Kwindawo yokupaka igrabile eRainbow Beach, indawo edumileyo, enamanzi azolileyo eSt Croix, kwiiVirgin Islands zaseMelika, uMara Harris kaGoogle usokola ukuhlala ethe nkqo. Ihashe lakhe, iFirefly, lihlala lisoyika kwaye ligxadazela. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba akaqhelanga kubunzima obongezelelekileyo, utshilo uJennifer Olah, umnini we Cruzan Cowgirls, ingubo yokuhlangula amahashe ebaleka ukhenketho lokukhwela elwandle. Ubunzima obongezelelekileyo yi-40-pound contraption ebotshelelwe ngasemva kukaHarris: iGoogle Trekker. Isilinganisi sekhamera yesiko, esithatha imifanekiso yenkqubo yeGoogle yeStreet View, ihleli kwibhegi yesitayile somkhosi kwaye inokwandiswa okuphezulu okuphawulwe nge-orb enkulu eluhlaza. Abantu bahlala beyiphutha ngepakethi yejet.

Ndiyithatha yonke le nto ndiphezu kwehashe lam, uCrow, oxhalabise kakhulu ngokutya ingca kwisilumko kunakwisihlomelo esinqwenelekayo sikaHarris. Kodwa emva koko, amafu aqokelelwe ngequbuliso aqala ukuvelisa amathontsi. Ingcali kaGoogle iyangxama ukufumana ingxowa emnyama yenkunkuma ukukhusela iilensi zeTrekker. Njengoko kuvela, ukuba kukho into enye amahashe anje ngaphantsi komkhweli onobunzima obungaphezulu kunxibe ipakethe yeerobhothi, inengxowa yeplastiki ebhabha ngentla kwentloko. I-Firefly bolts, ejikeleza kwindawo yokupaka, uHarris kunye noTrekker baphantse bathamba ngaphambi kokuba bakhuphe ukonga okumangalisayo kunye namalungelo ngokwakhe.

SiseSt.Croix kuba ezona ziqithi zikhulu zeVirgin phantse ukuba azinakwenzeka ukuba zisebenzise iGoogle Maps. Okwangoku, ukuba ungazama ukuya kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya, oko kungakufaka e-Estate Kingshill-ayisiyiyo le ndawo ikhoyo, utshilo u-Kirk G. Thompson, oyindoda yendawo ye-Google kwimizamo ye-Google yokwenza imephu yesi siqithi, ngenxa yekofu I-avocado Pitt eChristiansted, eyona dolophu inkulu yesiqithi. Kwaye isikhululo seenqwelomoya yinto enkulu ukuba ungaphoswa! Ungathini malunga nezitiya zezityalo, enye yeendawo ezi-10 eziphambili zesiqithi? Oko kukuthumela kwenye indawo kwihlathi elinemvula. UThompson wasebenzela iinkampani zobuchwephesha nezangaphandle (ene-stint kwi-US State Department) kwilizwekazi ngaphambi kokuza eSt.Thomas, emva koko waya eSt Croix, apho ahlekisayo, iSt Thomians iza kuphumla. Ungumnikazi we-N2 the Blue, ivenkile yokuntywila edumileyo eFrederiksted, yiyo ke loo nto eye wabandakanyeka ngokunzulu kumzamo weemephu zikaGoogle. Njengoko esitsho, endaweni yokunika iidilesi ngqo, iiCrozans zihlala zithetha izinto ezinje, thatha ilungelo kwindlu epinki, esebenza kakuhle-de indlu ipeyintwe iblue. Kodwa ukuba besinokuvula iimephu zikaGoogle kwaye sizame ukuyisebenzisa ukufumana indlela yethu esiqithini, ngekhe sibe nethuba elincinci kakhulu lokuphumelela. Uthetha ngomzimba kwimephu yabakhenkethi emibalabala. Kuchanekile ngakumbi.

