Pictures of streets, houses and random passers-by. Google Streetview has been live in Switzerland since August 2009 – and helped the internet giant’s map service to its popularity.
Now, 12 years later, Apple is sending its fleet out. Several dozen so-called Apple Maps Picture Cars should drive the entire accessible Swiss road network between July 21 and mid-September and record it digitally. Like the competition from Google, the white Apple cars have an all-round camera system mounted on the roof. In addition to photo cameras, lidar scanners and GPS are also integrated.
Firstly, the map material is supposed to be more precise and various functions possible (e.g. navigation by bike). The cameras also record intersections or traffic signs.
Second, Apple wants to make the digital photos digitally available to the users of its map services. Instead of Streetview, the function on iOS devices is called “Look around” or “Umsehen” in German. At the moment this function is still relatively rudimentary and available in some US metropolises. You can find them by clicking on the binoculars symbol in Apple Maps.
The routes of the camera cars can be viewed on the Internet
In contrast to Google, Apple wants to prevent a privacy fiasco from the start and pixelate both faces and car numbers sufficiently. There had been talks with Swiss authorities in advance. After the start, Google had to make improvements at the behest of the data protection agency at the time.
On the website maps.apple.com/imagecollection Apple has published the areas in which the car fleet is traveling. In addition, property owners will also find an email address here under which they can have their house pixelated.
When the new photos will be available in the Apple map apps on iPhone, iPad and Mac Compis is open. But it should be mid-2022 or later.
Published: 07/21/2021, 34 minutes ago
Last updated: 7/21/2021, 8 minutes ago