Google Maps has introduced a very cool new feature, Google Maps Street View. In selected cities, the Street View button allows you to get street-level photographs in high resolution, capable of being zoomed and rotated thru 360 degrees. It may not be terribly useful but it’s hard to resist killing a few minutes saying ooh and ah.
Google sent photographers with special cameras down the streets of San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Miami and Denver, spending an estimated $25 billion to bring you a virtual tour of any neighborhood you choose.
Here’s the blog entry from the Google Maps team announcing Street View. There’s a video introducing the feature, or you can go straight to Times Square in New York.
The pictures are detailed and full of people, so at least a few are potentially compromising. CNet accumulated a few of the interesting shots that turned up as people pored over the images.
