14 DAY TRIAL // Google has updated its Street View showcase site which now provides a lot more information and is more interesting to people who may not know how Street View works or what Google is doing, collecting all the images.
The landing page features several stunning locations from around the world, captured by the Street View vehicles and available to anyone in Google Maps.
Visitors can also find out where the Street View cars are currently shooting as well as what areas are already available in Google Maps.
The technology and vehicles behind Street View are also showcased. Overall, it's quite an interesting read.
"Since Street View first launched in Google Maps, it’s grown from five U.S. cities to locations on all seven continents, and we’ve been able to visit some beautiful and historic places around the world," Katie Mandel, Product Marketing Manager at Google Maps, wrote.
"To share some of our favorite imagery with you, and also give you a behind-the-scenes look at Street View technology, we’ve updated our Street View site," she added.
If you're looking for interesting places in Street View, the new website has some suggestions, besides the places on the homepage, like the famous Stonehenge.
There is also a Gallery section with several themed collections of Street View imagery, things like "Seven Continents," "South Africa Soccer Stadiums," or "Hawaii Beaches."
If you want to know how Street View works, head over to the Technology section. You'll get details on all the Street View 'vehicles,' the cars, the trikes, the snowmobile and even the trolley.
There's also an overview of how the whole process works, from the cars capturing the images, to stitching them together, to making them available in Street View.
Google doesn't go into too many technical details, since this is a site aimed at the general public, but it does provide a description of all the stages in the process.
The revamped site has plenty to offer and Google was right to update it. There's an entire section devoted to privacy which, hopefully, does its job of educating people about Street View. If it's enough to lower concerns, especially after the incidents last year, remains to be seen.