Google Street View just got a major upgrade to look even more like the real world

The now decade-old tool many have come to rely on to view the streets of the world from their desktops and mobile phones, Google Street View, just got a major upgrade. 

In fact, this is the first major upgrade to the Google Street View system in eight years. The changes promise to transform the system from a mere panoramic visual index of the world into a data-rich layer of information that makes nearly every inch of the world searchable in a new way. 

The new upgrades were highlighted in a report on Wired on Tuesday, in which Google revealed that its new Street View cars will be equipped with seven cameras (down from 15), each using a 20 megapixel sensor behind its lens. The upgrade, as demonstrated in a video demonstration (below), delivers far clearer images and fewer image stitching errors.  Read more...