Google Streetview

Google Streetview

Just thought I'd share some of the interesting stuff Google has came up with recently. Some of you might think its old news already, but this post is for those who hasn't tried this yet...

To begin, we shall go to Google Maps's URL: http://maps.google.com/.
I searched for Flinders's Street, Melbourne, and came to this page below. Notice there is this "Street View" button at the top of the map?

Clicking the "Street View" button, you will find that all the streets that has the "Street View" function enabled with be outlined in blue.
Zooming in further into Flinders Street, did you notice a "yellow man" in the map?
You can drag the little yellow man and place him anywhere along the streets.
Upon placing him down, you will be shown a picture of the street view of where that yellow man is standing. This is along Flinders Street.

Although not real time, what you can do with the above picture is that you can hold down the left-click button of your mouse and rotate the picture to the scene on your left or right.

Here is the left view...
And here's the right view...
You can even scroll upwards and take a good look at the building!
Looking down again at the ground level, you can also "zoom in" and take a good look at the shops below the building.
Lets take a walk along Flinders Street... Notice there are yellow "ribbons" on the road with white arrows? Clicking on the white arrows will bring you further ahead down along the road.

Keep walking and walking... or you can lift the yellow-man and place him further down the streets. Here, we arrived at the junction where Elizabeth Street joins Flinders Street.
Lets rotate the map rightwards and walk down Elizabeth Street~!
This feature literally lets you "stroll the streets", as long as it has been chartered by Street View.
Just look at how detailed the images can go... amazing~
Curiosity got the better of me and I scrolled my way to Japan... wondering if Google has done chartering Japan or not...

Notice "秋叶原" in the middle of the map? That's Akibahara - anime heaven of Japan.

*Clicks on the Street View button* ...
WOOHOOO~!!!
My EYES are in Japan! *Begins touring Japan for the next 72 hours*