WHERE has released a clever hack that lets you pull up Google Street View pictures on your cell phone. Just find a business and if it’s in Street View coverage, you’ll see a link to view the picture. Google’s own Mobile Maps application doesn’t do this.

It’s fun, and in theory, you’d be able to see where you’re headed. In reality, that’s not often the case.

Maps have a Last Block Problem — the locations provided by today’s mapping systems are approximations based on how street numbering systems typically work; no one has gone down the street and plotted where every address is.

In ordinary cases, locations can be a few hundred feet off. That’s not a huge problem for driving directions, but if you’re expecting to see a specific business there’s a good chance you’ll be disappointed.

I’ll talk about an idea for solving the Last Block Problem later.

via O’Reilly Radar

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