Re: Google Maps Street View Vilnius
Demetria Dobbin
Look Around is a technology featured in Apple Maps that provides interactive panoramas from positions along a number of streets in various countries.Look Around allows the user to view 360 street-level imagery, with smooth transitions as the scene is navigated. Look Around was introduced with iOS 13 at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2019. It was publicly released as part of iOS 13 on September 19, 2019.[1]
In early 2015, vehicles equipped with twelve cameras and lidar sensors were seen in a variety of locations in the United States. These vehicles were owned by Apple and were also seen in places like the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and Sweden. In June 2015, Apple stated on its website that the vehicles were collecting data to improve Apple Maps. Also, Apple claimed to secure privacy by making faces and license plates unrecognizable. In 2018 Apple confirmed in an article that it was rebuilding Apple Maps, with the first results rolled out in California.[2]
During WWDC 2021 on June 7, 2021, Apple announced that Spain and Portugal would receive the new maps that day, with both Australia and Italy getting them later in the year.[5] On September 10, 2021, Apple published new map data in Andorra, Italy, San Marino, and Vatican City.[6] Apple began testing its new maps in Australia on October 19, 2021, publishing the new data on December 9, 2021.[7]
On March 7, 2022, Apple started collecting imagery in Greece. On March 4, 2022, Apple began testing its new map in Germany and Singapore. On April 21, 2022, Munich and most of Singapore received Look Around alongside the new maps.[8] On May 14, 2022, Apple started collecting imagery in Denmark. On May 29, 2022, Apple began testing its new map in France, Monaco, and New Zealand, with the maps launching on July 7, 2022.[9] On June 3, 2022, Apple announced a first round of imagery collection in Mexico, which began in August 2022. During Apple's WWDC event in June 2022, it was announced that eleven new countries would receive the new maps by the end of the year, including Belgium, Israel, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland.[10] The Look Around feature was enabled in all of Germany on July 25, 2022.[11]
Apple started testing its new map data in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and Saudi Arabia on August 5, 2022. In September 2022, Apple announced the start of image collection in Thailand, which began in October 2022. On November 2, 2022, Apple started testing its new map data in Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The new data was released on December 15, 2022, alongside Israel, Palestinian Territories, and Saudi Arabia.[12]
On January 23, 2023, Apple began testing its new map data in Austria, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. On March 2, 2023, the new maps were launched in Finland, Norway, and Sweden.[13] On March 10, 2023, Apple began testing its new map data in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia.[14] The new maps were released on April 6, 2023.[15] On April 17, 2023, Apple began surveying the United Arab Emirates. On May 2, 2023, Apple began testing its new map in Hong Kong, Slovakia, and Taiwan.[16] The new map data was published for these countries in June 2023.[citation needed] On July 31, 2023, Apple began testing its new maps in Denmark and Greece, with the map data officially launching on October 12, 2023.[17][18]
In iOS 14, Apple released a new feature called Refine Location in Apple Maps: if the app cannot otherwise get precise location information, it prompts the user to scan the surrounding area. This uses Look Around data to improve the accuracy of the current location.[20] As of May 2021, the following areas have received the Refine Location feature:
In iOS 15, Apple released a feature called AR Walking Directions in Apple Maps, where the user scans the surrounding area and will show directions. Much like Refine Location, this feature makes use of the surrounding area and improves the accuracy of directions. As of July 2023, the following areas have received AR Walking Directions:
Google Street View shows a cardboard likeness of the Russian president standing inside a cell at Lukiškės Prison, which is centrally located in the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius. The prison, which was closed in 2019 and converted into a cultural complex that includes studio space for artists, has a horrific history that includes being used by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to house political prisoners.
The Street View image shows a stern-faced Putin standing in one of the prison's cells and staring though bars. The image was made available by Google earlier this month. The creation was a collaboration between Google Maps and Go Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital's tourism office. Putin's image consists of a full size cardboard cutout crafted by virtual photography artist Elijas Šležas.
"Now you can check Lukiškės prison without leaving your home! Just go to Google maps street view and check it out. Also, here you can find one particular person," the Go Vilnius Twitter account tweeted on July 8 alongside a still image of Putin inside the cell and a link to the map. "We think this person fits perfectly here! What do you think?"
