Street View coming to Google maps NZ; Camera-vehicle spotted in Christchurch

Forums › GPS, maps and mapping software › Street View coming to Google maps NZ; Camera-vehicle spotted in Christchurch

brudge

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#18380 8-Jan-2008 19:51

Today I was crossing Mansfield ave in Merivale when Celeste pointed out a 'Google car'. I looked and saw a small black car pulling off the curb with a Google logo on the side. I blinked and noticed a bunch of weird contraptions on it's roof. I looked a bit harder and saw a smallish orange-brown cylinder with many smaller circles on it. As the car started driving off I realized it was taking 360º photos for Google Map's Street View. Photos and more details: http://drupal.geek.nz/node/83

The Google car photographing 360º for Google Maps Street view

Keep an eye out for it! I think the driver was working West to East across Merivale, but it's hard to say.

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#103653 8-Jan-2008 20:20

You missed the prize! I think somenone mentioned a prize in another thread if you spot a Google car and they take your picture with "Geekzone" somewhere...

Thanks for the picture. Now I know what to look for.

brudge

15 posts

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#103733 9-Jan-2008 08:28

freitasm: You missed the prize! I think somenone mentioned a prize in another thread if you spot a Google car and they take your picture with "Geekzone" somewhere...

Eh? What prize? How do you win it?

There's a better photo from a Dunedin siting at http://www.corporateturtles.com/tmp/200712281415/

sbiddle

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#103737 9-Jan-2008 09:00

I had suggested that if you could get yourself on Google Street Map holding a sign saying Geekzone that Mauricio would have to give you a prize! :-)

Oblivian

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#103751 9-Jan-2008 10:19

Ooopsy daisy.

I forgot to mention this to you fellas on new years eve during the day.

Got up to see if I was meant to put out rubbish bags, saw black car and guy cleaning a post ontop of it. Figured it was an aerial camera he was about to use.

30mins later passed it while biking to burwood plantation doing the rounds at Parklands and then saw it and noticed the google label on the door.

brudge

15 posts

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#103809 9-Jan-2008 14:05

Very interesting. I'm collating sitings and details on my blgo, there have been a lot of updates in the last 24 hours. I met the driver and got detail shots. Come check it out: http://drupal.geek.nz/node/86 http://drupal.geek.nz/node/83

billyvan

40 posts

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#103830 9-Jan-2008 15:57

Anyone got any scoop on how extensive the footage for NZ will be, sounds like we must be the chosen ones, no footage available outside of the U.S. at the moment !

paradoxsm

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#103857 9-Jan-2008 18:02

wow,, that's mega cooool! I remember spotting the Vodafone network test van (a hucky old Toyota Estima then) once and following it for a few KM and snapping piles of pics of it.

We were having quite a converation of what the camera setup looked like the other day, now we know for sure and I won :-P time for me to collect my pub shout.

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brudge

15 posts

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#103985 10-Jan-2008 12:46

billyvan: Anyone got any scoop on how extensive the footage for NZ will be, sounds like we must be the chosen ones, no footage available outside of the U.S. at the moment !

Michael the driver I spoke to said he was doing all of Christchurch, Another driver was doing all of Dunedin, and yet another driver has been reported in Wellington. Going by that I expect that we will have full footage of the big-5 at least: Dunedin, Hton, Chch, Akl, Wtn. Maybe some of the smaller towns too like Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Tauranga, Nelson, Invercargill etc. But not likely.

They have been filming in sydney for sometime. I suspect they're also filming in the UK and probably EU too, or if not then battling with issues around privacy laws in those countries.

TinyTim

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#104008 10-Jan-2008 13:59

Terralink is also doing a street cam: I saw this vehicle today driving through the car park in the Botanic Garden here in Wellington. It had a number of cameras on its roof - they looked like CCTV cameras, plus a dome in the middle that I assume was a GPS receiver.