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Google's DeepStereo makes Street View 'tourism' more realistic
Who here uses Street View to do some virtual traveling? It's not a shabby option if you want to look at places you might never visit within your lifetime, but Google thinks there's still a better way to simulate real-world tours. A team of the company's researchers has developed a technique that uses Google's experimental machine vision algorithm called DeepStereo to transform Street View panoramas into seamless virtual tours. See, Street View photos don't usually capture every detail of a location -- there are always a few frames missing in order to construct convincing digital reproductions of places like museums and houses. DeepStereo can synthesize those missing frames based on the ones that go before and after them, giving Google the ability to create realistic virtual tours.
Google's street art collection doubles in size
If you're the sort who's more excited by graffiti and murals than paintings hanging in a museum, today's your lucky day. The Google Art Project has doubled the size of its street art collection to a total of more than 10,000 images, including spruced-up abandoned buildings in Buenos Aires and formal projects from Sweden's Artscape festival. And there's new ways to check out these pieces, to boot -- in addition to the existing mobile and web views, Google has quietly released a Street Art Watch Faces bundle that shuffles through projects on your Android Wear smartwatch. Hit the source links if you're curious about street culture around the world. [Image credit: RUN/Dulwich Outdoor Gallery, Google Art Project]
Visit the Sherpa community of Mt. Everest through Google Street View
Google's Street View really is a godsend for those of us who'd rather stay at home and look at nature pics than *gulp* brave the great outdoors. It now features Khumbu or the Everest region of Nepal, including images not just of Mt. Everest itself, but also of the Sherpa communities living around its base. The company teamed up with Apa Sherpa, who holds a world record for reaching the Everest summit 21 times, his foundation and Nepalese nonprofit Story Cycle to document the location during a 10-day trek. Thanks to them, you can see monasteries and schools you might never see in your life, along with hairy yaks dotted along the area's dusty roads. If you're not so fond of yaks, you could always visit camels in the UAE, chimps in Tanzania, or the various critters of the Amazon forest instead.
Google Street View cameras zip through (and over) the Amazon
Google already has some odd ways of getting its Street View cameras into hard-to-reach places, but its latest effort might just take the cake. The search firm has posted panoramic imagery of the Amazon rainforest that, at some points, was taken by Trekker cameras ziplining through the canopy -- yes, you'll get a view that even locals won't usually see. There are some down-to-Earth sights, too, including snapshots from rivers and remote villages. Between this and recent collaborative mapping projects, you may end up learning a surprising amount about the Amazon without setting foot in South America.
Google's setting Photo Spheres and Street View images free from Maps
It looks like soon enough we'll be seeing Street View pictures and those spiffy Photo Spheres making their way from Google Maps and onto our favorite websites. How's that, pray tell? An update to Mountain View's Maps Embed API (targeted at web developers) is setting those images free, naturally. The search giant says that this previously was an omission from the last API release, and that it was spotted by a Developers blog reader. Google also says there won't be any usage restrictions on the embeds either, so hopefully we'll get more 360 degree panoramas in various places sooner rather than later. If and when the average Joe will get this access, however, remains to be seen.
Google partners with Jane Goodall to capture Tanzania's chimp heaven
Google has joined forces with the Jane Goodall Institute to bring Street Views of Gombe National Park and its numerous chimpanzees. Using portable Trekkers, Google's intrepid photogs captured thousands of 360-degree images in the jungles where Goodall first started her research. Some of the Institute's favorite highlights include a chimp called "Google" swinging on a vine (above), the slopes of Gombe, a group of chimpanzees fishing for termites and the interior of Jane's house. To head down the trails or up into the tree canopies yourself, hit the source -- there's a monkey around every corner.
Tour one of Earth's grandest deserts in Google Street View
Visiting a large desert in person can be difficult. Roads will only take you so far, and you probably aren't used to navigating gigantic sand dunes. Thankfully, you no longer have to plan a whole adventure just to see this austere beauty at ground level. Google has used camel-mounted Trekker cameras to bring Street View to Liwa, an oasis-laden desert in the southern end of the United Arab Emirates. The move gives you 360-degree panoramas of everything from massive dunes (up to 131 feet high) to date farms. This won't compare to making the trip yourself, but it'll probably be much more comfortable.