Lina Šetikienė, head of Strategic Projects for Go Vilnius, said in a statement to Newsweek that the image was "a form of digital protest which Vilnius has made against Russia's war on Ukraine and its aggressive authoritarian regime."
"The idea came when designing the said virtual tour of the prison's grounds on Google Street View, which allows travelers from all over the world to roam the prison's outside territory, the prisoner yards, and St. Nicholas Orthodox Church," Šetikienė said. "The guides who conduct the real-life tours of Lukiškės Prison said that many visitors expressed their thoughts that it would be a fitting place for the dictator."
She pointed out that a street name outside the Russian Embassy in Vilnius was changed to "Ukrainian Heroes Street" and that Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius put the words "Putin, the Hague is waiting for you" outside the embassy and on the Vilnius Municipality building.
Last week, Moscow municipal deputy Alexei Gorinov was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony for speaking out against the war and allegedly spreading "false information" about civilian casualties.
The rental reportedly came with a tour of the prison grounds and 1980s-themed cell decor, in keeping with the atmosphere of the show. However, the listing came down soon after and was no longer "available for booking" for unknown reasons.
Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she has covered the 2020 and 2022 elections, the impeachments of Donald Trump and multiple State of the Union addresses. Other topics she has reported on for Newsweek include crime, public health and the emergence of COVID-19. Aila was a freelance writer before joining Newsweek in 2019. You can get in touch with Aila by emailing a.sl...@newsweek.com. Languages: English.
Since our Experimental launch back in May 2023, developers across industries have used Photorealistic 3D Tiles to create powerful visual map experiences. While some are using Photorealistic 3D Tiles to illustrate future land developments with a realistic 3D backdrop, others are extending their 2D maps to 3D to help better communicate spatial patterns with more intuitive map views. Developers are also using Photorealistic 3D Tiles to create location-based AR experiences and to create branded immersive maps to drive customer engagement. Here are some applications developers have built:
Geopogo, a software company that builds location-based AR tools for architectural and urban design workflows, is using Photorealistic 3D Tiles to give architects, urban planners, and commercial developers the ability to visualize their designs in cities around the world. Using Photorealistic 3D Tiles, Geopogo built a new feature for its latest update of the Magic Leap 2 AR glasses. They used the Tiles as an AR occlusion layer to visualize 3D AR building models in the real world. This update will enable architects, designers, and commercial developers to design, review, and showcase their building models in immersive visualizations onsite in see-through AR in the context of the real environment, rather than through traditional artistic renderings.
Please, how could I see the street view of Putvinskio g. 70, in Kaunas, Lithuania, from Laisves Aleja (two blocks away, at the end of Maironio Street). It currently houses The Roemer Academy of Law. It is one of the principal buildings in the center of Kaunas.
In the ever-evolving world of mobile mapping systems, the collection and utilization of street view data have emerged as vital components. Mobile mapping systems are transforming the way we perceive and interact with our surroundings, providing valuable insights for a wide range of applications. Among these, street view data stands out as a crucial element, offering a comprehensive and immersive understanding of the environment. In this article, we will explore the significance of street view data / reality capture collected by 360 mobile mapping cameras, shedding light on its various applications and future possibilities.
Before the advent of mobile mapping systems, reality capture data collection was predominantly carried out through time-consuming ground-based measurements or costly aerial surveys. These methods had limitations in terms of accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility. However, with the introduction of mobile mapping systems, these limitations were overcome. These systems revolutionized the way data is collected by combining advanced technology and mobile platforms, providing real-time, high-resolution street view data, with a reduction in the time, costs and man-power necessary.
Street view data encompasses a rich collection of information, comprising imagery, geospatial data, and (sometimes) point cloud data. The imagery component captures the visual representation of the environment, providing a detailed snapshot of streets, buildings, and landmarks. Geospatial information can be layered with location-specific data, such as coordinates, addresses, and other geographic attributes. Point cloud data, obtained either through laser scanners (LiDAR) or through 360 mobile mapping cameras paired with RTK GPS data, enables the creation of precise 3D models and enhances the overall accuracy of the mapping system.
d3342ee215