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Google Street View - Full UK Coverage unveiled tomorrow
Article by: Darren Griffin
Date: 10 Mar 2010
 Google are set to unveil the results of a huge survey of UK streets tomorrow.
Currently only a few select cities and other areas have Google Street View coverage but that is set to change.
The Mountain View behemoth will unveil a comprehensive map of the UK with Street View's full 360 degree photo coverage of every major street in the UK.
For the past 18mths Google has been surveying the country and collating the massive amounts of data required to build and offer the full UK Street View map.
Despite privacy concerns the service has proved to be very popular. Google software automatically blurs the faces of individuals captured by Street View where they may otherwise be identifiable and a similar process operates to obscure vehicle number plates.
To check if your neighbourhood has been Google'd check http://maps.google.co.uk tomorrow.
| Comments
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 Posted by mrfrank on Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:39 pm |
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mmhhh, this may also mean that we will finally be able to have Google Navigation working in the UK on Android phones.
So far turn by turn navigation available as part of Google Maps for Android is only working in the USA and it is disabled anywhere else on the google server side (on the phone you simply do not get the option when you are not in USA, unless you use a hacked version of Googlemaps ... but this is another story though).
This was allegedly due to licensing issue with TeleAtlas, which do not apply in the USA as USA maps are google's property.
If now Google have finished mapping UK, they will not need TeleAtlas anymore and they can offer free SatNav to Android users without any impications. 
Nice one.
Cheers.
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| Posted by Darren on Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:53 pm |
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| mrfrank Wrote: | | If now Google have finished mapping UK, they will not need TeleAtlas anymore and they can offer free SatNav to Android users without any impications. |
Street View and Google mapping are not necessarily the same thing.
I'd be wary of assuming that this means navigable Google maps are due here any time soon. Indeed I'll wager they won't be announced tomorrow at least.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by darrengsaw on Wed Mar 10, 2010 9:11 pm |
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| Darren Wrote: | | mrfrank Wrote: | | If now Google have finished mapping UK, they will not need TeleAtlas anymore and they can offer free SatNav to Android users without any impications. |
Street View and Google mapping are not necessarily the same thing.
I'd be wary of assuming that this means navigable Google maps are due here any time soon. Indeed I'll wager they won't be announced tomorrow at least. |
I think it's fair to say that Google's proprietary US data has not been received with universal acclaim. The quality of the data apparently leaving a lot to be desired
Even if Google Nav does make it to europe sometime soon, I would reserve judgement on whether it makes for a quality offering or not.
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| Posted by mrfrank on Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:00 pm |
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| Darren Wrote: | | mrfrank Wrote: | | If now Google have finished mapping UK, they will not need TeleAtlas anymore and they can offer free SatNav to Android users without any impications. |
Street View and Google mapping are not necessarily the same thing.
I'd be wary of assuming that this means navigable Google maps are due here any time soon. Indeed I'll wager they won't be announced tomorrow at least. |
Fair enough. I did say "this may mean...". In any case, whether this will happen or not in the short term is up to Google. I just think it would be interesting, regardless of the quality of the Google-made maps.
At the end of the day, Google Navigation is free and that would be the only free proper turn by turn currently available for Android.
Btw, I tried the hacked version in the UK and it is quite good actually....but unfortunately that is not a viable solution to be discussed here.
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| Posted by MaFt on Thu Mar 11, 2010 1:06 am |
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woohoo! my cat is on there!! and yes, i mean CAT and not CAR - though both car's are on there too!
MaFt
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| Posted by MaFt on Thu Mar 11, 2010 1:08 am |
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the fact that nearly all roads have been driven on to get the streetview images shows that they have now got the streets initially mapped - i'm sure they will have logged the tracks and not just the images!!
just a case of getting road names and turn restrictions matched up though...
MaFt
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| Posted by Radeon12345 on Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:52 am |
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Brilliant, my street is now mapped 
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| Posted by Darren on Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:41 am |
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| MaFt Wrote: | | just a case of getting road names and turn restrictions matched up though... |
Is that all
Darren Griffin |
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How do I get this magical street view 
