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Meanwhile... Penang Roads To Be Featured On Google Street View

Penang streets will soon be on Google Street View, a feature in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides 360° panoramic views.

By Sadho Ram — 28 Aug 2013, 06:30 PM — Updated over 10 years ago

Cover image via

Penang streets will soon be on Google Street View

Penang streets will soon be on Google Street View, a feature in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides 360° panoramic views.

Behind the wheel of the Google Street View car is Cody Wong, 25, a curry mee hawker from Alma, Bukit Mertajam.

All-seeing eyes: Wong describing the equipment used to obtain 360º views mounted on top of the vehicle in Bukit Mertajam.

Image via thestar.com.my

Wong, who has a Diploma in Information Technology, frequently helps small companies in his town set up their computer systems on a freelance basis.
"A Facebook friend contacted me a few months ago with the job offer."

He added that it is a two-month contract and though he declined to reveal how much he was being paid, he was satisfied with the package.

“It’s cool to work for Google while I’m still in Bukit Mertajam,” he smiled, adding that whenever he stopped for a break, passersby would rush to take photos of the Street View Car.

Image via wsj.net

Wong said his job is to just drive, with nine cameras on the roof of the car continuously taking high-definition images.

“One of the cameras even points upwards to capture overhead views of tall buildings. When the hard disk fills up, I change it.

“I have no idea how many images are already captured. I started driving the car on Nov 1 and I have already filled up a two-terabyte hard disk, and the second hard disk is already almost full,” he said.

The Chevrolet Captiva sports utility vehicle is also fitted with three lasers on top of the car, which will reflect off buildings and objects to indicate distances to Google Street View developers and help them construct 3D models.

Wong begins his drive from 8.30am to 5.30pm Mondays to Fridays.

The Bukit Mertajam lad had already covered much of the mainland and will begin covering the island from today.

Image via mix.fm

According to Google’s website, Street View Cars are now also plying Batu Pahat, Kuantan, the Kinta Valley in Perak, Klang, Petaling Jaya and throughout Kuala Lumpur.

WATCH: Street View Malaysia: launch video

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PHOTO: Google Maps Street View will now start driving in Malaysia

Google Maps Street View will now start driving in Malaysia

Image via imgur.com

READ: Google Street View Driving and Street View Images arrives in Malaysia

Starting with Kuala Lumpur, Google will now begin driving Street View cars equipped with special cameras to collect street-level imagery for Google Maps with Street View.

Google will continue to drive across the country, and this activity represents a long-term investment with the objective of capturing imagery across Malaysia over the next few years.

The initiative, with support from Tourism Malaysia, will also see Google publishing special Street View imagery of several sites around Malaysia to create new ways for the locals and tourists to view and experience what the country has to offer.

Today Google is also publishing new Street View imagery of 18 sites across Malaysia, including Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Sri Subramaniam Temple Batu Caves and Masjid Sultan Sallahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.

This 360-degree imagery, collected using the Street View Trike, a tricycle-based camera system, will allow Malaysians and people the world to virtually explore these scenic Malaysian destinations right through Google Maps.

The Google Street View family of vehicles were unveiled at the launch

Image via twimg.com

WATCH: Behind the scenes with Street View

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Google is also introducing the Street View Trekker to Malaysia

Google is also introducing the Street View Trekker, a wearable backpack camera system, and the Street View Trolley, a pushcart camera system, to Malaysia.

“We have always embraced technology and through this partnership with Google we hope to engage more people, both around the world and here in Malaysia, in discovering and re-discovering the unique heritage of our country,” said Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, Director General for Tourism Malaysia

A brief history of crimes discovered via Google Maps

Google Maps catches all kind of inadvertent displays of debauchery, stupidity, and other kinds of embarassing behavior. But sometimes people catch the site's mapping van and give us wonderfully staged photographs like this one.

Seen here about to piss on a man's driveway because stealing his trailer just isn't enough, an image of the thief suspected of stealing a trailer (above) was captured by a passing Google Street View car in England.

The Russian Google Maps alike Yandex Maps went above and beyond recently when it helped a woman from Perm find out her fiancé was cheating on her.

What is Google Street View?

Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from positions along many streets in the world.

Where available, Street View images appear after zooming in beyond the highest zooming level in maps and satellite images, and also by dragging a "pegman" icon onto a location on a map.

Google Street View displays panoramas of stitched images taken from a fleet of specially adapted cars.

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