After being sent out to developers last week promising only "compatibility testing" enhancements, the pre-release version of iPhone software 2.2 is starting to spill its secrets. The folks at Mac Rumors have dug up evidence that appears to indicate Google Maps' Street View finally making it into the Maps app, after popping up in the regular mobile Maps applications for non-iPhones as well as, of course, Android, with the cool Compass view feature. On top of Street View, they've also uncovered a few other new features, including the ability to disable the text auto-correction feature while typing.

Read More »

Android is here, and as to be expected with a Google-made mobile OS, there's a bit of Google App fanciness going on. In fact, it's designed with Google Apps in mind so much that whether or not you're a user of Gmail and other services might determine how useful the phone will be to you.

Read More »

The video walkthrough of the new T-Mobile G1, the first Google Android phone, shows all the details you will ever need. It feels smooth and fast, although the interface looks a bit dated and mixed. It kind of reminds me to a 1990s Windows desktop manager, specially next to the glossy, ultra-polished iPhone interface. However, there are certain aspects of it which are droolworthy, like the accelerometer-based Google Maps Streetview.

It's not perfect, but we love the idea. One modder connected his Wiimote to Google Maps' Street View, allowing the Wiimote to track his jogging in place to guide him through the streets of Tokyo. As you can see, the flaw is that the image updates more like a slideshow than fluid video, as Street View vehicles don't capture a seamless picture. But we'll take exploring the backstreets of Akihabara at a low frame rate over fixating on that crack in the wall at ∞ FPS any day. Download the code free at Tokyo-Jogging's humble official site. [Tokyo-Jogging via Kotaku]

Read More »

Sort of like the hacked Wii Balance Board that'll surf Google Earth, but a little more down to earth, this mod will let you act like you're strolling through town with Google Street View. You walk to move forward or lean on one foot to turn--it actually seems to work pretty well. With a giant display, you could visit New York and walk around without suffering from the gross and smelly summer, or you know, just use it as another excuse to never leave the massive pillow fort you've converted your living room into. [blog.katsuma.tv via Balanceboarding - Thanks Mark!]

If you've ever wanted to take a street tour of the centre of the Apple universe, now's your chance. The Google Street View car has finished making its rounds at Infinite Loop, so you can zoom around like you belong there from your computer chair.

Read More »

In the remote town of Paraburdoo in Western Australia, life is tough. The orange dirt gets in your hair, you're miles away from the nearest town and your streets apparently have walls of tyres blocking the way.

Or - in a hypothetical place a lot closer to reality - the town is so tough that it gave the Google StreetView car that was photographing its streets a flat tyre. Funnily though, the camera decided to document the experience of getting its tyre replaced, including photographing the workshop that it pulled into for a quick repair job.

While we fully expect the images to be pulled down and some outlets of the media (and privacy groups) jump on this as a gross invasion of privacy into the tyre repairman's workshop, I say we should go out of our way to congratulate the workman for helping a StreetView driver in need.

So if you ever happen to be driving through the small town of Paraburdoo in WA, make sure you swing by to get your tyres checked - let's use this as a chance to grow a man's business in a small, outback Australian town.

[Streetview - Thanks Dale!]

Not content to just capture houses burning and other embarrassing shenanigans in the US, Google StreetView has gone overseas and done the same to a drunk man passed out in his own lawn. Now that man is pissed—not in his pants, but at Google—for the invasion of privacy.

AU: And now, after my rant yesterday, we have MILLIONS of people who know the story of "Bill". Seriously, if you thought that a few people seeing your photo was bad, now there's millions who have seen it and know your story. I know which option I'd prefer...

Read More »

Read More »

Google StreetView has been a peculiar bird since its inception earlier this century. It's been blamed for voyeurism, the trampling of privacy rights, and other infractions, but then again it's also been known to capture a few nose pickers or two--so it's a wash as far as I'm concerned. Today, we received word it has some hot new imagery on its hands, literally. As in, this burning house on Eagle Point Drive in sunny Sherwood, Arkansas. [Google StreetView via J-Walk Blog]

Read More »