Google Street View

[Dan Robinson]

Google has been doing some major work to Street View lately - a large part of the country is online now, including much of the Plains! Even tiny remote Plains towns have their entire street grids recorded.

I can see this being useful in compiling chase logs and correlating photos with actual locations.

Go to Google Maps and check it out.

For example, here is Protection, KS (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=37.192049,-99.423523&spn=0,359.384766&z=11&layer=c&cbll=37.196926,-99.48115&panoid=ocbg3HvA83I0kjQwIydbdQ&cbp=12,11.4535377807984,,0,4.799107142857142)!

[Sarah Glenn]

Wow, I just looked, and even Greensburg is on there.

[Jeff Snyder]

Privacy concerns aside (all taken from public property, so...).. I have found Street View to be useful several times over the past few months. Going to a friend's wedding in an unfamiliar town? Sure, regular street maps help, but actually being able to see what the hotel, important intersections, etc, all look like helps a lot.

[Chad Cowan]

That's great how much they have added over the past year. I haven't peeked at what is available outside of Chicago until now. Just took a stroll through Greensburg and saw a film crew on the side of the road, I wonder which show this is for:
http://local.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.561053,-99.591064&spn=3.448872,7.141113&z=8&layer=c&cbll=37.606242,-99.28854&panoid=dweSfW73GIDmIl5WngD9xA&cbp=12,17.75334544350676,,0,14.05303747966803

Jeff- have you seen some of the Street View 'finds' that have been posted elsewhere? There's some pretty funny stuff regardless of the legal implications. A few of my favorites include a guy breaking into a house in SF, someone coming out of an adult bookstore, and Cubs coach Lou Pinella leaving a restaurant. It's amazing what you can see driving down the street.

[Doug Raflik]

Anyone find any decent storm structure on here yet? I know Milwaukee has some stormy looking skies...

http://local.google.com/?ie=UTF8&layer=c&cbll=43.038749,-87.942239&panoid=6Ef-JBQIB-4eGhk8PXNewQ&cbp=12,263.79171678223775,,0,-16.122650139120125&ll=43.028745,-87.912598&spn=0,357.539063&z=9

Doug Raflik

[Rob Wadsworth]

I had looked up the location of 'The HAM Outlet' on Google before I went out and bought my radio gear just last week. When I clicked on to street view, I saw and knew exactly where it was I had to go.
It's kinda mind-blowing - really...

[Jason Foster]

I remember someone pointing out a spot were some Kid fell off his bike during one of these streetview shots.

Unfortunately, around here, it still lacks severely, but downtown DC is hooked up...so it great there.

I'm just wondering when the whole thing will be linked to the NavGPS systems, so rather than a silly little fake map, they'll actually give you an actual picture of the direction your going, so when you see that McDonalds on the corner coming up, then you know you'll turn there. I can also see it being great for chasing, when you need to see which little hill or crest is the best for viewing a storm before you get there.

[Brian Emfinger]

I just stumbled onto this yesterday while looking up where I was about to go get video. I was stunned to see so many roads here are covered. The only thing thats not covered are the unpaved county roads.

I did see some nice cu towers along the gulf coast while looking at how the coast had progressed from Katrina.

[Johnathan Brouwer]

Check out the video crew in Greensburg, KS

318 E. Kansas Ave (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=greensburg,+ks&sll=37.37234,-99.511414&sspn=0.64826,2.856445&ie=UTF8&ll=37.606241,-99.288671&spn=0.019379,0.089264&z=14&g=greensburg,+ks&iwloc=addr&layer=c&cbll=37.606241,-99.288671&panoid=bZRJ84zgReiZWndBABJBGg&cbp=11,53.216038825341684,,0,5.8653846153846185)

[Willoughby Owen]

New Zealand has just been added a week ago! :D

[Ben Holcomb]

Nappanee, IN (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&layer=c&cbll=41.442702,-85.979019&panoid=HKc6EXKG4T87JUW_7SbIXg&cbp=12,65.09645192482037,,0,6.4447366352844675&ll=41.447359,-85.44136&spn=0,356.569519&z=9)appears to be up there - As best I can tell, it's pre 10/18/07 because I can't find any damage anywhere from the EF-3.

[Chad Cowan]

Nappanee, IN (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&layer=c&cbll=41.442702,-85.979019&panoid=HKc6EXKG4T87JUW_7SbIXg&cbp=12,65.09645192482037,,0,6.4447366352844675&ll=41.447359,-85.44136&spn=0,356.569519&z=9)appears to be up there - As best I can tell, it's pre 10/18/07 because I can't find any damage anywhere from the EF-3.

That's definitely before the tornado went through. I remember seeing trees on this farm (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&layer=c&cbll=41.471393,-86.001598&panoid=hEA_SkzxvM5EEJpF6JnmEw&cbp=12,58.53339866301508,,0,0.04278946503959025&ll=41.447359,-85.44136&spn=1.653142,3.570557&z=9&g=1030+N+Dearborn+St,+Chicago,+IL+60610) that looked like someone sheared off half of them.

[Steve Miller OK]

Actually, I think there are some privacy concerns...
I live in a private gated neighborhood and I, along with my neighbors, spend a ton of cash each year maintaining the roads, lighting and other infrastructure. This infrastructure includes the security gate you must pass through to enter the neighborhood. The only way in is to know someone or tailgate a homeowner through the gates. There are signs clearly posted saying the neighborhood is private...
There are damn good reasons to live behind the security of a gated community and privacy is at the top of that list. I think it's unfortunate my home along with many others of people who pay for privacy throughout the U.S. now deal with the insult that is being listed on Google.
I won't lose too much sleep over it but it irritates the heck out of me nonetheless.

