Cool new Google upgrade

Man! What a slow weekend for Internet traffic. I forgot how much things slow down during holidays. So, in the spirit of taking a break, check out Google's new Maps enhancement. I'm am in awe of this thing. I just spent two hours playing around with this new, improved Street View and I cannot get over it.

Google Maps introduced Street View a year or so ago and they have been busily mapping out the major metro areas of the US since. Well, now that they have a lot of the US covered, they've been working on the rest of the world. I just took a virtual walk through Rome and it feels like I was really there. Kind of. I guess the next step is going to be to make the images move. But check this out.

Here I was walking down the street and looking back at the Vittorio Emanuelle.

Here's the Piazza Barberini, and I'm standing directly across the piazza from the Via della Purificazione. I left my heart halfway up that street... Anyhow, these images are so clear I feel like I could walk over and wash my feet in Bernini's Triton in the center of the piazza.

This is the entrance to the Villa Borghese at the top of the Via Veneto. The only thing missing is the sound of the car horns and the buzzing scooters.

And here's looking across the Piazza Rotunda at my beloved Pantheon. I still can't get over this thing. Got some time to kill this weekend? Get thee to Google Maps!