Awww, isn't Europe quaint? Those gas guzzling Google Street view cars in America have become tricycles on the twisted, cobbled streets of Europe. And by the looks of this rig, we wouldn't be surprised to find Google handing out gelato in order to placate the local luddites. Video and another picture after the break.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Look we understand demands for privacy. We just find it ironic that citizens of Broughton (pronunciation: bak-wərd), a small village in a nation where CCTV cameras look, evaluate behavior, and sometimes speak at virtually every intersection, would block a Google Street View car on grounds of invasion of privacy. Seems to us that they've given up on that right a long, long time ago. Though the police were called, the villagers eventually let Google's contractor pass peacefully -- presumably after assurances were given that cameras can not, in fact, steal your soul.

It's here. Google Street View and over the air Podcast downloads from iTunes. Yup, public transit and walking directions too and the ability to share your location via email. Bug fixes, Safari enhancements, the ability to toggle auto-text correction, and plenty more... just like we heard in the pre-rumor run-up. Now get outta here, your iTunes update awaits.

Update: Added some screenshots of the most notable new features after the break. The Street View implementation seems solid though we miss the compass feature found on T-Mobile's G1. Also, the real-estate saved by moving the Google search field next to the URL field in Mobile Safari is a welcome and obvious change. As to auto-correction, well, that's personal taste. Tipster Vizcaya also noticed that Apple added a new option to rate an App when you delete it from your phone. You can also view multiple screenshots of applications available in the App Store.

Update 2: The other big update, Podcast downloads, works just as you'd hope and should further promote the spontaneous isolation we all crave. A few shots of that added after the break.

[Thanks Gustavo and badburro]

The T-Mobile G1's Google Maps Street View implementation is one of the slickest features of the first Android phone, but it looks like Apple's going to keep feature parity -- the latest builds of iPhone OS 2.2 seeded to developers have Street View, as well as the ability to give mass transit directions. That's pretty useful for cityfolk like us -- and we're also stoked that line-in audio is now supported in the SDK, giving devs the ability to create voice recorders and other interesting audio apps. Of course, there's no word on when 2.2 will actually arrive, but until then we suppose we'll live with regular, non-data-augmented streets. Lots of screenshots of the new features at the read link.

[Via MacRumors]

Street level mapping services like Google's Street View and Microsoft's Live Local have gotten a lot of attention lately, but while the notion of pervasive map-linked photography is pretty impressive, the actual execution leaves something to be desired -- the images are occasionally of low quality, have stitching errors, and there are some lingering privacy concerns. A new company called Earthmine is out to solve all those problems, though, by providing high-quality, survey-accurate panoramic photography -- and has a truck or two with cameras towering tall to prove it. Unlike Google's video system, Earthmine plans to use laser range finders and high dynamic range still cameras mounted higher than usual to provide perspective-accurate images that preserve detail and resolution -- but automatically blur out faces and other identifying information, like license plates. Earthmine is planning on selling the service to businesses and governmental agencies, but a consumer version should launch at the end of the summer. We think they should watch out though, we hear the Street View and Live Local drivers have crazy road rage; we really wouldn't want to see anybody from Earthmine get caught up in some kind of weird, street level photography turf war.

[Thanks, eggman]

Leave it to Redmond to ante up with a big, gas guzzling SUV for its "street-side view" purposes. Recently caught cruising in Northern California, this hulking Chevy makes Immersive Media's Google fleet (family mini-van and college grad's first car) look pretty tame. Now if only they could snap more pics of Ballmer pulling this face. Take another look after the break.

[Thanks, Gabriel H]

It looks like Immersive Media wanted to remove all doubt about what that street-traversing fleet of theirs really looks like. There's obviously more than one vehicle scanning in streets across the US, but now you know what to look out for -- and you little punks in the audience now realize just how tantalizing a target that little 11 camera orb on the roof really happens to be.

By now, we're pretty sure you've heard about Google's new Street View feature, right? If you're like us, you've been wondering about the vehicles they're using to create those voyeuristic, 360-degree, street-level images in Manhattan's concrete canyons and beyond. Well, here's a hint: that's Immersive Media's vehicle reflected in the Street View picture captured above. Now, if they could just find ET we'd be all set. Oh right, they have. Oh Google, is there anything you can't do?

[Thanks, Aaron B.]

Read -- Google's deal with Immersive
Read -- Link to Street View picture