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Last week, I was looking for a business in NYC. I knew the location, but I wasn't 100% sure of the name of the business. Instead of guessing local businesses, I relied on Google Street View for some assistance. After all, you could see the local businesses after they've been captured by Google's Street View cars by going to Google Maps.
Or so I thought.
I went to the location I needed to be at, and I found Google Street View in the dark:
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(backup image link)
Naturally, this was hardly useful to me. I could make out Staples (who couldn't?) but the business, which is located right next to it, was not visible.
Meanwhile, if you still start going along same street, eventually, you'd see the building in daytime. However, at that angle, it hardly helps.
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(backup image link)
That leads me to ask: what is the benefit of having Google Street View at night? Who thought such a shoddy quality image would help us anyway?
On a related note, in one Google Groups discussion, it seems that people want Google Street View at night -- with a daytime option as well. Just be advised that there sharpness of the images at night is not as ideal.
I'll stick with high quality daytime images. Thanks Google. ;)
Comments:
Nicholas Kinports
09/22/2008 05:19 pm
I don't understand the benefit of spending so much time and money when the image quality is low. Do it right or not at all...
Shimon
09/22/2008 06:46 pm
Tamar, I was looking at this 'feature' and noticed that if you will 'drive' down the block you'll see daylight images again. I'm not sure if it will help you, but you can try this link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=5672+Broadway,+Bronx,+NY+10463&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=30.902495,67.675781&ie=UTF8&layer=c&cbll=40.880784,-73.903365&panoid=2bCVF0AXC1YC_0z0EWNsxA&cbp=1,94.51191878669687,,0,9.875646571345746&ll=40.892169,-73.907347&spn=0.045937,0.076818&z=14
Barry Schwartz
09/22/2008 06:47 pm
Shimon, that is what Tamar illustrated above, no?
Shimon
09/22/2008 06:53 pm
Actually there's just a spot in daylight and going down it will be dark again... Weird. Just in case here's a screenshot: http://ishimon.net/download/tw/google-street-view.png
Shimon
09/22/2008 06:56 pm
Barry, that's pretty much same, but from a little bit better angle, which is closer to that business. Though the distance from the sign does not allow you to read it anyway.
Barry Schwartz
09/22/2008 07:01 pm
Yea.
TriforceofTruth
04/26/2009 06:09 am
Google is screwed up in the head or they got a secret time machine we don't know about. Maybe both. (shrugs shoulders) Either way Google Earth never really cares about it's fanbase hence why stuff is release "rushed" so their "fans" will shush up. Google only does things on their OWN time. Google Time.
Thomas browning
03/14/2011 05:08 pm
i want google street view at night please
Kyle Hill
09/30/2011 06:48 pm
I still think Google has a secret time machine which is why you get weird images like that as it's not natural for pictures to do that. However if they were smart they would use special night time cameras using a remove switch to take the pictures which the images come out good. Night time please but make the images sharper!
Kyle Hill
09/30/2011 06:49 pm
If you look many of the newer street view vans have REALLY good daytime images compared to when they first started out which was more like a camera from the 80s so if they do night time the cameras will improve fast if not already.