Hey Look! It's The Google Street View Van!

[Kanada Kev]

Too funny:

From digg

It's hard to believe a Google Street View van elicits this kind of rock groupie reaction!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&geocode=&layer=c&ie=UTF8&cbll=41.547412,-87.642495&panoid=6WQU2RGVaPYdF6ai7m-Jpw&cbp=1,345.89688889785936,,2,13.222784903473748&ll=41.551001,-87.641673&spn=0.007146,0.014591&z=16

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check and mate

[mattm]

Someone(s) have way too much time on their hands.

Really neat idea though, driving a van around but can you do that? What about if there are kids, I know that there are all sorts of legal implications when you talk kids and photos but maybe that just applies to semi-private places (I can't take videos of little trey doing his swimming lessons, or even pictures and here at school if they take my picture and want to use it for anything they have to have me sign something).

hmmm, anyone know what all the rules are for that? I've always wondered, like when I take a picture of a guy on a lawn chair at bluesfest, or any crowd, am I breaking the law somehow, etc, etc? If not, how come for some things there is a signature needed but not for others?

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can you do that?

uh... yes! they and other companies are!

in canada and europe recognizable faces have to be blurred in the case of google streetview and comparable technology (i know this because I work with comparable technology). this isn't a requirement in the USA, but google is currently testing their technology to automatically blur faces. i don't know what the law says about a dude with a camera, signatures, etc

and it's not a van, it's a Chevy Cobalt (in north america). although in europe they are using sedans and vans.

most of canada's large cities have been captured by the streetview crew - they cannot release any of the imagery in google maps until the blurring technology is perfected and deployed.

story relating to your question: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/09/25/tech-google-streetview.html

interesting article here: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/06/want_off_street.html

[Guest Low Roller]

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[mattm]

Thanks, that's actually way more than I expected and pretty neat. Pretty crazy how hard it is to not be seen in a picture down in the states.