Retro Yakking

You might be wondering why this site has become Google Maps crazy this last month or so. Well, it’s all been build up to last week’s introduction of British city images to Google Streetview, which has been sending freaks like me into hyperactive fits of enjoyment. Probably.

The papers have certainly gone into overdrive this week, prompting readers to send in pictures of unusual things caught on the Google SV cameras. The Mirror reported snaps of people being arrested, a man slinking sheepishly out of a sex shop and even sightings of the Stig in a London office block…

As soon as I could gain access to a computer with Internet connection, I was already “driving” around Liverpool just out of curiosity. And from my own experience, it seems getting from place to place on the roads of Liverpool is a much quicker and hassle-free process using Street View.

After perusing the streets of Scouse for about half an hour, the main thing that strikes you is the face blurring. Google have utilised a program that detects and censors human faces, which on the whole is working well:

However, there are still a few bugs in the system. Check out this road sign on Hunter Street:

See how the football has been censored in the image on the right? Presumably it looked a bit too much like a fizzog for the liking of Google’s blurring system. In fact, I hear the Professional Footballs Association (not to be confused with the Professional Footballer’s Association) were going to sue for breach of privacy.

The photo stitching software is very good, though as you might expect there are a few kinks in that, too, as evidenced by this “No Parkin” sign down at the Albert Dock…

Well, I’ll continue to walk the virtual streets of my local city and get back to you with more mildly amusing and cynical comment in due course. Until then, keep surfin’.

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