Street View hitting home this Spring

Google Street View Car That’s if ‘home’ for you is the UK.

British newspaper, The Independent, has speculated that Google will be introducing Street View to the UK in Spring 2009. Street View is a Google Maps feature that allows you to view the roads at eye-level (if you’re 8ft tall) with a full 360° horizontal and 290° vertical view. Google has already snapped the larger cities in the US as well as branching out to other countries such as Japan, France, Australia, Spain and Italy.

London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh are thought to be included first. Street View cars have been spotted around the UK since July 2008, apparently causing worry among privacy worriers/warriors. However, Google is ensuring that all captured faces will be obscured.

If you’re interested in Street View you can already take a virtual stroll around New York, San Francisco or Miami. Those outside Britain will eventually be able to take a virtual tour of Hull, Newham and Middlesbrough (polled worst places to live in 2007).

Google Street View New York

Kimberly Ann

I’ve seen multiple articles regarding the Independent article about Street View for the UK being launched in spring and about the four cities. But yours is the first I’ve seen saying that this is just speculation. So, the Independent did not receive this information from a Google source? So, for all we know it could be next summer? Or next month? And cover the entire UK instead of just four cities (or, gulp, none)?