Google Street View has become 'the backbone' of Maps

Google Maps' Street View mode can easily seem like an exercise in mapping indulgence. According to a profile of Google's mapping efforts in The New York Times Magazine, the feature is more than worth its money — it's actually become a core strength of Google Maps. “When we started, Street View was just some sci-fi idea,” Street View leader Luc Vincent tells New York Times Magazine, “but now, it’s the backbone.” Street view images are turned into hard mapping data

via Tech News Headlines - Yahoo News http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/12/5205284/google-street-view-technology-improves-maps-data