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  • Google Street View allows you to travel all over the world, seeing block-to-block photographs of your own neighborhood or far-off places, all from your computer screen. But just how does Google get Street View pictures?

    Street View Project Begins

    The Google Street View project began in 2007 with five cities in the United States. Large vans equipped with nine cameras on a central mast took photographs every several feet.

    Smaller and More Fuel Efficient

    As the project expanded, Google ditched the vans in favor of compact cars and hybrids equipped with a smaller, lighter camera mast. Street View now covered dozens of cities throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

    Image Processing

    As the nine simultaneously recorded images are obtained, the Street View cars use both GPS and infrared technology to pinpoint the exact location on the map using Google Maps. A computer automatically combines the nine images into a single panorama, allowing a 360-degree look at the surroundings every few feet.

    Censoring

    In mid-2008, allegations of privacy violations plagued the Street View project. Google began using computer algorithms to blur license plates and faces for greater privacy of any individuals happening to fall into the cameras' path. Google now allows images to be removed upon request.

    Future

    Varying privacy laws around the world have made Street View illegal in some areas. Still, Google continues to fight to expand the project. Human-powered tricycles have been added to photograph areas not accessible by car.

    Source:

    Google.com: Behind the Scenes: Google Maps with Street View

    CNet.com: Google grab bag: Blurry faces and more

    CNet.com: Google finds no privacy on private roads

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