Google will help you find your way

If you can't find your way with a street directory Google have come up with what they believe is the solution for finding your way easier. They have now introduced street view mapping to their Google mapping services which allows a user to navigate their way at street level to help them become familiar with the area they me traveling to.

The street view mapping allows user's to view 360 degree images of the streets and locations that they want to go to. They can use their computer to virtually wander through streets and towns and also view landmarks. Australia is the third country behind the United States and France to introduce street view mapping and has coverage of most of the east and west coasts of the country. Google product manager Andrew Foster has confirmed that "more of the country will be covered by street view over the coming months including the famous landmark Uluru."

Street view image from under the Sydney Harbour Bridge - Source Google

There have been privacy issued raised with this new technology and these pictures from the U.S. show what images can be caught when using street view mapping. Also in the U.S., celebrities have had their houses removed or fake addresses put in for their properties to stop fans and paparazzi searching for them and finding them. In some cases, whole streets have been removed in Hollywood to protect the privacy of the celebrities that live there.Google Australia have taken steps towards protecting people's privacy which includes an automatic blurring tool that blurs number plates and faces of people which may be caught by the cameras. User's can also have their houses removed from the street view mapping tool by going to the "help" section of Google street view maps and submitting a request.