Kunzima ukugqithisa ubimo beemephu zikaGoogle kwihlabathi langoku-kwaye kungaze kube ngaphezulu koku xa sihamba. Olunye ukukhangela ezintlanu kuGoogle luhambelana nendawo, kwaye inani lixhuma liye kwelinye xa kusenziwa uphando kwifowuni. Xa usisa i-Uber kwi-Airbnb yakho (oyibeke kwiStreet View) uze ufumane indawo yokutya usebenzisa iTripAdvisor, uthembele kwidatha esuka kwiiMephu zikaGoogle. Kuhambo oluya kutshanje oluya eFinger Rock, eArizona, ndilahlekile. Ndikhubekile okwexeshana kwaye bendizokubuyela umva xa, ngomzuzwana wokuphelelwa lithemba, ndavula iimaphu zikaGoogle. Mna (okanye ichaphaza elincinane eliluhlaza okwakum) yayisencinci ngasekhohlo komkhondo-ndityhafile kubomi bokwenyani kodwa ndicacisa ngokuhlekisayo emephini.

Nabani na ovela kubathwebuli zifoto kubahambi unokufaka isicelo semali mboleko yekhamera.

Imephu ayisiyiyo intsimi, iya kwilizwi elidala, kodwa usetyenziso lilihlabathi. Kwaye imephu zikaGoogle zikude kude ukuba zenze impazamo. Kubonakala ngathi veki nganye kukho ibali labakhenkethi ababekhokelwe kwindlela yabucala endaweni yepaki yelizwe. Ngo-2010, iNicaragua yatyhola uGoogle Maps ngokuhlasela okungalunganga kweCosta Rica. Kumntu ofana noThompson, imephu engathembekanga imbi nje kwishishini. Usenokuba nelona xesha lokuntywila, okanye ukukhwela ihashe, utshilo. Kodwa ukuba ulahlekile, inokuwonakalisa amava onke. Ngamanye amagama, njengoko ukholo lwethu lukhula kwiimephu zikaGoogle, xa silahleka, sinokuyikhupha kwindawo esiya kuyo. Abahambi ngoku balindele ukuba ukubetha ikofu kwiimephu zikaGoogle kuya kubonisa zonke iivenkile ezikufutshane. Izibonda zabanini bamashishini zikhulu. Ukungafumaneki kwiimephu zikaGoogle kufana nokungafumaneki kukhangelo lukaGoogle: wena, eneneni, awubonakali.

Ngokwandayo, ukuhamba kwethu ngexesha kunye nendawo kuyacaciswa ngokusebenzisa izikrini. Ndonwabile njengoko bendizakubekwa kwindlela elungileyo eArizona, isiqendu siphakamise owona mbuzo wokwenene wokuba ukuxhomekeka kwii-smartphones kuthi kwenza ntoni. Uphando lubonakalisile ukuba abantu abathembele kwi-GPS bebengenako kangako ukuzoba izixeko ababehlala kuzo ukuya kwinqanaba elifanelekileyo, kwaye babengenakukwazi ukwenza imephu yengqondo ngokuqikelela apho babekhona. Mhlawumbi sele ndilahlile amanye amandla am okufumana izinto kwihlabathi lokwenyani, njengophawu lwendlela.

Siyahamba ukubona iindawo ezintsha, kodwa le khampasi inamandla ingathintela ulwazi lwethu. Enye yeendlela esifundayo, emva kwayo yonke loo nto, kukwenza iimpazamo. Ukuba kwindawo entsha kufuneka kuthetha ukukhubeka kwiindawo ngengozi, okanye ukujongana nabantu balapha ngolwimi olungaqhelekanga, okanye nokuntywiliselwa kwindawo engenamsebenzi ukuba ulahlekelwe yindlela yakho. Kodwa naxa sifuna ukuhamba kwindlela ebethiweyo, silindele ukuboniswa kanye apho ikhoyo. Kwaye mhlawumbi loo nto iyasikhulula kuxinzelelo kunye nobunzima bokufumana indlela yethu, esivumela ukuba sibengaphezulu ngalo mzuzu.

Kwiintsuku zokuqala zeStreet View, ugxininiso yayikukunika amava okuhamba, utshilo uLuc Vincent, umlawuli omkhulu wobunjineli kuGoogle kunye nenjineli ekhokelayo yeStreet View. Inkqubo iguqukele kwezo zinto zinemvelaphi enobungqingili; imifanekiso efunyenwe kuMboniso weSitrato ngoku yenza ngcono iimephu. I-ante yaphakanyiswa ngakumbi njengoko abasebenzisi baqala ukulindela kungekuphela iimephu ezichanekileyo zeendawo zabo kodwa imifanekiso ye-panoramic nayo. Abantu bafuna ukubona iinkcukacha ezithe vetshe- hayi nje isitalato, kodwa indlela yabahambi ngeenyawo nazo zonke iivenkile ezikwivenkile, utshilo uVincent.

