How the hell does Google do this?

[Sebring Studios]

Yesterday I typed in the address (in standard Google search) of an out of town friends house because I wanted directions to it when I go visit. The map comes up fine, but there's also a 'view site' button with a small thumbnail. I click on it, and there's a picture of the house!

So as an experiment I typed in the address of the house I grew up in and again, there's a picture of it. Then, I tried some addresses of houses I've owned and places I've lived and they all had close-up pictures, like they were shot from the middle of the street. Huh????

This goes far beyond Google Earth, that's obviously satellite images. These are clear pics that look like they were taken by a photographer, they couldn't be taken by a satellite, they look like exterior photos realtors take when they sell a house.

How the fuck do they do it? Physically photograph and catalog every single house in America???

[TidalWave]

they have cars/vans driving down every street in the USA taking pictures with roof mounted cameras.

[who]

Can you IMAGINE the data they collect about you, personally, which you will never have any knowledge of nor access to? It's mind boggling.

[bobby666]

a great service for some mafiosos and others

[Reak AGV]

That's mind boggling indeed... nothing in Europe yet

[MetaMan]

omg ive said to much.

[candyflip]

In the photo of my house, you can see my old Jag sitting in the driveway.

You can almost make out the "Jaguar" logo on the back of the car and it has a google.com watermark over top of it.

[marketsmart]

In the photo of my house, you can see my old Jag sitting in the driveway.

You can almost make out the "Jaguar" logo on the back of the car and it has a google.com watermark over top of it.

all u watermark are belong to googles...

[corvette]

amazing, read an article about it, they are doing it in stereo as well, where the cameras shoot angles up, down, side, etc, so they have it in 3D, you can go to a place and pretty much look around like you were standing there, from a computer

[Iron Fist]

[Kron]

omg ive said to much.

ahahahah
good one

[Pixelbucks Eric]

Can you IMAGINE the data they collect about you, personally, which you will never have any knowledge of nor access to? It's mind boggling.

No it's not mind boggling. The fact that you don't understand it doesnt mean it's hocus pocus

[Ethersync]

Yesterday I typed in the address (in standard Google search) of an out of town friends house because I wanted directions to it when I go visit. The map comes up fine, but there's also a 'view site' button with a small thumbnail. I click on it, and there's a picture of the house!

So as an experiment I typed in the address of the house I grew up in and again, there's a picture of it. Then, I tried some addresses of houses I've owned and places I've lived and they all had close-up pictures, like they were shot from the middle of the street. Huh????

This goes far beyond Google Earth, that's obviously satellite images. These are clear pics that look like they were taken by a photographer, they couldn't be taken by a satellite, they look like exterior photos realtors take when they sell a house.

How the fuck do they do it? Physically photograph and catalog every single house in America???

This was launched in 2007...

[Pixelbucks Eric]

It's been covered by MANY stories. There's also been a few court cases I think.

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

[tiger]

omg ive said to much.

[The Heron]

Love it! When your traveling it sure makes it easy to figure out what building you are looking for

[seeandsee]

they use hidden cams on cars

[BadBrad]

In my area from an address you can view everywhere. Even look into the sky.

[Horny Dude]

Have you checked out Microsoft Live Search. Same thing as Google, but they have all kinds of angles and the pictures are a bit better rez. I love their mobile tool for your phone. Man that is better then most carriers GPS systems.

http://maps.live.com/?form=MSNH11&q=
BTW: You can only use IE, it won't work in FireFox, wonder why?????

[doridori]

kinda scary how they do this. why they would do this i dont know. is this going to improve their quarterly reports ?

[Sarah_Jayne]

I saw one of the google camera vans on my street the other day. I guess we are next.

[mynameisjim]

Can someone say backlash?

For those of you struggling, they pay $10 for every business you go inside and photograph. Just sign up at Google and they send you a list.

[Adam X]

I wonder how often they'll update the entire world network of images..

[pornpf69]

I never tried that... but I don't think they care about the BRAZILIAN market...

[borked]

We have something similar here for the phone directory, yet it's subsidised by the state. Theory goes is it's one way to capture a house to make sure the outsides aren't altered without planning permission. Well, in support of that idea, recently I had permission granted to put Velux windows in the roof. And 3 months after declaring end of work, the pictures for my house, not my neighbours either side, were updated in the online phone book....

[Scott McD]

Google watches you masturbate!!

[Doctor Feelgood]

where have YOU ben the past 2 years? in jail?

[Ozarkz]

Google is soo scary but soo great.

[bdld]

welcome to the interweb

[Michaelious]

The joy of satelites!