Posts About ‘streetview’

Students Create Their own Streetview on Campus

studentstreetview-logo-2

Google is a dominant force in the online world, we know that. It really is everywhere. With Google Streetview it is even getting in our streets and who knows where it will go.

Streetview is something which has lead to a lot of discussion around the globe. There are the funny images we get to see and there are the privacy issues for example. But Streetview is also an example.

In The Netherlands Streetview was an example for a project last September for the University of Wageningen. There over a 1000 freshmen made their own Streetview during their introduction week, using 500 smartphones. The result is “Student Streetview”, entirely made by students. (more…)

Euro 2012: Google Streetview Lets You be There

Euro-2012-stadiums

So Euro 2012 is well under way, the first matches have been played, each country knows where it stands. Our traveling blogger Jo has already seen the first matches with locals, keep an eye on that. There is a lot going on around the games and there are many fans from the different teams present in the Ukraine and Poland. However, most people watch the games from home or in the pub. They don’t get to see the stadiums from inside.

Luckily there is Google Streetview. Somehow the Streetview cars have made their way inside the stadiums and they took pictures. You now can virtually walk around the grounds on which your countries team is playing. We’ve lined them up for you below.

Ukrain stadiums

NSC Olimpiyskiy (Olympic Stadium), Kyiv 

Donbass Arena, Donetsk 

Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv

Arena Lviv

Poland Stadiums

National Stadium, Warsaw

Municipal Stadium, Poznan

PGE Arena, Gdansk

Municipal Stadium, Wrocław

You Can Use Streetview To Travel The World

It is not a type of video I normally post here, but I thought this one was so special it deserves the spot today. We know Google Streetview, we know of all the privacy matters, we know of all the fun you can have with it if you find that odd picture taken. But it can also be used to travel the world. Take a look at this video, if possible make it full screen to get the full experience.

Made by Theoryfilms

Google stops all Street View cars in Germany

Streetview-Germany

Germany was probably one of the countries which was the most difficult towards Google when it comes to Streetview. The Germans just didn’t seem to like the privacy concerns around it. At least, some Germans didn’t. And they now seem to have ‘won’.

According to Searchengineland Google has stopped all Street View cars from driving around and taking pictures in Germany. It is a bold move, especially after Google had recently won a case in German court which made Streetview legal in Germany. (more…)

Google gets fined €100,000 for privacy breach in France

streetview-fined

The Associated Press reports that France’s privacy watchdog CNIL has given Google a fine of no less than €100,000 ($141,300) for privacy issues in relation to Streetview.

The fine is apparently given for “improperly gathering and storing potentially sensitive data from Wi-Fi networks for its Street View application”. This means they have collected e-mail, passwords and other personal information while driving around France collecting the data. (more…)

Want to see the German blurred houses unblurred? Use an iPhone

We can go on and on about Streetview and Google issues so it seems. We reported last week Google got a slap on the wrist in the UK and this morning that it might be in trouble over data gathering in the US. Meanwhile the next issue pops up in Germany. There many houses are blurred because of privacy regulations. But it turns out that if you are using an iPad or iPhone the blurring isn’t going too well.

PC World tells us some properties to be visible rather than blurred in a preview of the service launched last week. (more…)

Google launches its ‘blurred’ Streetview in Germany

There has been no country which has been so hesitant when it comes to Googles Streetview as Germany. Yes, in the UK there were people chasing Streetview cars, as were there people in France, Greece and Spain who highly opposed to the taking of the pictures. But nowhere the opposition was bigger than in Germany.

Now the biggest European country finally is accessible in Streetview. Well, a little bit. The Germans have demanded that before launching they could decide whether or not they wanted their homes to be in there. This resulted in the fact that Streetview now excludes 244,000 addresses that Germans have demanded be pixelated. (more…)

Don’t like Streetview? “You can move” Eric Schmidt jokes on CNN…

It is becoming some sort of a running gag. Eric Schmidt showing up in tv shows, at conferences or at press conferences and then trying to be funny. And unfortunately for him, a lot of the times the jokes are misunderstood. And for a reason.

Though Mr Schmidt I think “in real life” most probably is a funny guy and his jokes might do very well in a bar or at a birthday party, I do think that the CEO of Google should choose his jokes more carefully when he is making a public appearance. His timing sometimes just seems to be wrong. Even though personally I like it, I’m not so sure it’s the best way to go for Google. Last Friday “he did it again”. In an interview at CNN he said about those not liking Streetview “You can move…”. See the interview here: (more…)

(Bada) Bing has done it again: Street Slide in Bing Maps, amazing

I’ve spoken before, and expressed my admiration with it, about Bing Maps and what they are doing. The use of Streetside in Bing was a huge step forward for Bing Maps in the competition with Google Streetview. And while Google is fighting law suits with Streetview Microsoft simply continues to develop their maps functionality.

At Siggraph 2010 Microsoft presented yet another add on to Bing Maps which has a high “WOW” factor: Street Slide. Together with Bing Streetside and an updated and improved Photosynth navigation (with new Ambient Point Clouds for View Interpolation to improve the transitions effect, see video at the end of this post) Microsoft is really making a huge step here. Check out this video:

So what makes this so special?

Streetview is nice, Streetside was already a bit nicer, why is this so special then? Well, its a number of things. When you’ve seen the video you’ll know already but just to highlight a few things which make this a very special Map application:
(more…)

Forget Google Streetview, here is Bing Streetside: wow!

We probably have all seen tons of pictures of Google Streetview cars and trycicles. The presence of the cars and the fact they were taking pictures have gotten many to ask questions about the possible privacy issues. IF Google would ever be forced to do something about their Streetview-pictures, there is a very good alternative waiting for you over at Bing. Heck, I’m even not waiting for Google, I’m switching over now. The “new” Bing Maps is called Streetside Photos and is currently only available in Seattle, San Francisco and Vancouver (Canada).

But what a sight. Streetside uses the Photosynth technology to integrate Flickr photos in Bing Maps. Thus making it a much richer experience than the ‘simple’ Google Streetview. Check it out:

(more…)

Google can only become friends with Europe if starts thinking like a European

Google is by far the largest search engine in Europe. With an average market share of 95% there is no competitor for the search giant. The competitors will however be looking at the latest developments in Europe with some specific interest. Google after all, is having a hard time in Europe.

So what is going on? Google has been under fire in Europe much in the last year. Not just recently, but ever since they launched Streetview in Europe there have been many small fires which Google had to put out. In more than one country. There were Streetview issues in the UK, Switzerland, Denmark and France. The Germans were claiming Analytics might be illegal and the bookscan-deal caused uproars in several European countries with France leading the way.

The latest fires Google has to put out are in Italy, where three Googlers were convicted to a suspended sentence of six months in jail, and Brussels, where Google faces another antitrust claim from three European companies. (more…)