Njengoko uVincent endixelela, iStreet View sakhula kumnxibelelanisi wenkampani uLarry Page umnqweno wokungazisi iWebhu kubasebenzisi bethu, kodwa ukuzisa umhlaba kubasebenzisi bethu. Emva kokuba itekhnoloji ijijelwe kubungakanani boobhaka-kuvulwa zonke ezo ndawo kungafikeleleki kuzo kwimoto yeStreet View, njengobuso bukaYosemite uEl Capitan, isakhiwo esikhulu seBurj Khalifa, okanye umqolomba ofihlakeleyo Iintsomi cohost Adam Savage-inkampani yaqonda ukuba akukho ndlela yakwenza nathi. Baqala ukubolekisa ngeTrekker koorhulumente nakwiibhodi zokhenketho. Sifuna ukubandakanya uluntu kunye namaqabane azi iindawo ezingcono kunathi kwaye abanomdla kwaye banako ukuzisa ezo ndawo ebomini ngeemephu.

U-Thompson-ongeyonto ukuba akathandi-ungowokuqala kuGoogle ukucofa imephu yommandla, ngokuyinxenye kuba wayesele esenza izinto ezininzi ezongezelelekileyo njengommi kwiimephu zikaGoogle zaseSt.Croix nakwiStreet View. Nawuphi na umsebenzisi angongeza kwiimephu, nangona oko kuye kwakhokelela kudibaniso lwezinto ezithile ezinempikiswano, kwaye oko kususwe, izinto. UGoogle uthi nabani na-ukusuka kubathwebuli beefoto ukuya kubahambi-bangafaka isicelo semboleko mali yekhamera. Umzekeliso nguMCKIBILLO

I-Thompson inoxanduva lokujonga imephu ngokuchanekileyo iSt.Croix- nangokwandisa, ukudala amava abo abo bathatha inyikima yedijithali ngaphambi kokuba bandwendwele. Kwezi nyanga zidlulileyo, uye waba ngumbono oqhelekileyo kwesi siqithi, wagqama ngeepali zakhe zokuhamba intaba kunye ne-40 yeeponti, ehambahamba kwiigadi zezityalo: ukulandelela ngokufanelekileyo iiglasi zegalufa ezili-18; ukugoba malunga namashini amadala eswekile; kunye nokuqala uhambo lweemayile ezintlanu zijikeleze iPoint Udall, eyona ndawo isempuma ye-United States, kwilanga elipheleleyo laseCaribbean kunye nokufuma. Wahamba ukusuka esiphelweni se-pier eFrederiksted wangena edolophini ukuze undwendwe oluvela kwinqanawa yokuhamba ngenqanawa (isiqithi sifike malunga neenqanawa ezingama-50 ngonyaka) sinokujonga amava.

I-Street View sele ithunyelwe, ubuncinci inxenye, kumazwe angama-77-iwebhusayithi yayo idwelisa inani leendawo ezininzi kwihlabathi liphela inkampani eceba ukuyenza imephu elandelayo. Kodwa iindawo ezinje ngeSt.Croix zibonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba ngumceli mngeni onzima ajongene nawo nguGoogle: inkqubo yokubala inani lendlu yesiqithi, ukuvalwa kwendlela kunye nolunye utshintsho lomzimba kubume bendawo obenziwe ziziqhwithi ezitshabalalisayo, ukuthembela kukaGoogle kwiimveliso ezikhoyo kwimephu zomntu wesithathu. Thatha zonke ezo zinto kwaye uziphindaphinde ngenani leendawo ekude ezingenamephu emhlabeni, nganye ine-idiosyncrasies yayo, kwaye ufumana umbono wobunzima. Ngomzuzwana wesithambiso sendalo ngexesha lokufota kwethu, uMara Harris uzama ukusebenzisa iimephu zikaGoogle ukukhokela umqhubi weteksi kwiindawo ahlala kuzo kwa-Airbnb; xa oko kusilele, kuya kufuneka anyuse umfanekiso wesathelayithi kwi-iPhone yakhe.

