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Google Street View gets a formidable opponent

A new company, Earthmine, plans to launch soon an urban imagery system that features much more precise data and visuals.

Tour operators and airlines may have to soon look for other viable alternatives. Who’ll want to spend mega bucks and go sightseeing when all it takes is a click of the mouse to satiate their wanderlust?

Virtual tours are here. Google Street View had already given us a sneak peek into the sights in Cyberworld. But thanks to the inconsistent quality of its images it posed no real threat. Now a new company Earthmine plans to launch an urban imagery system that features much more precise data and visuals. Its USP: laser range-finding and still photography to offer sharp and perspective-correct visuals compared to the video that Google Street View employs. Earthmine will also enable the addition of tags and labels to imagery.

As of now the company is looking to sell its services to businesses and government agencies, but when it becomes a consumer-oriented portal you can go on a world tour without even moving out of your house!