Google's not the only one in the game when it comes to wild mapping tech, and while Microsoft's excellent collection of bird's eye photos has never gotten it quite the attention of Google's Street View, the hope is that
lasers and its much-lauded
Photosynth tool can do the trick. Microsoft has done up a Street View-style canvassing of 56 US cities with cars that not only snap photos but include range-finding lasers to map out the architecture in 3D. The
Silverlight-based viewer for this view (dubbed Streetside) is similar in interface to Google Maps, a tad slower, and rather visually impressive. In addition, Microsoft is leaning on its Photosynth technology to collect navigable panoramas of scenery and even building interiors. Finally, Microsoft has tacked on "apps" of sorts, little overlays that include traffic cameras, restaurants, a Twitter API and so forth. All of this coupled with an improved version of the bird's eye view is quite a visual treat, but the Silverlight requirement and non-Google-ness of it all might keep away the Bing-averse among us. But really, with all this tit-for-tat going on between Microsoft and Google, we have to wonder what sort of stone age we'd be stuck in if we didn't have these two behemoths going at each other like this. The "Beta" is live now at the source link.
[Thanks, Aimee]
posted December 2nd 2009 6:46PM
No one cares.
@Yoyodyne
Yes they do you fucking moron
@Yoyodyne Well, Bing maps actually ain't that bad. It's competitive with google maps, but I personally like it better due to birds eye view. Birds eye view really helps to understand the layout and structure of crap.
Looks pretty friggin cool!
Silverlight? NO THANKS.
@lamerz
Silverlight? NO THANKS.
You obviously care enough to get in your anti-MSFT post! Bitter much?
@lamerz g-dammit that was supposed to be @yoyodyne, that tool ...
Whatevers, no one will use it, but in the end it will benefit everyone because Google will take note and improve Google Maps in response.
Omigosh, I just used it and it's pretty amazing. Hmmm...not too different from Street View though.
@seriousam7
Really? Why the fuck would Google spend the time and resources responding to this Bing update if no one bothered to use it. You should hope it gets use and scares the shit out of Google so they continue innovating at a rapid pace. Competition = GOOD. Fanboy = BAD.
@seriousam7 i just looked at the (i guess you could call it) demo, it looks amazing. the only thing is it says >64 U.S. cities< wich is no good to me.
oh wait...i forgot, silverlight doesn't work in chrome or IE 64-bit.
@jonbrewer Yeah but it works just fine in 32-bit IE on 64-bit Windows... just like Flash!
@lamerz scratch that. works in chrome. but still, why would IE not make it work on one of their own browsers....
@jonbrewer
It works for me in IE.
@jonbrewer
Because they haven't spent the time or resources to implement Silverlight on a version of IE that very few people use. As 64-bit Windows becomes more popular, I am sure MSFT will put more emphasis on the 64-bit version of IE and enable Silverlight on that version.
@jonbrewer I'm using silverlight in chrome dev channel and it works just fine
as to ie 64 bit..yeah no silverlight :( but no flash either! >:[
@jonbrewer
wow, I love to see people posting junk without having a clue. Read up before posting buddy!
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1636
There is enough sliverlight for chrome, firefox, and safari.
I'm using silverlight in chrome!
@(Unverified)
Witch! Burn the witch!
@(Unverified):
I have to wonder what people have against silverlight. I've never had a problem with it. It's fast. It's not like it's like Java or anything where I have to sit there and wait...and wait....and wait for Java to load.
@Jordan I agree, I think folks just like to hate on MS
@Jordan: Personally, it's not so much that I don't like silverlight, it's just that for one, I think MS should be concentrating on web standards and helping advance web tech in general - imagine how much faster HTML5 and CSS3 could become the standard if MS would've implemented partial support for them in IE8 and were pushing for full support in IE9 - I just don't see the point of a "flash-clone".
Secondly, I'm tired of having to install plugins to view content. At least flash is ubiquitous enough that it's sorta justified, but I ain't gonna install silverlight just so I can see a few sites.
@2late2die
Competitions spurs innovation without Silverlight I don't think flash would be pushing forward on a lot of thing that it has done today.. They both have their positives and negatives but in the end it's not huge to have Silverlight on your drive. I doesn't update nearly as much as Flash.
Hmmm, very nice. The transitions between street views are smoother than Google's, and I like how it moves between street view and eagle-eye view. I don't get the Photosynth feature though?
Does Microsoft seriously not have any new ideas of its own?
@brian515
This is planet earth, and this is the year 2009. You can only be so innovative. Don't feel like listing good microsoft ideas like the ribbon or twist ui anyway.
@brian515
yeah i cant believe they dont have their own new ideas and car companies still using wheels and such, man these people need imaginations...(sarcasim) lets see you do something cool, innovative, and competitive...by the way micrsoft has had some innovative ideas taken from them in the past so...just stfu.
The "ribbon"? You mean that POS failure of a UI that cripples Office? That one?
You're confusing innovation with desperate flailing.
@Information Central
Ribbon cripples Office? Just because you aren't smart enough to figure it out, don't say that it sucks for everyone else. It does in fact expose significantly more functionality than the previous menu system. The Ribbon is a revolutionary UI that gets better in Office 2010, with further customizability.
