Google Store View Under Development?
Google continues to organize the world’s information and the next step in that process could be creating “street view” type recreations of store and business interiors. According to a retailer called “Oh Nuts” in New York, a Google representative entered the store and took pictures with the camera positioned every 6 feet. Here are some still images that seem to have been captured by the store’s security camera:
This would be a project of enormous proportions. Whereas with Google Street View you can blanket the nation/world by driving everywhere, often at high speeds, Google would need to enter stores individually by foot. Of course they COULD ask participating stores to take their own images, or use a “citizen journalist” type crowd-sourcing – but I’m not sure how likely that would be.
Google responded to a question about the alleged Google Store View by saying:
We are always experimenting with new features for Google Maps. We have nothing further to announce at this time.
They obviously aren’t denying anything. But would Google Store View even be helpful? If you really wanted a review of a business and to see the inside couldn’t you just Google the business name? How do you see this technology being used?
If Google were to somehow get businesses to participate and then somehow link in-store inventory to the pictures… allowing you to browse products from your computer or phone as if it were a “virtual” store – that would be neat. But neat and practical are 2 different things and logistically, I’m not sure how feasible or attractive Google Store View is.
Time for you to chime in…
[Via Search Engine Land]