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Google Street View

By James Burland on November 24, 2008

iPhone update 2.2 sees the introduction of Google Street View. This stunning virtual reality feature added to the desktop version of Google Maps last year was first shoehorned into the Android based G1. How does it perform on the iPhone? Let’s find out…

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It’s hard to believe that the industry has moved from the basic cell phone with a crippled ‘sawn-off’ version of the internet to the iPhone with its near perfect access to the web and other internet services in just a handful of years. Whatever will the next decade bring?

  • http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/ Steve Litchfield

    Sorry James, but even as an iPhone fan, I can’t let your narrative pass without comment. Safari is GREAT for many web sites, but it falls short by ignoring anything with Flash content, including, critically, Flash video. With (for example) Nokia S60 phones offering inline flash video playback in web pages for over a year now, Apple need to seriously work on this area, in my opinion.

    But yes, Streetview is impressive in Maps, kudos to Google, as always.

  • http://www.allaboutiphone.net James Burland

    Well… I did say, ‘near perfect’ internet access. ^_^

    I just don’t miss Flash at all, admittedly if there was no YouTube on the iPhone I’d be gutted, but of course that was fixed within a few months.

    Time will tell, but I have a suspicion that we will never see Flash support on the iPhone. Actually, we might, but not until Apple buy Adobe in 2009! ^_-

    Thinking long term, do we really need Flash at all? Surely something more open like an efficient Ajax/MP4 combo would be more suited to most situations.

    H.264 video codec support is certainly the jewel in Flash’s illustrious crown. The trouble is, it’s looking increasing like it’s the only part of the crown that has any worth. Why not fit the jewel into something more fitting? Which is exactly what Apple did with the YouTube app.

  • http://www.allaboutiphone.net Matt Radford

    Whatever will the next decade bring? Try this for some bigwig predictions on the wireless future:

    http://www.chetansharma.com/blog/2008/11/20/recap-of-tomorrows-wireless-future/

  • http://www.allaboutiphone.net James Burland

    Every time I use Spinvox, Evernote and Google’s new voice search app, I get this deep-rooted gut feeling that we are witnessing little spinets of the future.

    There is something intoxicating about their power to bend information into something both meaningful and powerful. Giving information a context in probably the most important technology endeavour right now. Nokia know this for sure, but struggle to actually execute their ideas in a purposeful way. They need outside help, I’m sure of it.

    On the other hand, giving a human context to information is at the very heart of what Apple do best. Once multi-touch has straddled Apple’s entire range of products, I would expect voice recognition to be their next undertaking.

  • http://www.allaboutiphone.net Matt Radford

    I think you may be right about Apple tackling voice next James.

    Plus, I’ve never heard “spinets” in that usage before. Small harpsichords of the future? I wouldn’t have predicted that 😉

  • http://www.allaboutiphone.net James Burland

    Oops! ^_^