Google maps

[RWin]

I didn't notice until just now that the satellite images of Calgary seem to be better quality than before. Maybe last week was the last time I looked? Maybe longer. It seems you can zoom in as far as it will let you now without going blank and telling you that they don't have images for that zoom level in this region.

The images (or at least some) are new since last time too but still at least a few months out of date (maybe depending on the neighbourhood?).

Does anyone know when the street level views will start appearing?

[ummagumma66]

Google Earth shows the bow in a fairly recent stage, although I can't see the Favco cranes.

[mersar]

Bow still has the Wolff up in it, so combined with the green grass around I'd say they are using likely images from last September or so.

[frinkprof]

On another board it was pretty much determined to be Sunday, September 14th, 2008 at around 11AM. Based on:

Park N' Rides empty

Chuch lots full

Grass

Where various posters had their vehicles, taking into account when they were out of town, etc.

Time of day was based on shadowing, and when various churches had their services.

[feepa]

^ you know google earth gives you the date of the image right?

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by feepa

^ you know google earth gives you the date of the image right?

Not for a lot of imagery. Like, say, the recent Calgary imagery.

At least not without substantial mucking about. But the base "date taken" info is most certainly not there when simply looking.

And now that I look at it, I can't actually see any DigitalGlobe layer that lines up with the September date. Not even close. However I know it's correct(ish) based on many things.

Oh yeah, and for those into this sort of thing, Google has had the Streetview cars in town this month. Supposedly imagery from that will be up in just a few weeks, but we'll see. Should be rather interesting.

[Stang]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Oh yeah, and for those into this sort of thing, Google has had the Streetview cars in town this month. Supposedly imagery from that will be up in just a few weeks, but we'll see. Should be rather interesting.

My parent's city in England just came online with streetview, and I was able to relive my vacation in Rome using streetview. Pretty interesting stuff, actually. I have never used it for anything other than browsing around, but I can imagine it can be useful if you want to check out a street or location prior to actually going there.

Just to keep the conversation going, what are people's thoughts on the privacy "issues" that have been raised? Obviously Google blurs as many faces as it can, and will do so on request if any are missed. I don't have a problem with as Google is gathering information from a public roadway and is documenting what people have the right to view in person and even photograph from that same public roadway.

Hopefully it caught me in my underwear while gazing out of the upstairs window while brushing my teeth.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Stang

Just to keep the conversation going, what are people's thoughts on the privacy "issues" that have been raised? Obviously Google blurs as many faces as it can, and will do so on request if any are missed. I don't have a problem with as Google is gathering information from a public roadway and is documenting what people have the right to view in person and even photograph from that same public roadway.

Not to dwell on this, but I'm deeply disturbed by the concept, if not this particular implementation.

1. Visible in public and documented for worldwide viewing for the rest of history are two very, VERY different things. At least apples and oranges are still both fruit. Mass recorded surveillance is always a bad idea, period.

2. To those who use phrases such as "if you have nothing to hide..." - your opinion is hereby discarded. Everyone has something to hide. If you disagree, please feel free to install a camera in your bedroom that records your every move for the rest of the world to view.

3. (Invoking Godwin) Imagine if the Nazis or Soviets had this sort of data available once they came into power. Orwell wasn't kidding, and he wasn't exaggerating. If you doubt this in any way, ask folks in the Netherlands what they currently feel about having every citizen record their religion in a democratic government database.

All that aside, Streetview doesn't bug me too much compared to similar things. Maybe I just haven't seen the corporate world so carefully screw the masses over yet. I shudder to think of the possibilities if we ever see a less-than-perfect government in power.

There will be a lot of one-off cases about this, though. Blurred faces and plates don't do squat if you can be ID'd from your clothing, or if your car is in any way unique. Which applies to a surprising number of people.

[Stang]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Not to dwell on this, but I'm deeply disturbed by the concept, if not this particular implementation.

I think we can agree on the fact that the true extent of this sort of technology remains to be seen. The archival aspect is an interesting one, because who's to say that the material (original, un-blurred) couldn't be seized and used in investigations, etc. "Sorry - your alibi doesn't check out because the Google streetview truck shows you walking up to the door".

I am personally not too concerned about the whole thing - at least what Google is doing - I see it is an interesting evolution to mapping and navigation that is in itself pretty amazing. I have a reasonable expectation of privacy in my house and in my bedroom, and I don't feel that this infringes on it. I also think that the likelihood of being snapped by the Google truck as it drives by is a needle in a hay stack type of thing, let along doing something in public that would be illegal, inappropriate, etc.

