Hasta La Gadget!

Though Bulgaria mightn’t be your first choice for a relaxing holiday, fresh imagery from Google may change your tune — or at least give you a chance to experience it vicariously. Mountain View just added that nation for the first time to its Street View rolls, bringing major cities like Sofia and Varna along with attractions like the Black Sea coastline, the Architectural Museum Reserve Tsarevets and the Borovets ski resort, to name a few. In addition, Google added over 200 new Russian locales like 2014 Winter Olympics site Sochi and the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamun in the Republic of Kalmykia. Lastly, virtual travelers will get to enjoy new photos from the Scottish coastline, East Anglia and parts of South Wales along with refreshed imagery from major cities like Manchester, Glasgow and London. For more, grab a spot of Earl Grey (or Russian) tea and hit the source.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Google Lat Long Blog

True to Iwata-san’s word, Google Maps with Street View is indeed making its way to the Nintendo Wii U this month. Word of the mapping service’s impending arrival first came this past December, but at the time, no mention was made of availability outside of a vague January 2013 launch. As we learned later however, it was pushed back another month but Wii Street U Powered by Google is live in Japan, and will be free through the end of May. After that, there will be a fee for access to the service’s Panorama View-like feature, which leverages the GamePad for 360-degree perspectives.

Of course, you can also peruse both plain and Street View maps from the TV, but that kind of diminishes the gimmicky point of the second screen controller. (Also, you could just use a laptop, tablet or phone for Google Maps — just sayin’.) There’s no word on US release plans or potential pricing, but it’s worth noting the TVii app that’s free here carries a nominal 100 yen charge in Japan. Hit the source link for an interview with the team behind bringing the app to the console.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Google, Nintendo

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Source: Nintendo Japan (Twitter), Nintendo Wii Street U interview

Nintendo’s Wii U was supposed to get TVii when the console launched back in late November. That did not happen. Then, when it did launch in late December, two key features were missing: TiVo and Netflix. Despite insistence that the former would arrive in January 2013, Nintendo tells us that both are delayed beyond January to an unknown point in “early 2013.” The company specifically notes that said integration is planned for the United States.

Google Maps and Street View, custom-tailored for the Wii U’s tablet-like GamePad, were also given a January 2013 launch window when we first heard back in early December that they were headed to the Wii U. As it turns out, those are also delayed, albeit to a more precise “first quarter of 2013.” This news comes on the heels of below expectation Wii U console sales, and word of not one, but two console updates coming later this year aimed at optimizing the hardware — an issue we struggled with during our review of the console last year.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Nintendo

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Think it’s cold in Chicago? You’ve probably never wintered in Nunavut, Canada’s northernmost territory. This past August (long before the temperature in Cambridge Bay hit negative double digits), Google explorers ventured above the Arctic circle to bring the mapping giant’s Street View tech to the village of 1,500, complete with a walk down Omingmak Street and a peek around the Youth Recreation Complex (which, fittingly, houses an ice hockey rink). You can even stroll past Our Lady of the Arctic Catholic Church or toss a few darts at Ikaluktutiak Elks Lodge No. 593. So, what are you still doing hanging around here? Hit up our source link below to grab your lil’ slice of ice before the thermometer hits 0 this spring.

Filed under: GPS, Internet, Google

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google Maps, Google Blog

Ever wonder how Google can make such grandiose claims for the sheer amount of Street View imagery it collects? Here’s how. Google’s Masrur Odinaev has posted a snapshot of a central mapping car parking lot that shows dozens of the camera-equipped Subaru Imprezas amassed ahead of future runs. While it already represents more Street View cars in one place than anyone outside of Google would normally ever see, what’s most impressive is remembering that this addresses just a portion of the entire vehicle mix — aside from the local cars you don’t see in the photo, there are extra units worldwide providing street-level coverage alongside tricycles and underwater expeditions. Odinaev’s look reminds us just how much effort is needed to make Street View a common feature — and that there are are legions of Google staffers whose low-profile work goes a long way towards making our navigation easier.

Filed under: GPS, Transportation, Internet, Google

Visualized: Google Street View car fleet gets ready to conquer (and map) the world originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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