Although
Google Maps might have been called out by name as the best in "Lazy Sunday" (double true),
Microsoft's been gaining ground of late by adding lots of trick features to its own mapping site, particularly some nifty simulated 3D views. Well, Google is never one to lie back and take it from the Redmond crew, so it's struck a deal with Stanford to license the sensing technology behind 2005
DARPA Grand Challenge winner
Stanley to improve their maps. Stanley, as you probably remember, was a robotic Volkswagen Touareg put together by the Stanford Racing Team that zipped across the Mojave Desert for 10 hours without any human input, winning the Grand Challenge by a
hair. Now that same tech will reportedly be used to scan building faces and improve the 3D portions of Google Maps and Google Earth. Details of the deal and how it will be implemented are due to be announced during the Where 2.0 conference on May 29 and 30 -- here's hoping it involves the phrase "army of robotic Google cars."
[Via
I4U News]
posted May 21st 2007 10:32PM
While I don't want to sound like a fanboy, I have to say, Live Maps is way better than Google Maps. While it is a good thing that Google is getting some improvements to their map service, Live Maps has been beating Google Maps for a while. Here's a quik rundown on why it's so much better:
1. First to have traffic updates
2. birds-eye-view (45 degree angles of major cities or landmarks)
3. 3-D cities (and this time, with realistic colors)
4. To me, a much more improved UI. Not too simplistic like google, but very good enough
5. Collections of your pushpins (which they implemented before google)
6. I like the look of their maps more, to me, it seems more refined. Google looks just ok.
7. You can get a whole page view of the map, while in google, the left tab stays there.
8. Live Maps does a more better job on detailed urban areas. Say that you want to look at downtown Houston. Live Maps has a much more clearer downtown aerieal view, while Google's is kinda grainy.
That's just some of the stuff I see. It's not like perfect or anything. But it's always good to have competition out there.
this darpa challenge was to drive around the desert. the next challenge is to drive around an urban environment - i would've thought be where a ways off from letting autonomous vehicles drive around our cities?
anyways - if you are taking a whizz outside somewhere, be sure to keep an eye out for a Google branded Volkswagen Touareg..
Heh, soon Google will be able to "spider" your neighborhood ;)
For US cities, Microsoft's Live Maps is OK, but for the rest of the world it sucks:
Microsoft's Live Map of Buenos Aires (max. zoom):
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=-34.602411~-58.380919&style=h&lvl=13&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&encType=1
Google Map of Buenos Aires (same spot, max. zoom):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=buenos+aires,+argentina&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&ll=-34.603696,-58.381498&spn=0.001916,0.003648&z=18
I actually know one of the test drivers of this car. He drove the thing from San Fran to San Diego mapping major roadways, business districts, and residential streets. The instrumentation on top of the vehicle includes a 360 degree camera and "lasers" to map the street and surrounding terrain. The finalized version of the compiled images will even differentiate which side of the road you are driving on. Hot swappable HDDs record the info to be analyzed and stitched together. 3 or 4 GPS receivers tag the images and help with the reconstruction. This particular VW was used because of the Smart Cruise Control option which can adjust ones speed depending on the distance of the driver in-front of you.
While mapping the Stanford campus, my buddy ran into the security pylons and, ahem, "disabled" the SCC.
The car pictured above looks to be another vehicle in their fleet.
Here's my favorite Google Maps feature. Directions from NYC to London (Check out step 24)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=NYC&daddr=London,+England&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.922255,58.535156&ie=UTF8&z=3&om=1
Great implementation of the Google Maps API. US Strip Clubs.
http://stripclubmap.com/
Im sure google maps will continue to dominate the mapping field. Mostly because of its simplicity and yet powerfull scripting advantages over microsoft. I hope google keeps pushing towards clean powerfull internet apps.
http://www.ginvites.com
MS live maps is useless. I live in a new street in the back blocks of a small town in Australia, and google had my house on the map before even our local services. The local service maps didn't even place an airport in the nearest town, but google has it included.
MS live maps doesn't have my street let-alone my address.
Everyone building confidence in the likes of live maps will be sorely disappointed when they try to use it to go for a drive outside of the cities.
People first and foremost want accurate content. If you have a choice of maps with accurate content you then compare features. You don't compare features before you compare accuracy!!! That's why our local map service is crap, they're spending a fortune adding new features and services while their maps remain years out of date!