Google Street View Introduces Double Click “Pancake” Navigation

I like it, but I wish I could turn off the circle and squares, or at least shrink it. If I just want to look around I don't like having it as an distraction.

Ender7

@OCEntertainment: I won't be. I'll be heading to the nearest grocery store to get some pancake mix. Actually I'm going to do that anyway. I'm hungry as well.

paintbox

They must have read my mind. I wanted a quicker way to move through maps. I also recently discovered full screen mode.

pschroeter

I noticed this recently while checking out rental properties today. Pretty nice.

JerryA

@cyberbite: Correction: SUPER-Awesome!

This is awesome....

cyberbite

@Cwicseolfor: The person in the vid seems to be sitting to the right of the laptop, too. So he/she/it is using an alternate monitor and/or PC, or he's using the mouse to move the posters around on his wall.

Or maybe it's just one of those little video production details that nobody was supposed to notice.

For the record, I'm a lefty who uses a right-sided mouse at work and a left-sided mouse at home - for reasons of space in both cases. Right-handed button configuration always.

taodude

Stepping disks?

Nice to know that even Google submits to the "All new interface innovations must be demonstrated to some random techno song" law.

No, seriously though, that actually looks pretty cool.

@gerrrg: Google has never made me so hungry before now.

I'm not usually a big fan of conspiracy theories, but if I find out Google has partnership with Aunt Jemima and Sara Lee, I'm running.

@Cwicseolfor: It would be common for people who keep their left hand on their right arm.

No, I figure this video was made by some of the lower-ends in the Google marketing department.

"Wait, we need your hand to play to the camera! Use your left hand!"
"But I can't click like that!"
"Well...uhh....here! Change the setting. That'll work."

*some dude in the back decides not to suggest moving the camera to the other side, sighs*

@Cwicseolfor: Good questions. I am ambidextrous, but I use my left hand for writing usually. I have always used my mouse with my right hand because that's how everyone else did it, and I didn't know any different.

The advantage of being left handed and using a mouse with your right, is that you can use the mouse and write things down at the same time. It's always saved me plenty of time.

@Cwicseolfor:
Huhmmmm...I use it on my right side, so that I can write with my left.

gerrrg

Hmm...I wonder if they offer pancake with my cupcake?

gerrrg

One bug I noticed: When you split the view so you have both the map and street view on, the zoom command applies to both panes.

AtomFury

The video showed a left-handed mouse setup on the right side of the laptop... is that common?

As a lefty who uses a computer the "right" way (you know... in case I might ever have to sit down at another person's computer), is my arrangement to be considered uncommon?

Cwicseolfor

very cool feature! btw, I find that the + and - keys are more convenient for zooming in/out. The pancakes and zoom squares that follow your mouse really do make the map feel more 3D. Sometimes I find myself feeling like I'm "driving" on the wrong side of the street.

btw, is it just me or is the guy at the beginning of the clip using his left hand and the mouse is on the right side of his laptop? ???

Wow, I guess I'm not the only one who likes to push my laptop to the left of me so I'm staring at the wall while I use my mouse.

atomicrabbit

ok i guess lifehacker takes out 'greater than' and 'less than' symbols... I meant to write above:
It's like, you hear [click][click][tap][click][tap][tap][tap], and on screen the user just writes "Hey".. and the sounds of the keyboard are so awfully enhanced to sound crisper. Ugh...

atomicrabbit

is it just me or does anyone else hate simulated keyboard tapping sound bytes??? Ugh it pisses me off because it sounds so off from whats happening on screen.
It's like, you hear , and on screen the user just writes "Hey".. and the sounds of the keyboard are so awfully enhanced to sound crisper. Ugh...

btw, nice feature on google maps!

atomicrabbit

@gerrrg:

Off topic much?

xlerate

now we need this on mobiles and we are set

Paul Werner

Very nice addition, makes street view much more user friendly.

@pschroeter: The most annoying thing is that if I'm "facing" one direction and drag my little man down the street (the old style of skipping some clicks) he doesn't always retain my orientation and I have to change his angle back. If my man is looking north and I drag him, he should still be looking north when I drop him. This new navigation aid will help with that issue some.

@Wandering electrons: The internet age: Bringing sentences like "It's aggravating when you're not looking to hyper jump" into real life.

@gerrrg: I'm ambidextrous (not in the sense of being able to do anything with either hand but in the sense of doing some things left handed and some things right handed -- basically it depends on whether you need "special" equipment to do something different handed). I prefer the mouse on the right so that I can write on the left (good thing that was written and not verbal or it could have been confusing).

I like use the arrow keys on my keyboard the most.

mfaerber

@Ender7: Agreed. It's a great innovation, but the circles and squares are a bit aggravating when you're not looking to "hyper-jump".