Street and canal view in Venice!
I was going to post something about my new job, but I just discovered the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time, and it definitely takes precedence. So what is it? Well, Venice has finally been comprehensively photographically mapped, allowing you to walk through its streets from the comfort of your internet browser. Check it out! (click anywhere on the map to get a 360° panorama)
Not only did they do the streets, however – they also did all the canals! You can see the boat they used if you rotate the panorama to the proper position.
All of this was accomplished by Italy-based Geomondo S.r.L., and they deserve tremendous credit for solving this difficult problem so effectively. It’s also nice to see Google beaten to the punch by a small company, especially when the product is so nicely done and complete. You can explore Venice and its canals, portions of the lagoon, the Giudecca, Lido, Pellestrina, Murano, and Burano, seeing them all as they looked in the summer of 2009.
Now, you may remember that I blogged about seeing the pictures being taken this summer. Of course, I checked to see if I appeared in any of the photos, and sure enough, I do! For instance, when I took this picture of the Geomondo guy in the Campiello San Tomà…
…he was taking this picture of me:
(click to zoom in). All in all, I appear in eight or so shots, camera in hand, taken near the church of San Tomà. I’ve assembled them here:
Later in the summer, Alberto and I encountered the same Geomondo guy right outside our office:
Of course, I had my camera ready, allowing me to take the above picture. Sure enough, we appear in Geomondo’s image from the same location:
I guess it remains to be seen how useful Geomondo’s efforts will be in the end. Let’s hope for at least an API that, who knows, maybe some creative WPI computer scientists could use to see their assorted Venice map-based projects (e.g., providing directions throughout the city for those with mobility impairments, or assistance with locating specific pieces of public art) through to fruition.
In the meantime, take a few minutes and explore Venice virtually. You can stand on the Rialto Bridge and look down at the Grand Canal…
…or you can look up at the Rialto from the Grand Canal itself!
And don’t forget to visit Saint Mark’s Square.
P.S. All of this reminds me of something else I learned about this summer, Aerosoft’s Venice scenery pack for Microsoft Flight Simulator X. For an excellent taste of it in action (and in HD), watch this video on Youtube. If I had a computer good enough to run FSX, I’d buy it in an instant. Here’s one screenshot (from Aerosoft’s site):
Not only did they do the streets, however – they also did all the canals! You can see the boat they used if you rotate the panorama to the proper position.
All of this was accomplished by Italy-based Geomondo S.r.L., and they deserve tremendous credit for solving this difficult problem so effectively. It’s also nice to see Google beaten to the punch by a small company, especially when the product is so nicely done and complete. You can explore Venice and its canals, portions of the lagoon, the Giudecca, Lido, Pellestrina, Murano, and Burano, seeing them all as they looked in the summer of 2009.
Now, you may remember that I blogged about seeing the pictures being taken this summer. Of course, I checked to see if I appeared in any of the photos, and sure enough, I do! For instance, when I took this picture of the Geomondo guy in the Campiello San Tomà…
…he was taking this picture of me:
(click to zoom in). All in all, I appear in eight or so shots, camera in hand, taken near the church of San Tomà. I’ve assembled them here:
Later in the summer, Alberto and I encountered the same Geomondo guy right outside our office:
Of course, I had my camera ready, allowing me to take the above picture. Sure enough, we appear in Geomondo’s image from the same location:
I guess it remains to be seen how useful Geomondo’s efforts will be in the end. Let’s hope for at least an API that, who knows, maybe some creative WPI computer scientists could use to see their assorted Venice map-based projects (e.g., providing directions throughout the city for those with mobility impairments, or assistance with locating specific pieces of public art) through to fruition.
In the meantime, take a few minutes and explore Venice virtually. You can stand on the Rialto Bridge and look down at the Grand Canal…
…or you can look up at the Rialto from the Grand Canal itself!
And don’t forget to visit Saint Mark’s Square.
P.S. All of this reminds me of something else I learned about this summer, Aerosoft’s Venice scenery pack for Microsoft Flight Simulator X. For an excellent taste of it in action (and in HD), watch this video on Youtube. If I had a computer good enough to run FSX, I’d buy it in an instant. Here’s one screenshot (from Aerosoft’s site):
Awesome post Kyle!
I passed it on to the stores team.
I wonder if I am in the calle dragan sequence too!?