‘Street View’ mode is the latest addition to Google Maps impressively robust list of features. To make Street View possible, the Google team literally drove a van all over Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs, taking 360 degree panoramic pictures all along the way. Since most people commute around NYC either by public transportation or walking, being able to make your commute virtually before you make it physically is an incredibly valuable resource.
While previous versions of Google’s mapping technology gave you directions to your destination along with a bird’s eye view of the area, it was devoid of the real world context that makes finding locations easier. When you get directions to a friend’s house, the address is usually accompanied by a physical description such as “it’s the white house with all the lawn flamingos.” Being able to visualize your destination makes a huge difference, especially considering that finding a building address is increasingly difficult in commercial areas.
Telling someone my office is located at 75 Ninth Avenue allows them to easily find the general area, but finding the specific building is still very difficult (as I found out when I came here for my interview). Wouldn’t it be easier to just look at a picture? Now, when you approach that general area, you have some familiar sights to guide you. We all know people who don’t work well with specific directions. If you tell them to head north 2 blocks and make a right on 24th street, they will inevitably end up lost. But, advising them to make that same turn at the deli with the red awning and including a picture of the corner will increase their probability of finding their destination.
I am obviously very impressed and excited about the possibilities of Street View. How will people use this tool and what cities are next in line to be mapped? Any thoughts?
UPDATE: I’m famous! I was looking around my neighborhood and found myself crossing the street on my way to the subway. I wasn’t positive until I zoomed in and saw my gold striped Pumas. Google, I think you owe me some likeness royalties.
Flash guru Broman and I have once again defied the odds and met our seemingly impossible three week deadline. After countless sleepless nights and with the aid of a bottomless cup of coffee, Panasonic Share the Air 2007 is now live!
“Share the Air” is a viral extension of Panasonic’s Action Sports Tour, which tours five U.S. cities this summer. The website offers extreme sport enthusiasts the chance to submit pictures and videos of their own sessions to be judged by professional skaters and photographers. Winning submissions bank a hefty cash prize and some cool Panasonic gear— so get filming!
As you may (or may not) have noticed, I haven’t had much time for updates lately. For the past two weeks I’ve been working day and night on a viral site for Panasonic that launches Tuesday, taking breaks to watch my beloved Buffalo Sabres eventually get eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs at the hands of the Ottawa Senators.
Needless to say, I’ve had better weeks.
I can’t begin to describe the disappointment and frustration I’m once again feeling as a Buffalo fan. There is too much to say and I have no time to say it (so I’ll let my friends over at Common Sense Dancing say it for me). The reality of having to wait until next year still hasn’t set in. My mind is currently lost in the thousands of lines of arrays, loops and functions I’ve been staring at for 14 hours a day. I have nightmares in which I’m debugging and refactoring the code I spent the day writing— waking up in a cold sweat when I find a bug and effectively depriving myself of the sleep I need to do the same work consciously. For those of you who program software for a living, I’m sure you have similar stories of deadline delirium. For those who don’t, you probably think I’m crazy.
Either way, Tuesday can’t come soon enough. I’ll talk to you then.
Despite Giuliani’s best efforts to clean up the streets of New York City, Times Square is still dangerous. What is this world coming to that children aren’t even safe while Mom is distracted by a break dance circle?
This is the only thing that could make me any less depressed today. Chris Drury really needs to give this speech before the Sabres take the ice for Game 4.
I’ve never been much of a fan of soccer. I’m not sure whether to attribute this fact to its slow (see: painfully boring) pace or that it’s only slightly less popular then Extreme Ironing here in the States. Soccer players do have one redeeming quality, though: their ability to exaggerate seemingly harmless contact. I haven’t seen acting this fine outside of a Rob Schneider flick.
This past weekend I went on my annual Canoe Trip down the Delaware River, a topic I have written about in the past and will likely recall tales of again in the future.
For the first time since my very first trip 4 years ago, the weather was great. So great, in fact, that I decided to enjoy the sun’s rays sunscreen-free for 6 straight hours while floating down the river. This seemed like a good idea at the time, but, as it turned out, was not. At all.
The next morning I was walking around the campsite like a robot, unable to bend my arms or legs. Sitting and standing became the most painful movements imaginable. I was obviously very miserable, but my misfortune provided everyone else with a good laugh. Canoe Trip is the wrong place to look for sympathy.
Over the course of this afternoon I have emptied two entire bottles of Cocoa Butter lotion into my burning red skin. Relief has never stung so badly. I’m also looking forward to waking up in piles of skin flakes for the next week. Kids, don’t forget your sunscreen.
