With Google Earth, users can "fly" from a satellite view of the planet to aerial views of their homes. But while the program can be customized to include, say, photos of storefronts or 3-D renderings of buildings, it provides no consistent experience at street level.

EveryScape, a startup in Waltham, MA, hopes to pick up where Google Earth leaves off, providing photo­realistic streetscapes and even views inside buildings. The company plans to let users submit photos that it will integrate into a consistent 3‑D representation. Its revenues would come from retailers who want to add depictions of their stores' interiors. CTO and founder Mok Oh, a computer scientist, says the company is betting that people want to explore the world from the ground level. "Getting there is not what you want," he says. "Being there is what you want."