The cynic in me, however, thinks that we all might be come a little too comfortable with being photographed, filmed, etc. and we, as a society, might become complacent to the whole idea and, as you made a reference to Orwell, could see it come back and bite us in the ass.

And you bet - if a government/regime ever saw a reason, be it Nazis or whoever, they'd have the means to either obtain it themselves, or force the provider to play along. I'm just not convinced that having a picture of my house, even with me visible in the frame, that is anywhere from months to years old, is going to help anyone round me up and throw me in the slammer.

But I'll admit that I'm maybe a bit naive about it at the same time - "who would want anything to do with little old me?"

Interesting stuff - kind of uncharted territory (pun kind of intended).

[frinkprof]

^Yeah that was pointed out after a bunch of people had already figured it out by process of elimination.

[ummagumma66]

I figured it was a Sunday... the East end of North Hill Centre, near SAIT was almost empty. lol

[Yume-sama]

The imaging is very nice.

But it missed my house having grass by a week

[Yume-sama]

When they start wanting to do 360 panoramas of my bedroom, I'll have a problem.

[Ramsayfarian]

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Dutch police have arrested twin brothers on suspicion of robbery after their alleged victim spotted a picture of them following him on Google's Street View map application, a spokesman said Friday.

Paul Heidanus, a police spokesman in the town of Groningen, said he believed it was the first time Street View images had been used in a Dutch criminal investigation.

"For us, it is unique," he said.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

A 14-year-old boy told police last September he had been robbed of euro165 ($230) and his cell phone after two men dragged him off his bicycle in Groningen,110 miles northeast of the capital, Amsterdam.

The victim called again in March after seeing an image of himself and two men he believed were his attackers on Street View, police said in a statement.

Heidanus said prosecutors sent a formal request to Google for the original photo because people's faces are blurred on Street View.

"You must tell Google clearly why you want them," Heidanus said of the photo request. In this case, "the photo could provide an important contribution to solving a crime."

The company complied, and a robbery squad detective immediately recognized one of the twins.

Prosecutors will now decide whether to charge the suspects, whose identities were not released.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31448232...h_and_gadgets/

[Architype]

Province City / Ville

Alberta Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge

British Columbia Abbotsford, Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria

Manitoba Winnipeg

New Brunswick Moncton, Saint John

Nova Scotia Halifax

Ontario Barrie, Brantford, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Oshawa, Ottawa, St. Catharines-Niagara, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Windsor

Prince Edward Island Charlottetown

Quebec Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières

Saskatchewan Regina, Saskatoon

Notice which is the only province left out. A##%!les !

[Ramsayfarian]

I was sitting on the patio at Tazza the other day and the google street view car went by three different times. East to west, west to east and north to south. Downside, I was sitting with a fat chick.

Last couple of days, there's been a street view car parked over night on the driveway of a house on Spiller road. They take the decals off and cover the camera with a custom made tarp, but it's pretty obvious what it is. If it's there tonight I'll try and get a snap or two.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

Last couple of days, there's been a street view car parked over night on the driveway of a house on Spiller road. They take the decals off and cover the camera with a custom made tarp, but it's pretty obvious what it is. If it's there tonight I'll try and get a snap or two.

I saw it there on Saturday evening.

[nick.flood]

There was a case, possibly in the U.S. where a man was attacked by his neighbour's dog and he took his neighbour to court. The neighbour claimed in court that he didn't own his dog on the day of the attack.

The man brought forth a google streetview image that showed the neighbour on his front lawn with the dog on a specific day that was before the attack.

[Ferreth]

---
Alberta
Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge
.
British Columbia
Abbotsford, Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria
.
Manitoba
Winnipeg
.
New Brunswick
Moncton, Saint John
.
Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's
.
Northwest Territories
Yellowknife
.
Nova Scotia
Cape Breton, Halifax
.
Ontario
Barrie, Brantford, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Oshawa, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines-Niagara, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Windsor
.
Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown
.
Quebec
Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières
.
Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatoon
.
Yukon Territory
Whitehorse

from http://maps.google.ca/help/maps/streetview/faq.html#q8

Also

Please note that this schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions or technical and operational reasons. Smaller cities may be driven by Street View vehicles during transit and/or when neighboring the cities mentioned above. This list will be updated on a regular basis

Cool that they even are going to the NWT and the Yukon now. I'm willing to be patient if the coverage is going to be extensive enough - wondering if the "during transit" thing will mean they will cover highways in between cities?

[thager]

free hotdog's
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...146.64,,2,8.88