street intersection won't show up then?

LOL. Was exactly what I was thinking of doing, until I saw that the 3 year old across the street was outside w/her parents. Figured it was not a smart idea...hno:

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Yeah...I put in my Mom's address in Kansas City and it came up on the MAP Search like normal, but when I selected STREET VIEW it changed to the address across the street.

When you do the Rotate, it pans around where you can see her house on the other side (and up about 500 feet), so it's obviously not perfect.

It's not perfect now, but it will be. They have a feature on the map that lets you adjust the address marker that they use. So all it takes is for one of your neighbors to move it and then the accuracy of your address is adjusted to reflect that. It will get much more accurate over time.

 

[TheKinz]

you can pay a fee and subscribe to Google Earth for live feeds. Much of what you see on the free side could be over a year+ old. I was talking to a lady whose daughter went to college. She paid for the subscription and while talking to her daughter the daughter could go out on the pirch and wave and presto there she is...fuckin crazy stuff..

 

[quantumleap]

you can pay a fee and subscribe to Google Earth for live feeds. Much of what you see on the free side could be over a year+ old. I was talking to a lady whose daughter went to college. She paid for the subscription and while talking to her daughter the daughter could go out on the pirch and wave and presto there she is...fuckin crazy stuff..

I think that is for the satellite view, not the street view. In order to have a live version of the street view you would have to have a car on every street all the time.

I wonder how much the live view costs. I'll try to do some research and report back. Maybe I can get barman's address and have him wave at me when I'm zooming in on his house.

:nohead:

 

[barman]

I could just hook up my webcam for free and give you a finger of your choice.

 

[TheKinz]

but he could also watch you when you are taking a bath LOL