LiewCF.com

Amazon.com is mapping the streets of the United States in an ambitious digital photography project to drive people into local businesses.

The online retailer’s search unit, A9.com, is masterminding the project, which will eventually pair digital photos of storefronts and their surroundings with more than 14 million U.S. business listings from around the country.

Early Thursday, the company announced the first phase of its service, called A9.com Yellow Pages, with 20 million images from 10 cities, including Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Seattle.

People can call up a business listing to find contact information (with an Internet-to-phone dialing service), reviews, a local map and a photo of the business’ facade. With a feature called “block view,” people can also click to see adjacent businesses or surrounding neighborhoods.

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My two cents

This is great! You click the map for the location and you have a virtual tour from the street photos. The photos looks like taken by digital video cam in a car driving pass by because the photos are continuos.

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