Google Street View is an awesome way to waste some otherwise valuable time.
It's a great way to explore possible holiday destinations as you daydream through the transom of the workday.
Well, if you are severely short on time, you can enjoy the following hyperlapse video that was created by graphic design student Matteo Archondisto to celebrate Google Maps' 12th birthday.
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Yes: Google Maps is 12, you're old, and this video is one of the coolest ways to tour the world in just under three minutes.
PetaPixel reports on this glorious video. Now we know that most of you counted how many images were used to create this masterpiece. For the rest of us, we might as well divulge that Archondisto painstakingly screenshot 3,305 images over two days just so you can sit there entertained.
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The design student explained to PetaPixel that creating the video was akin to stop-motion as he moved the setting, screen grabbed and moved on.
Archondis did have help: "Thanks to the developer tools of Google Chrome, I was able to remove all the items that interfered with the user experience. I also removed the labels so that the final image could be as clean and realistic as possible, so that I could concentrate on the camera movements as if it was in real life."
What's left is a seamless tour of the planet, highlighting some of the more iconic landmarks and cities that house them.
While the end result is thanks to a dedication to video and editing technology, the impetus was pure travel.
Archondisto explains, via PetaPixel: "The idea was […] to show the potential tools we have to discover the world around us, even if we can't afford to travel to places far away from home. Also, I always wanted to create something new and experiment with Google Maps and the street view system, for me one of the best inventions to let us discover and see places from our computer without needing to leave home."
In a few moments, we are whisked away to places like Rome, Venice and Paris. While nothing will replace the real thing, we live in a special era when travel inspiration has never been more accessible.
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