Ukufota ezi foto kufuna uqeqesho, ukusebenza nzima, kunye neemeko ezifanelekileyo (kwiifoto ezisebenzisekayo, iStreet View kufuneka sisebenze emini emaqanda, xa kungekho zithunzi, nakwimozulu ecacileyo). Isicwangciso sethu ngenye imva kwemini yokufota ulwandle oluhle lwaseBuck Island luyekisiwe ngenxa yemvula. Sishiya i-Trekker ngasemva kwaye siye e-snorkeling endaweni yoko, phantsi kwe-pier eFrederiksted. I-vista ilwa nayo nantoni na engaphezulu kwamanzi: uluhlu olungenasiphelo lweentsika ezinzulu, ezolulela kumbala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, nganye enombala omangalisayo wee-coral kunye nobomi baselwandle, ukusuka kulwandle lwamahashe ukuya kwi-frogfish (intlanzi ejongeka, er, kunokuba isele ). Kungekudala, olu luvo lunokuba kukucofa nje-uGoogle usebenze kunye neCatlin Seaview Survey, elandelela ukulahleka kwamatye e-coral kunye nokupapasha ii-diving ezibabazekayo zokubhala i-Great Barrier Reef yase-Australia ngekhamera ekhethekileyo yangaphantsi kwamanzi.

Kunzima ukugqithisa ubimo beemephu zikaGoogle xa sihamba.

Ndikhunjuzwa ngomgca kwimbali yakutshanje yeGreg Milner yeGPS, Khomba : Kwixesha apho i-GPS isinika ichaphaza eliluhlaza emephini — kwaye mhlawumbi nomfanekiso obonakalayo otyebileyo wokuhamba nayo — kuye kusiba nzima ukuqonda ukuba le nkqubo yeyentelekelelo. Kokunye, kunqabile ukuba siyeke ukubuza ukuba ingaba idatha ayilunganga. Mhlawumbi umntu ufake inqaku ledatha elingalunganga; mhlawumbi umfanekiso uthathwe kwilixa elidlulileyo kwaye ngoku kukho indawo ebalekayo exakekileyo edlula kwindlu eqeshisayo engaqhelekanga. Kodwa, ngokubanzi, icebisa ukuba izixhobo zethu ezikwi-Intanethi zihlala zilinganisa. Idothi eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kwimephu eyaziyo indawo yindawo enamandla, isikweko somzekelo; Iipanorama ezingama-360 ze-Djemaa el-Fna, eMorocco, inokukunceda uzive ngathi ulapho. Kodwa awusoze ufumane indawo de ube ulapho. Njengoko u-Alain de Botton eyibeka Ubugcisa bokuhamba , sithambekele ekulibaleni ukuba kuninzi kangakanani emhlabeni ngaphandle kwalonto siyilindeleyo.

Ngaba nathi sityekele ekulibeleni uvuyo lokuba serendipity kunye nokufumanisa (kwaye hayi ukufunyanwa kukhwehlele yi-online algorithm)? Njengewebhusayithi yokubona kaGoogle-indawo engadibaniyo ethatha abasebenzisi kubakhenkethi behlabathi kunye nezixhobo zemephu zikaGoogle-uyabuza ubuza, kutheni uzikhathaza ngokubona umhlaba uyinyani? Xa ndibuza uVincent ukuba lonke olu lwazi luya kunciphisa umnqweno wethu wokuhamba, ucinga okomzuzwana, emva koko azise ityala lasePompeii. Yayenye yeendawo zokuqala esathumela kuzo ibhayisikile enamavili amathathu, uthi. Saxelelwa ngabasemagunyeni base-Italiya ukuba ukugcwala kweenyawo kuye kwanda kakhulu ukusukela oko sasungula umfanekiso.

Buyela elunxwemeni eSt Croix, imvula iyayeka, ibhegi yenkunkuma iyasuswa, kwaye siqala ukuqokelela, njengoko Google ibiza njalo. Siya kuhamba, kwifayile enye, ezantsi elunxwemeni olungenanto. ITrkker, phezu kwehashe elikhokelayo, ithe cwaka yafota uthotho lweefoto — ihlathi lemvula elingqingqwa kwelinye icala, ulwandle olucekeceke oluluhlaza kwelinye. Sikhwela ngokungxama, simunce ii-megabytes ezininzi zeCaribbean bliss emsulwa ethi, kwiinyanga ezantsi kwendlela, nabani na uya kuba nakho ukonwabela (kulungile, phantse). Kodwa ayisiyomifanekiso intle nje: sisiqendu samva nje kweso sikhundla singapheliyo somntu sokubamba ngokuthembekileyo umhlaba olele ndawo phakathi kwemida yobomi bomntu kunye nomphetho wengcinga.