TECH: Google's "Street-Level" imagery in Google Maps

WHAT: This is pretty awesome: most of you have probably used Google Maps to look up some directions, but Google Maps has a feature that only pops up when you're over certain views on the map. It's called "Street-Level." Roads that are highlighted in blue are interactive: you drag a little "human icon" onto the blue road area you want to see, and a photo taken from that exact location appears. Once you're looking at the Street-Level view, you can click on arrows to continue your viewing experience down a road. You can even zoom in.

WHY: Because it's fascinating to visit a place you've already been or plan on going to before you've actually gone. It's like virtually travelling there. Currently, Google Maps provides street-level imagery for the following areas:

Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Orlando, San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

No, it's not updated in "real" time. However, some things don't change too often. The photos are most likely taken with a special camera mounted on a vehicle that they drive down a street, probably connected to GPS software, and it takes a series of still images.

Of course it's raised "privacy" issues: men leaving strip clubs, protesters outside an abortion clinic - however, all of the photos were taken in public places. Apparently, there are public places that are "sensitive" to an American public, and Google allows for a location to be removed from the "street-level." In my humble opinion: ridiculous. Do we start to delete "sensitive' streets from a map?

Still, for those fascinated with armchair travel, it's great to visit or revisit an area that's covered in Google Map's Street-Level feature.

Visit the above cities and select Street-Level to see this feature at http://maps.google.com

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