Google Maps with More: Wikipedia Links and Photos

Google is now revving up their maps engine with even more information, as you can see from the above screen shot of the Red Hook map. Now when you choose a map, a new “More” tab at the top gives you exactly what it promises: So far there are two additional map interfaces, with photos and Wikipedia entries.

Clicking the Photo option packs the screen with relevant geo-tagged photos provided by Panoramio, and you can add relevant Wikipedia entries on top of that, or view each separately. So far there’s only three Wiki pop-ups for the neighborhood, but give it time. And who knows how much “More” is in store – geo-tagged Blogger posts? YouTube clips? Craigslist Missed Connections?

Those Google go-getters have also been kicking their Street View images up a notch, adding a lot more views of cities like New York. The new images enable you to gaze up to virtually gawk at Manhattan skyscrapers, and the Street View scale is also much crisper – as a result they’ve had to improve their face-blurring technology, so nobody starts to feel like they’re living in a 24/7 surveillance state or anything.

[Via TechCrunch.]