Google Inc yesterday confirmed that it has taken photographs of Kinmen County in an effort to expand the coverage of its panoramic street-level images, Street View.
However, the US Internet service specialist declined to reveal how many scenic spots on Kinmen it has shot or its schedule for including the pictures on its Street View service.
An operator was seen in Kinmen last week carrying Google’s Street View “Trekker” — the compact backpack version of its Street View vehicle — and taking pictures of the island’s historic Jyuguang Tower, a structure that is accessible only on foot.
A Google Street View car was also seen driving through Kinmen’s downtown areas and past the eponymous Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor distillery.
Google uses its new Trekker camera to shoot images of scenic spots that its other devices have a hard time reaching.
The company has put cameras on vehicles such as cars, bicycles and trolleys to help capture Taiwan’s street views, and has achieved 90 percent coverage of the nation to date.
However, the smaller Trekker device is being introduced to expand the service’s coverage to locations accessible only on foot, and a contractor has been hired to handle the project, the company said.
According to Google’s Web site, the Trekker is operated by an Android device and consists of 15 lenses angled in different directions so images can be stitched together into 360° panoramic views, which will be featured on the Google Maps service.
The company said earlier this month that it had taken pictures of more than 10 hard-to-access scenic locations in Taiwan with the Trekker backpack camera.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS