PRIUS FLEET TO CARRY CAMERAS FOR 'STREET VIEW'

+ Click to Enlarge GOOGLE BEING OGLED: Mobile team about Toyota Prius hybrid cars will be out and about in South African cities in coming months capturing images for display on Google Maps.

September 2, 2009

Google is about to start collecting imagery across South Africa for the "Street View" display on is Google Maps program.

If you see a Toyota Prius with a camera on a mast on its roof cruising by, smile nicely - it'll be one of the Google teams doing their job. They'll be in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth and Durban.

'Street View' is a hugely popular feature of Google Maps that is already available in more than 100 metropolitan areas worldwide. It allows users to explore "virtually "and navigate a neighbourhood through panoramic street-level images. It is also available with Google Earth and on Google Maps for Mobile.

Images collected by the mobile teams will be processed and stitched together, a technological process that can take several months. They will be made available at a later date in Street View on 'Google Maps for South Africa'.

In areas where Street View is available you can access street-level imagery by zooming into the lowest level on Google Maps, or by dragging the orange "Pegman" icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a blue highlighted street.

You can check out a restaurant before arriving, make travel plans, arrange meeting points, or get a helping hand with geography homework. House-hunters can save time by exploring properties and their surrounding area in advance and by looking up driving directions.

Businesses can benefit from the 'Street View' technology by embedding Google Maps directly into their site - free - to help them promote a chain of hotels or raise awareness about a local library or restaurant.

Toyota spokesperson Andrew Kirby said: "We're thrilled to be partnering with Google and supplying our fuel-efficient and environmental friendly Prius for this groundbreaking project."

For more information on 'Street View' and how it can be used for recreational purposes and by businesses go to www.google.co.za/help/maps/streetview/faq.html