Technology News – Google is releasing a new Street View app — a tool people can use to create their own 360-degree panoramas.
The app was announced on Thursday for iOS and Android. . It lets users explore special Street View collections Google has created over the years, including virtual tours of the Amazon jungle, the canals of Venice and museums around the world.
“For all the Street View fans out there: exploring the world just got even easier,” Google wrote on its blog.
The app also lets people create their own 360-degree “photo spheres” with their smartphones — just in case you think Google users want to be immersed in your favorite hiking spot or neighborhood pub.
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Normally, the process involves rotating with your phone, but early adopters can create 360-degree experiences by using two spherical cameras (the Ricoh Theta S or NCTech iris360) instead.
“Now you can publish photo spheres of your favorite places from around the world (or around the block!) to Google Maps instantly,” the company wrote. Both the Android and iOS app are available to download for free.
by KEITH WAGSTAFF, NBCNews.com