Computers are learning to size up neighborhoods using photos
Us humans are normally good at making quick judgments about neighborhoods. We can figure out whether we're safe, or if we're likely to find a certain store. Computers haven't had such an easy time of it, but that's changing now that MIT researchers have created a deep learning algorithm that sizes up neighborhoods roughly as well as humans. The code correlates what it sees in millions of Google Street View images with crime rates and points of interest; it can tell what a sketchy part of town looks like, or what you're likely to see near a McDonald's (taxis and police vans, apparently).
Stroll through Egypt's pyramids on Google Street View
If you're leery about taking a trip to Egypt just now, Google can at least give you part of the experience with new Pyramids of Giza Street View imagery. That includes the Great Pyramid, the only remaining ancient wonder of the ancient world that's still standing, along with the Great Sphinx and Imhotep's Pyramid of Djoser. As befitting the addition of such a famous landmark, Google also included a raft of extras: imagery from the Abu Mena Christian site, the medieval Cairo Citadel fortification and other iconic spots. From there, you can head to the Google Cultural Institute's Egyption Pyramid gallery and see archival photos and drawings. As we found, you'll be able to while away a few enjoyable hours, and (we think) a digital tour carries a minimal risk of any curses.
Explore the world of 'Destiny' through Google Street View
Whether it's touring an insanely large cruise ship or the Polar Bear capital of the world, Google's Street View has you covered. But the search giant doesn't want to limit that virtual experience to tangible, real-life things, which is why it's teamed up with Bungie to let you experience the magical nature of Destiny by way of Street View. Once inside, explorers can choose to wander around and learn more about places that are key elements to the storyline of Bungie's new franchise. Destiny Planet View, as the map is officially known, offers detailed, 360-degree views of locations inside Mars, Venus and the moon. It gives the breakdown on various hotspots, more information on characters from a particular territory and allows users to access Destiny tips along the way. Bungie points out that this is the first time Google's mapped a video game world, and it's a good one -- sure, it's pretty to look at, but the real goal is to get you even more hyped up ahead of Destiny's launch, next week on September 9th.
Sounds of Street View takes you on a virtual vacation
You can only experience so much of a place by poking around it in Google Maps, and that's why Amplifon, a hearing aid company from the UK (seriously), put together a little getaway-in-a-browser called Sounds of Street View. The name really says it all -- once you pop on your headphones (trust us, it's important), you can virtually explore Place du Palais, Hawaii's Hapuna Beach and Balboa Park in San Diego complete with some much-needed aural ambience. It's a surprisingly comprehensive experience too: As you "cruise" down the streets of Avignon, France, you'll hear the lilting tune of an accordion give way to the din of a dining crowd and a church bell ringing in the distance. Is it just like being there? Erm, not quite, but it's way cheaper than a plane ticket at the very least. Alas, those are the only three locales available at the moment, so you can't vicariously experience the ceaseless thrum of Hong Kong or New York City... until a crafty developer uses the provided tools cobbles together the soundscape for you, anyway.
Tour college campuses from the couch with Google Maps Street View
The time for choosing a college to attend this fall may have long passed, but you can get a jump start on next year with Google Maps. Street View added 36 more campus tours in the US and Canada, including a look at Georgetown University's Healy Lawn that's pictured above. University of Miami and University of Regina are also included in the tally, allowing you to familiarize yourself with prospective surroundings ahead of that formal campus visit. Or if you just really fancy an academic summer vacation.
Google Street View cars have mapped methane gas leaks in big US cities
Google's Street View cars aren't just useful for scouting out a locale in advance -- they might be saving the planet, too. The vehicles have just helped the Environmental Defense Fund publish methane gas leak maps for Boston, Indianapolis and New York City's Staten Island. The Google cars roamed around cities using sensors that could detect both the location and scale of one of the dangerous leaks, driving by at least twice to make sure the results weren't a fluke. Depending on where you live, the data is either reassuring or scary; the older pipes in Boston and Staten Island have an abundance of leaks, while Indianapolis' more recent infrastructure is keeping the problems to a minimum.
