The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

Street View spymobiles invade CeBIT

Google woos Germans with touchy-feely paintjob

CeBIT As part of Google's hearts-and-minds campaign to allay German fears that it is intent on adding their country to Mountain View's lebensraum, the company has decided to entertain CeBIT visitors with some touchy-feely Street View spymobiles:

Google's Street View spymobiles at CeBIT

You'll note the Opels are somewhat less Orwellian than they normally are when they're prowling the world's highways and byways, stripping Finns of their underpants and their privacy.

This is because Google invited some happening German art students to give the motors a makeover - a nifty bit of PR which might have guaranteed Hitler's panzers a warmer reception during Operation Barbarossa - and could indeed in future see Street View's vehicles welcomed with cheering crowds bearing garlands of flowers, rather than pitchforks.

Close-up views of the Street View spymobiles

Err...

Why do you think that the opel tag line is Wir Leben Autos? Also, why do you think Adam Opel (the companies founder) had a father called Wilhelm? Oh yes, because he was scottish.

1
0
Anonymous Coward

Ah.....

... those who forget history ....

Or even those who have never read it...

1
0

Looks like

The sort of artwork you get from Clarkson & co on their cars. Now can we see a piano being dropped on them (and Google too for that matter - what a bunch of suck ups)

1
0

The Onion are in fine form again:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/google_responds_to_privacy

1
0

Not that liiving room...

... as in comfy couch and big screen TV. More like the the sweeping steps of the motherland. Lebensraum was used by the nazis to refer to extra "living space" for Germany offered by those countries conquered by them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebensraum

1
0

More from The Register

Android is a mess and needs sprucing up, admits chief
Can Google really fix it? It isn't in control any more
New Lumia 925: This, loyalists, is the BIG ONE you've waited for
Nokia veep drills high-end master plan for El Reg
Android device? Ooohhhh, you mean a Samsung phone
Koreans nabbed nearly all the Q1 profits – more even than Google
Review: HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook
All roads lead to Chrome?
Borked your iDevice? Pay EVEN MORE to have it fixed by Applecare
Or scream at their hapless techies on their forums
Euro PC shipments plummet into bottomless pit of DOOOOM
11th quarter of decline, 20pc drop on last year - Gartner
Report: AT&T dropping Facebook phone after dismal sales
Turns out folks won't buy that for a dollar