There are a few companies that people should get excited about when they hear something new is going to be released. This small group of companies really try to push technology to be at its best, and you know that when something new comes out it is going to be really an awesome idea or something that was done to perfection.

The newest release that is dropping most people's jaws is the Street View that was added to Google Maps. There are currently 5 places in the US that you can go right down to the street and view images that make you feel like you are there in person. The 5 areas shown right now are San Francisco, Las Vegas, Denver, Miami, and New York City. I wasted a lot of time yesterday virtual walking around 5th Avenue in New York City and also walking around the Las Vegas Strip (The map image that I have this post linked to is of New York New York on the Last Vegas Strip). Two cities on different sides of the country, and no jet lag!

When you get into the street view, there are a few nice features. First, you can zoom in on anything you see. Use the zoom bar on the top left of the image to do this. Second, you can move forward/backward on the street by clicking on the arrows that are shown right over the street. Last, if you click on the image and swivel the mouse, you can rotate to see different angles of the street. Using these 3 features really show off the streets in great detail and give you an experience of being right there and sight seeing!

Even though there are just a few cities to see right now, I can see this growing in popularity very quickly, and a ton of uses for it. We will be seeing this on many other websites in the near future!

View Google's Newest Map Feature: Street View