Tour the world's largest cruise ship with Google Street View
From electrical system breakdowns to backed-up toilets and even a capsized ship, it hasn't been a great decade for the cruising industry. Even when your trip goes off without a hitch, you'll probably be eager to disembark after a week in close quarters with 2,000 other families -- even on the world's largest cruise ship, the nearly 1,200-foot Allure of the Seas. Fortunately, that vessel is now open for virtual tours, courtesy of Google's Street View, so you can see what cruising's all about. You can stroll (or click) through some of the more popular "neighborhoods," such as Central Park or the Royal Promenade (a shopping mall). You can also check out five of the 26 restaurants, from Chops Grille to Cupcake Cupboard, or the "Family Fun" areas, such as the H2O Zone water park or the onboard ice rink, all from the comfort of your spacious hotel room.
You can now tour baseball's hallowed halls through Google Street View
So far, you've had to swing by Cooperstown to pay homage at the National Baseball Hall of Fame -- not very practical if you're a West coast fan. Thankfully, you can honor those sports legends from home now that the Hall of Fame and its museum have landed in Google's Cultural Institute. The addition lets you browse through the museum's classic jerseys and other memorabilia in Street View. If you'd rather not do the virtual legwork, there are two photo galleries that show how baseball has evolved over the decades. It's doubtful that a virtual trip will evoke as much nostalgia as the real thing, but it's certainly easier than booking a flight.
Google's latest Street View algorithm beats its bot-sniffing security system
You know how Google's been doing such a great job associating addresses with their locations on a map? Apparently, it's all thanks to the company's new magical algorithm that can parse (with 90 percent accuracy) even fuzzy numbers in pictures taken by Street View vehicles. In fact, the technology's so good that it managed to read even those headache-inducing swirly reCAPTCHA images 99 percent of the time during the company's tests. While that proves that the system works really well, it also implies that the distorted Rorschach-like puzzles are not a fool-proof indicator of whether a user is human.
Explore the ancient temples of Angkor Wat through Google Street View
After touring the canals of Venice and braving the Polar Bear capital of the world, you can now visit the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia... virtually, that is. The armchair adventurer's best friend, Google Street View, now touts around 90,000 panoramic images of the vast 12th century Khmer wonder. Google took photos of Angkor Wat's glorious temples, sculptures and wall carvings, using both its Street View cars and its 40-pound backpacks called Trekkers, which Hawaii's local government recently used to capture its beaches on film. To make the experience even fuller, Google's also adding 300 exhibits of various Angkor Wat-related artworks to its virtual museum. Obviously, there's nothing quite like admiring the complex's architecture in person, but hey, this could be good enough for folks who can't pack up and travel the world.
Navigate the Colorado River from your sofa with Google Maps Street View
With spring quickly approaching (hopefully) and summer following shortly thereafter, outdoor adventures are just around the corner. In order to get mentally prepped for expedition season, Google Maps now affords users the opportunity to paddle down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park thanks to Street View, without fear of being swept away by the currents. The added imagery also provides an up-close look at the Grand Canyon itself and popular spots like Deer Creek Falls, North Canyon and the Nankoweap Granaries. By adding the endangered river to Street view, the folks in Mountain View are hoping to raise awareness for the issues that plague the area. This is just the latest in Google's Map-based tourism exploits that have recently included Monticello, Mount Fuji and even a submarine.
Google's Trekker project brings beautiful Hawaii imagery to Street View
After launching Street View Trekker last year, Google is now starting to show us what we can expect from its loaner program. What you see above are some pictures from the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, which were taken by Google's first Trekker partner, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, and added to Street View as part of the company's imagery project. The search giant says there's a lot more where that came from too, including beaches, historical sites, hiking trails and parks. And with the summer right around the corner, this is a perfect opportunity to virtually explore The Islands of Aloha before booking your next vacation.
Korea remembers to fine Google for unauthorized data-gathering in 2010
South Korea's communications regulator has fined Google $196,000 (or the more impressive-sounding 210 million won) for sucking up personal data during a Street View mapping project back in 2010. These "payload data" fragments apparently included details on unprotected WiFi networks -- the same stuff you heard about when both Germany and France fined the company. The regulator has ordered Google to delete all collected private data and to keep the public updated as this deletion progresses. Given the pace at which this case has moved so far, we'll give 'em four years.
