Google Streetview has come to Oz. I bet you’ve been hanging out for the day that the Google-cam will stalk ya, huh!?
Wooo! I checked out my unit block! They’ve done a good job of hiding the faces of walkers by, and license plate numbers.
You can change the angle of the camera view, which is pretty nifty. Actually, there’s a full 360° view, which is totally cool!
Some dork has left garbage bins tipped over in front of our place though… at least there wasn’t any rubbish in them.
I love Google Streetview! Sometimes when I’m looking for directions, the destination according to Google is in the middle of the street. So I use Streetview to look around and see whereabouts my destination is.
Also, it’s a great way to check out the local street scene anywhere else. Australia’s got some beautiful views, it’s always been a country I’ve wanted to visit someday. :coffee:
Gio, that was the main thing I was thinking it would be useful for, checking out where the entrance to restaurants and such are. Especially like last Thursday night, I had no idea where we were going, but when we got there I realised I go past the place every day!
Heh, sometimes I think you’re a lot closer to Australia than So Cal… you always seem to be on Twitter at the same time as me!
I can see it being useful if you’re looking for a house you’ve never been to before; much easier if you’ve been able to see a street view already.
My street hasn’t been included yet, even though it’s only 10-15 minutes’ walk from the city centre. But my parents’ place (another 20 minutes away by car) does turn up, as a building site where work has barely started! Pretty funny considering they’ve been living in their completed home for two months now. Judging from the construction stage, their street must have been photographed back in January (and there’s always a lag time for these things).
Tracey, there’s bound to be a lag, as you’re aware. However, part of me thinks the lag is on purpose as well, for privacy’s sake. It would be crazy if you could look up Streetview and see that a particular car is in that street right now so you can go and steal it, or something like that.
Actually, I guess 7 months is an okay time to collect photos from around Sydney and other East Coast cities and process them, blur the people out, arrange them. Most of it must be automated, but I’d be surprised if someone didn’t check it too.
I love it! I’ve just spent the past three hours walking around a bunch of country towns that I grew up in.
They put a new fence up and built next door at my home in Binnaway, and it looks like Mum has cleaned up the front yard in Nanango (she denies it though).
I’m just blown away by the sheer volume of data.
Oh and our car was out the front so they must have done the drive by on a weekend or a sick day 😀
I’m pretty impressed by the coverage too, Lee. Finally Australia getting some goods… first non-US release and surprising coverage!