RSSMicrosoft Adds New York to 3D Maps
By Ed Oswald | Published May 29, 2007, 12:40 PM
Microsoft has updated its Live Search Maps service to include photo-realistic 3D imagery of New York City and six other U.S. cities along with Ottawa, Canada and Northampton, England.
Some had criticized Microsoft for leaving out one of the nation's most populous cities when the first 3D cities were announced. However, Microsoft answered the call Tuesday by adding the Big Apple.
Other than the international cities previously mentioned, 3D imagery will also be available for Austin, Texas, Cape Coral and Tampa, Fla., Cincinnati, Ohio, Indianapolis, Ind., and Savannah, Ga.
More cities are expected to come online throughout the summer. Microsoft says that aerial views of various important city landmarks, business listings, driving directions, and traffic information will be incorporated directly into the maps.
Whereas previous 3D functionality showed aerial shots of cities, the updated version now shows the buildings in a more realistic 3D format. Such functionality was already available for 15 cities through the service's beta program, including San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Denver.
Thus far, the reaction to the update has been rather muted. "Virtual Earth 3D is kinda hard to use," Arnold Zafra wrote for Search Engine Journal. "Google Earth is a lot easier to use even for first time users."
Greg Sterling of Search Engine Land had a similar experience. He reported that he had trouble recreating the 3D views Microsoft used in its promotional video for the announcement.
 |
| One of the world's landmarks as seen from space is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; and Microsoft Virtual Earth's overhead view of the Speedway is frankly quite impressive. Give the sky a more believable background color than bright cobalt blue, and this could pass for a postcard shot. |
 |
 But from ground level, it could use a little work. Sure, it's recognizable, but the end effect looks like a storyboard for a sequel to "The Day After Tomorrow." I tried positioning Virtual Earth's camera as close to my actual seats at the Speedway as possible. Here's a look at the real Speedway, in a shot I took at last Sunday's race. One inexpensive way to make this shot more believable is if the grandstands were plotted with an overhanging shelter rather than as an encased sarcophagus. |
| By the way, who's that on the track? From right to left, #3 Helio Castroneves; #11 Tony Kanaan; #6 Sam Hornish, Jr.; #10 Dan Wheldon; #27 Dario Franchitti (who eventually won); #26 Marco Andretti. |
Comments
Don't wait for Microsoft's patch: Secure Windows now from today's 0-day
Microsoft is recommending users simply get rid of a vulnerable ActiveX control that no one even uses any more. We'll show you how to do that right now.
Nokia: Android? Are you crazy?
Rumors about new Android devices abound, but Nokia squashes this one.
Symantec goes live with Norton 2010 betas
Norton Internet Security and Norton Antivirus 2010 are now available for testing.
What's Now: Drenched with 'Purple Ra1n,' iPhone users caught eating 'redsn0w'
Plus: Symantec and McAfee go to war, and what's LucasArts building in its top-secret, moon-shaped orbital facility?
In New York, online booze loses a Circuit Court decision
Court worried about gangster influence if liquor purchased directly.
British Telecom sacks bitterly unpopular Phorm ad platform
Phorm under BT is no more, but the targeted ad service could still go on under Virgin or TalkTalk.
CBS is the last man standing against Hulu
Popular streaming syndication site Hulu now has all the major networks in its camp except CBS.
Not just Vista: The operating system is dying, too
Carmi Levy: Wide Angle Zoom Vista's troubles point to a bigger shift that will affect more than just Microsoft.
Bolt: the dark horse mobile browser
Bitstream's small-footprint mobile browser is available in Beta 3
IE8 WSUS update push to begin August 25
After months of availability to users willing to seek it out, Internet Explorer 8 will be rolled into Windows Server...
Geeks vs. journalists: A tale of two worldviews
Recovery with Angela Gunn Why geeks think most mainstream journalism is flaky, and why the mainstream thinks geeks are trying to kill them. (They're both right.)
Can Linux do BitLocker better than Windows 7?
Betanews kicks off a new series with a look at how the Linux operating system's FDE stacks up against BitLocker, the Windows feature that today commands a $120 premium.
I see people debate ease of use between Google and MS Live Maps, but in the end it is based on what they either started using first, or expect the software to do.
I personally like MS Live Maps, as you can hook up your XBox 360 controller and fly around the city, something just not a sleek or easy as Google.
Score: 0
I see people debate ease of use between Google and MS Live Maps, but in the end it is based on what they either started using first, or expect the software to do.
I personally like MS Live Maps, as you can hook up your XBox 360 controller and fly around the city, something just not a sleek or easy as Google.
Score: 0
I find Local.Live far easier to use then maps.google or the 3d google program. It is so natural. I have asked older people to try the two side by side, and they agree local.live is easier.
Score: 0
Heh....old people like it.
Definitely un-hip. :p
Score: 0
just a simple observation. only old people use phrases like hip.
Score: 0
Guilty as charged. (well, depending on your definition of "old")
Score: 0