A Google street view camera snapped photos of 2 men moments before they assaulted and robbed a teen of £140 ($232 US) and his cellular phone in the Netherlands.

The victim, a 14 year old boy from Groningen, a town 110 miles north-east of Amsterdam, discovered the photo of himself on Google’s street view and realized it also showed his two attackers preparing to rob him. The boy went to police, who had previously been unsuccessful in solving the case and showed them the photo.

The police requested the original photo from Google, the one without the faces blurred. Goolge sent them the photo and one detective recognized one of the attackers right away. Prosecutors will now need to decided if the photos give them enough evidence to arrest the two men.

Paul Eidanus, a police spokesman from Groningen, says he’s pretty sure this case is the first time Google Street View images have been used in a Dutch criminal investigation.

“For us, it is unique. This photo could provide an important contribution to solving the crime.”

Related posts:

1. Google Street View gets a very nice overhaul
2. English villagers man pitchforks against Google Street View car
3. Smile! You’re On Google Street View

Residents in an English village have chased a Google Street View car out of their town.

The car was spotted by Broughton resident Paul Jacobs, who warned the driver that he should turn around. The driver ignored him, so Jacobs did a ring around and got enough people to come out and surround the car, forcing it to leave.

Jacobs says he was concerned that inclusion in the service would result in a rise in break-ins: “”This is an affluent area. We’ve already had three burglaries locally in the past six weeks. If our houses are plastered all over Google it’s an invitation for more criminals to strike. I was determined to make a stand, so I called the police.”

Ignoring the fact that it’s still (mostly) legal to take a photograph in a public street, Jacobs said “”My immediate reaction was anger; how dare anyone take a photograph of my home without my consent?”

Privacy groups are trying to have Google Street View shut down in the UK, claiming that it’s a far bigger deal than the millions of CCTV cameras that spy on residents live 24/7.

(via PC Pro)

Related posts:

1. Google Street View gets a very nice overhaul
2. Google Street View Photographs Robbers in the Act
3. Did Google Cross a Moral Line?

Google has released a major overhaul for Google Street View, delivering new functionality that makes the service easier and more friendly to use.

The new Street View revolves around “Pegman” a Clippy like character that users can drag and drop anywhere to view Street View. Better still, users can hold Pegman over a location for a second to see a preview of what the Street View image looks like before deciding on the full shot.

Street View also goes big screen with an inset map, allowing for better viewing of images, and quicker switching, per the screenshot above.

Directions are now offered in Street View for the first time: users can plot where they want to go, and walk through the route visual on Street View.

The changes aren’t perhaps amazing, but they are very nice. Video demo follows:

Related posts:

1. Google Street View Photographs Robbers in the Act
2. English villagers man pitchforks against Google Street View car
3. Google Maps Suggests Kayaking Across the Pacific Ocean