[Dann Cianca]

I remember someone pointing out a spot were some Kid fell off his bike during one of these streetview shots.


... I would love to see that again. Should have bookmarked it!

Looking at my aunt & uncle's house in Thorton, Colorado, my cousin is hanging outside with a friend talking. Always thought that was funny ... he didn't sign a model release!!! :)

... well, just realized they now have Butte, Montana mapped on Street View ... looks like I'll not be getting much else done at work today. ;)

[Jason Foster]

Actually, I think there are some privacy concerns...
I live in a private gated neighborhood and I, along with my neighbors, spend a ton of cash each year maintaining the roads, lighting and other infrastructure. This infrastructure includes the security gate you must pass through to enter the neighborhood. The only way in is to know someone or tailgate a homeowner through the gates. There are signs clearly posted saying the neighborhood is private...
There are damn good reasons to live behind the security of a gated community and privacy is at the top of that list. I think it's unfortunate my home along with many others of people who pay for privacy throughout the U.S. now deal with the insult that is being listed on Google.
I won't lose too much sleep over it but it irritates the heck out of me nonetheless.

I don't think Google can enter privately maintained roads without getting approval from the home owners association or other owner of the roads. The home owners in turn SHOULD be asking the residents. If that community, which is gated....was entered into the google system, I would request who and when the home owner's association approved this measure, and further ask how did they ask the residents about their opinions.

[Jason Foster]

I wonder if the system of cameras used to record this data for Streetview could be adopted for storm chasing in some way. The cameras have a really good view all around. If you play with the camera swivel a little, you can see that you can look nearly straight down at the pavement, and almost straight up in the sky....now wouldn't that be a kick butt way to chase and record a supercell.

Time for some research!

[David Schuttler]

They did Tulsa last year , some of it during our ice storm cleanup. They caught me standing behind my vehicle talking with the neighbor.

[craig buchanan]

I wonder if the system of cameras used to record this data for Streetview could be adopted for storm chasing in some way. The cameras have a really good view all around. If you play with the camera swivel a little, you can see that you can look nearly straight down at the pavement, and almost straight up in the sky....now wouldn't that be a kick butt way to chase and record a supercell.

Time for some research!

One of the things I thought about was damage assessments. I have heard those who are doing EF scale research and EF rating from the office lament that most of the people who take photos do so in such a narrow view that they are practically worthless. One of these camera systems would go far beyond the simple panoramic view.

[Mickey Ptak]

LOL HERE (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2498+County+Road+1223,+Blanchard+ok+73010&sll=35.186716,-97.500229&sspn=0.409099,0.615234&g=Newcastle,+ok&ie=UTF8&ll=35.280099,-97.631721&spn=0.211041,0.307617&z=12&iwloc=cent&layer=c&cbll=35.243376,-97.670882&panoid=SCoMqP--M7w99OzZGoZlMg&cbp=12,204.52905620499357,,0,5.106357911513798) is me (in my car) at my mail box. Hmmm lol what are the odds.

They also have a shot of my grandparents house and my late grandfather is sitting on the porch.

Cool but kinda scary.

Mick

[Connor McCrorey]

Haha why is it necessary to take pictures from parking lots?

CLICK HERE (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&layer=xc&g=allen,+tx&ll=33.112321,-96.700244&spn=0.016248,0.027637&z=15&cbll=33.07172,-96.77102&panoid=tFgjn7pQQDCAo3XsnNv72g&cbp=12,50.983141613354405,,0,37.72086442889797)

[Joey Ketcham]

A guy I work with found one the other day from a small drive that went in between two semi trailers and ended up at a 3rd semi trailer, funny to think that they backed all the way into that for that shot.

[Aaron Wesson]

I will have to look around but there was a thread on another site a few months ago about a drug deal that was caught going down.

I am going to be moving back to OK next year and have used this function from google many times to help me get around the Yukon / OKC area.

[Travis W Speakman]

Interesting! Does anyone know how often GE updates their satellite view? A couple weeks ago a guy a work showed me street level viewing on his I-phone, so I looked up my house. At that time, the camera car had driven the major cross streets, but not the side streets like mine. (I guess more correctly I should say the information from the car had not been entered yet) The satellite view showed my old roof from 2005! So the satellite image had to be older than 3.5 years! Today, I checked and the street level view had been added for my street...and, now the new roof is visible on the satellite view. Even more interesting is in the street level view, it was garbage day and my cans are out and my truck is in the driveway. But, on the satellite view, my truck is gone and the cars on the street are all in different places. And from the guessing based on landscaping I did this year, the street level view was taken in the spring or summer just before the third week of July, as the landscaping doesn't show up. So there's obviously a lag. It was just funny to think that the satellite image was so old, and now it was updated incongruently with the street level view. Just a neat observation.

[Aaron Wesson]

Yep here it is LOL to funny!

http://gawker.com/5004469/a-drug-deal-caught-from-every-angle

Here is one of the street view vehichles
http://boingboing.net/images/goog-zoom-car.jpg

[Robert Rohloff]

Looks like Google is being sued because the terror attacks in Mumbai were planned with the use of Google Earth. I have no doubt the criminal element can and will use streets..........

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/3691723/Mumbai-attacks-Indian-suit-against-Google-Earth-over-image-use-by-terrorists.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/world/asia/09mumbai.html?ref=asia


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5317075.ece

[Tony Perkins]

There are some national park roads that are covered too. I'm sure there's a buffalo jam in progress on one of Yellowstone's main loops.