FED: Google gets down and detailed on the street where you live

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2008
FED: Google gets down and detailed on the street where you live

EDS: Strictly embargoed until 0001, Tuesday, Aug 5



By Vincent Morello

SYDNEY, Aug 5 AAP - Close-up images of Australian homes, businesses and famous landmarks
in cities, towns and remote areas are now available on Google Maps Australia, absolutely
free.

Street View, the newest addition to the popular website, contains more than 10 million
images that users can search and view.

Australia is only the third country to benefit from the technology, which was a useful
tool during last month's Tour de France and is also available in 50 US cities.

From 3am (AEST) today, anyone can access the tool by simply clicking on a button to
find the 360-degree, street-level images.

The hard yards of getting Street View off the ground involved a group of "Google" cars
mounted with rooftop digital cameras.

The vehicles criss-crossed Australia, snapping endless photographs for about six months.

Street View integrates with other Google Maps services - driving directions, searching
and mapping specific businesses in a neighbourhood and the highly popular satellite views
on Google Earth.

It can give drivers images of intersections to go with their driving directions and
enable prospective homebuyers to view the streets surrounding a property for sale.

Cafe and restaurant goers can determine if a venue they have in mind has al fresco dining.

Business owners can take things further and download free images of their properties
and other information, for use on their own websites.

Google Maps creator Lars Rasmussen says Street View has many applications for business,
government and for rescue services when natural disasters strike.

"Our ambition is, of course, to be a world map - we're almost halfway there," Mr Rasmussen
told reporters at Google's offices in Sydney.

"With Street View, it adds a whole new dimension."

Tourism Australia, the Real Estate Institute of Australia and the Australian Geography
Teachers Association have all praised the new technology.

Google has also built in a feedback mechanism for property owners to request the removal
of photographs that identify people or sensitive information.

Street View already blurs people's faces and vehicle registration numbers.

One couple in the US filed a lawsuit earlier this year after realising a photograph
of their Pennsylvania home had been taken from a private road.

The image was later removed and Google says not many complaints have been received
since Street View went live in the US.

The company says additional images of Australia will continue to be added, but it cannot
say how often existing images will be updated.

Street View can be accessed from 3am (AEST) today by visiting maps.google.com.au/streetview.

AAP vpm/wjf/jt/cdh

KEYWORD: GOOGLE (EMBARGOED) (IMAGES AVAILABLE)

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