@lamerz
Nicely said
@brian515 Check your history buddy. Microsoft came up with and implemented street view WAY BEFORE Google. Google was wise to come after that and bring the technology to the public thought. The concept WAS Microsoft's. Just so you are properly informed Microsoft came up with this idea back in February of 2006: http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/02/28/killer-new-livecom-service-street-side/
If you want to argue poor execution then fire away, but you CANNOT say that Microsoft is copying Google, fact is that Google Copied Microsoft on this one.
I guess you're going to also argue that Microsoft is going to copy Apple's tablet idea too.
@brian515 Photosynth is actually very different (and much more clever) than streetview.
In Photosynth, the photo locations are unknown - it uses clever computer vision algorithms to work out where each photo is looking at. Streetview, on the other hand involves no cleverness at all really - it is just a load of panoramas.
"but the Silverlight requirement and non-Google-ness of it all might might keep away the Bing-averse among us."
Yes, heaven forbid you defy the Engadget party line and use or compliment something from Microsoft!
This site is getting beyond ridiculous...
@dustint
Engadget aren't the only people who dislike Silverlight. (Flash is bad enough, now we have to have another one?)
This technology looks very nice from that screenshot, though.
@dustint
get real, this site is crawling with PC gamers. those are your "MS supporters"... look at the first post of the whole thread.
then they get a job and either have to use a PC at work, or don't have to and spring for the elegance of Mac OS X.
Obviously the writers of a Tech Blog are allowed to use whatever OS they want. It's blogging.
@(Unverified)
Who the hell said anything about OSes? I was talking about Silverlight, Bing, and Photosynth - you know, the things actually mentioned in the article?
I was merely pointing out that in this blog post its ridiculous to talk about how cool the new Bing Maps beta is, and then immediately dismiss it because it wasn't made by Google.
@dustint Come on there are people that really dislike anything microsoft it just makes them feel better after reading about yet another microsoft product which is completely original
@(Unverified) "Engadget aren't the only people who dislike Silverlight. (Flash is bad enough, now we have to have another one?)"
Oh no! Not another plugin that takes less than 30 seconds to install!!
Are you from the same firefox camp that loves it for its 'plugins and add-ons?'
@dustint
It's NOT beyond ridiculous. You're just easily offended. I can break it down for you.
Engadget said:
"but the Silverlight requirement and non-Google-ness of it all might might keep away the Bing-averse among us."
#1. Silverlight Requirement: Annoying. As someone else said, its annoying enough to need Flash to view Streetview on Google Maps, but its understandable. Needing to download or maintain a completely DIFFERENT plugin for the SAME level of function is just lame. What's worse, is that I do not see why Silverlight 3.0 was required. I already upgraded from 1.0 to use Netflix, and here... the second thing requiring Silverlight, and its a NEW version requirement, and unlike the rights management in 2.0, I can't see WHY I'm required to download the latest Silverlight to see the page.
#2. Non-Googleness. You could take this a couple of ways. The first way, is you can take it to mean faulting Bing for not being Google. This covers the "let me resist how cool this is, because I want to keep using Google anyway" response. Engadget isn't excusing it... like the first item, they're explaining why people might not care about this. Secondly, with the rare exception, like when they use Flash for Streetview, Google believes in web standards and Ajax. Microsoft has retooled its ENITIRE maps system in Ajax. This is as distasteful to me as when Yahoo started depending on Flash for its maps. I stopped even looking twice at it and ran to Google. Microsoft's history is peppered with "breaking" the web with its own proprietary plugins. Meanwhile, Google was one of the first big corporations to make plugins (like its toolbox) for Firefox. To me, that's what non-Googleness means.
I do not count myself as being "Bing-averse", in fact I use Bing's "Bird's Eye View" all the time, while my wife and I are house-hunting. However, moves like this make the website more unwieldy for me... they also incorporated Silverlight into their picture and video searches. Too much. I'm sorry. It's Microsoft who's being ridiculous, and its a shame.
@dustint
CORRECTION: "Microsoft has retooled its ENITIRE maps system in [SILVERLIGHT]." Basically, they've set a bad example with this. The web needs to move away from proprietary tech like this. Flash & Silverlight should be used to assist web media, but should not be used to CREATE web sites. Click around Bing, and odds are you'll find more places where Silverlight is needed to get the "full enjoyment" of it that Flash is used on Google.
Ugh, between the horrible Navteq maps and the dog that is Silverlight, I am not impressed.
i love that aerial/birds eye view
its actually more useful than top down satellite
I refuse to use Bing just on principal. They chop and change their search service way to much, Google knows what people want and gives it to them, plain and simple.
Plus Bing is a ridiculous name. Live Search was classier.
@Adamgs
Does Google always really know what people want? What about Google Answers, Google Pack, Google Notebook or Google Video?
@bureX
Oh come on ... Google is not Microsoft, so obviously they are better. Google never launches and then pulls products. *cough*Gears*cough* No, companies other than Microsoft never try things out, and if they don't work the way they thought, change them later. Only Microsoft sucks ass like that.
Well this is more lively than the ones google had released. One of the buzz around the net lately is the 3d pimping of our world using google building maker via sketchup. The 3d graphics is still a little bit crude compare to this one. Anyway, if only BING will jive on the party then we will have a better 3d community
google 3D-pimp your town: http://bit.ly/google-pimp-your-town-3d
@sherylroycer VIA for Virtual Earth is much better.
It's funny, cause one of the photosynths in Bellevue, Wa is of the project manager's office. Where there's a Macbook Pro and iphone. Way to show your pride.