RSSMicrosoft's 'Telescope' to compete with Google 'Sky'
By Jacqueline Emigh | Published May 12, 2008, 6:40 PM
Not wasting any time in rebounding from its failed attempt to buy Yahoo, Microsoft is now readying its own response to Google Sky -- a tool known as Worldwide Telescope, which is set to launch at the end of the month.
The free software form Microsoft will be aimed at letting users view the night sky through data gathered by NASA's Hubble Space telescope and other telescopes throughout the globe, according to Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.
The software will also make use of Web-based astronomy databases. Users will be able to build their own "tours" of stars and galaxies.
"This is taking data that's very complex, gathered over many years from many telescopes, and making it accessible," said Gates, during a speech in Jakarta, Indonesia on Friday.
Also according to Gates, the data collection methods in Worldwide Telescope can be adapted for many other subjects, such as genomics, or the science of genes.
But Gates didn't mention whether Microsoft is involved with any other projects utilizing similar approaches to gathering data.
The Redmond company's new service will be competing with Google Sky, rolled out in August of last year, which also uses data from the Hubble Space telescope and other telescopes worldwide.
As part of Google Earth, Google Sky leverages Google Maps. In addition to a 3D looks at stars and galaxies, Google Sky offers infrared, microwave, and historical views of the sky.
Google's historical view, for example, shows a hand drawn map of the sky originally published in 1792, with the constellations in their classical forms from the collections of David Rumsey.
Also in Jakarta last week, Microsoft used the platform of the Government Leaders Forum - Asia to announce the establishment of Microsoft Innovation Centers (MICs) in Indonesia and Pakistan.
Microsoft is launching five MICs in Indonesia. The first of these MICs opened on Friday, in conjunction with Gates' appearance in Jakarta.
The joke of it all is that you cannot even go to the http://www.worldwidetelescope.org site with any browser other than MSIE 6.0 or better!
Firefox 2 and 3 (Up to RC1) loads the preliminary Flash intro page up to 99% and then just sits there. M$ are basically locking all non-IE browsers out of the site.
If you run Linux or Mac on your computer, forget it. It is Windows-only and even so, you need .NET 2.0 framework bloatware to run the software. I ran it on a virtual Windows machine and it behaved itself OK, but honestly I cannot see what all the fuss is about...
Stellarium [http://www.stellarium.org] and Celestia [http://www.shatters.net/celestia/] do what WWT are doing - mostly, and these programs are far more accessible to non-Wintel machines.
Close but no cigar M$! The line between innovation and just plain copying someone else's idea and adding some .NET eyecandy is pretty blurred at Redmond, WA it seems!
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Umm
Am I missing something here?.... You're all on about Google Earth/Sky and how Microsoft has copied them. BUT, "Q. When did Microsoft first starting looking at the sky?
A. For 16 years, Microsoft has invested, and will continue to invest, in long-term, broad-based research through Microsoft Research. WorldWide Telescope is built on work that started with Jim Gray’s SkyServer and his contributions to Sloan Digital Sky Survey.", therefore was Microsoft not doing this first?
I don't understand why people feel the need to compare everything done by one company to another, take everything on its own merits rather than stating how it compares to every other piece of software out there that has *slight* resemblance.
ref: http://www.worldwidetele...e.org/buzz/FAQ.aspx#roy
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It crashes on windows xp sp3
later edit: you have to install some directx components to work
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I haven't used Google Sky, but I did see part of Gates' presentation on Worldwide Telescope, and it looks cool. Hey, if it can get more kids into science, like Mythbusters, I say go for it. Marketing WT in a big way only opens it up to bashers, though, for better or worse.
I actually think Microsoft Research has come out with some interesting projects over the years, although perhaps only a handful become actual useful products. My favorite is probably Snarf. The software is very rudimentary, but that's not what research is about, I guess.
http://research.microsof...layArticle.aspx?id=1365
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Great, Microsoft now competing, finally. Its going to be a great time for end users.
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Is it just me or do any of you also think that Microsoft should stop copying others ideas and come up with something of their own...?
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Oh I think they should come up with something of their own for once but lets not expect too much from the softies.
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In all honesty, I believe Microsoft will continue to do whatever it takes to stay successful - if that means copying a service to have it compete with one from Google or another company, then I think big Bill should do whatever it takes.
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An idea for someone: a site/blog post which lists Google projects that MS has baldly copied. It's a long and increasingly incredible list.
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Not really. When I think of Microsoft in that context, I usually think of BASF...
"We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better." :)
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You mean like google earth which google bought from some other company and had nothing to do with creating?
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THIS JUST IN!!!!!
Google was the First Search Engine site
Google Maps was the First Online Map site
Google Mail was the first web e-mail site
I could go on.
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I could be wrong but have a feeling Hotmail (which was an acquisition) is around longer as a feature than Google as a company...
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I'm not going to lie, I'm not sure if you got the sarcasm in my post or not.
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No, I didn't! You have to try a LOT HARDER with folks like Dumbo setting the standard for non-sarcasm on this board... :)
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