4 ms·

> Google Maps purchases most of its imagery from third-parties these days Maps maybe, but Streetview? Rainbolt just did a video with two Maps PMs recently and

by pests 1y ago

> Google Maps purchases most of its imagery from third-parties these days Maps maybe, but Streetview? Rainbolt just did a video with two Maps PMs recently and it sounds like they still source all their street view themselves considering the special camera and car needed, etc.

mikeocool 1y ago
My understanding is you're correct -- Google still captures a lot of their own street view imagery. Though there are other companies that capture the same sorts of imagery and license it. TomTom imagery is used on the Bing Maps street view clone.
OtherShrezzing 1y ago
Maybe the end-user isn't Google Maps, but TomTom have a pretty comprehensive street-view-ish product for private buyers like car companies, Bing and Apple Maps called MoMa. I'd be surprised if this building[0] wasn't included in their dataset from every road-side angle possible, alongside every piece of locational metadata imaginable, and I'd be surprised if that dataset hasn't made it into OpenAI's training data - especially when TomTom's relationship to Microsoft, and Microsoft's relationship to OpenAI, is taken into account. [0] https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/sampatt/media@main/posts/2025-04-26-geoguessr/image/2025-04-27-17-54.png https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/sampatt/media@main/posts/2025-04...
shpx 1y ago
You can upload your own panoramic images to Street View, people do this for hiking trails. But I'm sure 99% of streetview imagery is Google-sourced and Geoguessr might not even use user-submitted imagery. https://www.google.com/streetview/contribute/ https://www.google.com/streetview/contribute/
- pests 1y ago
  I believe Geogesser categorizes their games on this facet. Rainbolt plays on only official imagery.
- SamPatt 1y ago
  The maps can contain "unofficial coverage," also known as trekker coverage. Lots of Geoguessrs hate those locations because we're lost without our roads :) Many map makers will only include official coverage. Geoguessr map making is its own neat little world.
  - seabass 1y ago
    Trekker coverage is often official, too. I think you are confusing this with photospheres. Also important to note that there is vehicle coverage that is unofficial.
    - zerd 1y ago
      Interesting video about what goes on behind the unofficial coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp2Qgw44MsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp2Qgw44MsA
cpeterso 1y ago
Here's a link to that interview: https://youtu.be/2T6pIJWKMcg https://youtu.be/2T6pIJWKMcg

by pests 1y ago

mikeocool 1y ago

My understanding is you're correct -- Google still captures a lot of their own street view imagery. Though there are other companies that capture the same sorts of imagery and license it. TomTom imagery is used on the Bing Maps street view clone.

OtherShrezzing 1y ago

Maybe the end-user isn't Google Maps, but TomTom have a pretty comprehensive street-view-ish product for private buyers like car companies, Bing and Apple Maps called MoMa. I'd be surprised if this building[0] wasn't included in their dataset from every road-side angle possible, alongside every piece of locational metadata imaginable, and I'd be surprised if that dataset hasn't made it into OpenAI's training data - especially when TomTom's relationship to Microsoft, and Microsoft's relationship to OpenAI, is taken into account. [0] https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/sampatt/media@main/posts/2025-04-26-geoguessr/image/2025-04-27-17-54.png https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/sampatt/media@main/posts/2025-04...

shpx 1y ago

You can upload your own panoramic images to Street View, people do this for hiking trails. But I'm sure 99% of streetview imagery is Google-sourced and Geoguessr might not even use user-submitted imagery. https://www.google.com/streetview/contribute/ https://www.google.com/streetview/contribute/

pests 1y ago
I believe Geogesser categorizes their games on this facet. Rainbolt plays on only official imagery.
SamPatt 1y ago
The maps can contain "unofficial coverage," also known as trekker coverage. Lots of Geoguessrs hate those locations because we're lost without our roads :) Many map makers will only include official coverage. Geoguessr map making is its own neat little world.
- seabass 1y ago
  Trekker coverage is often official, too. I think you are confusing this with photospheres. Also important to note that there is vehicle coverage that is unofficial.
  - zerd 1y ago
    Interesting video about what goes on behind the unofficial coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp2Qgw44MsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp2Qgw44MsA

cpeterso 1y ago

Here's a link to that interview: https://youtu.be/2T6pIJWKMcg https://youtu.be/2T6pIJWKMcg