Google Maps with Street View

Check this out. You can drag the photo left and right to spin around. Click the arrows to move up or down a street. Also try picking up the little yellow man and putting him somewhere else. Look how his legs flap around. I love it. (Via TechCrunch).

I like to think in terms of technology granting me god-like powers. Prior to Google Maps satellite view, only God could see the world from above from any position. Google Earth extends my powers to provide flyovers, terrain, looking towards the horizon etc. Now this street view gives me the following god-like powers:

• look around a city thousands of miles away
• float above traffic on a busy street without danger
• freeze time (Hiro style)
• telescopic vision (try zooming in on the photo view). I can read phone numbers and opening hours on shop doors.

I guess God (and probably Sauron? (and Sylar any day now :)) would be able to achieve these feats with sound and real-time imaging, ie in God's version of Google Earth you can see yourself through the window looking at your computer. That just proves that my Google granted powers are a little behind God's. And that's as it should be, don't you think? Any company that gives me god-like powers for free is okay with me. Their email is pretty good also.