Roger Fingas
Google on Wednesday announced plans to launch a new app, Street View, which will let anyone submit a photo sphere to Maps, including ones captured via compatible 360-degree cameras.
The app is due for iOS and Android in August, and in the case of iOS, will replace Photo Sphere Camera on the App Store. The change is part of a Google initiative to merge Google's Views community with Google Maps, and in fact allow anyone to submit a sphere to Maps, instead of just Google and authorized contributors.
Spheres uploaded to Views will be ported over to Maps, though not all of them may be approved. Views will go offline mid-August, at which point people will also be able to upload spheres via the Maps website. Later in 2015 Google will relaunch its defunct "constellations" — linked photo spheres — with a more automated approach.
Initially, the Street View app will only support two spherical cameras, the NCTech iris360 and the Giroptic 360cam. The latter is a consumer-oriented device which can be pre-ordered for $499, while the iris360 is a $1,999 professional product shipping in August that can shoot 8K images with high dynamic range.
That month Google will also rebrand the Google Maps Business View as "Street View | Trusted," and make it easier to become a certified photographer.
William Gallagher
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30 Comments
I know some are huge fans of street view, who keep insisting Apple should do the same, but I abhor the concept, and find it a disgusting invasion of privacy. The approach Apple is taking (3D) is much more versatile, robust, sustainable, efficient, and best of all, less creepy.
Sweet! I love street view.
I know some are huge fans of street view, who keep insisting Apple should do the same, but I abhor the concept, and find it a disgusting invasion of privacy. The approach Apple is taking (3D) is much more versatile, robust, sustainable, efficient, and best of all, less creepy.
So instead of seeing what it looks like driving along the street, you prefer Apple's approach where you can see over fences and into people's backyards, and seeing views, like the back side of people's homes, you couldn't otherwise. Got it.
So, police should be forced to give up cop cars, and only fly drones.
Google is moving faster and faster announcing upgrades Google Maps! Where was this speed three years ago when Google Maps was a core iOS app? Being kicked out of iOS was most definitely an inflection point Google and many others did not expect to occur. I am looking forward to the release of iOS 9 Beta One Monday, June 8, 2015! ????????????
Google is moving faster and faster announcing upgrades Google Maps! Where was this speed three years ago when Google Maps was a core iOS app?
It was very simple: Google stopped supplying new features, because in return, they demanded prominent Google branding and access to Apple's users' data.
Apple gave them the finger and went in-house.