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
@DroidZilla
Do you think there is not a single Windows server or desktop within Apple? You can work for a company, and still use other companies products. Hell, people who work for mortgage companies might still get mortgages from the competition if they can get a better rate. Fanboy.
@lamerz
The MBP probably runs Windows. 4/10
Sorry doesn't work on my Lynx browser, I also tried Chrome for unix and still no go, then when I fired Firefox it told me - 80: no such port for ping page... do I really need to pay for an OS to use this page?
@(Unverified) no, It might work in FreeDOS. /s
The map zooming is really smooth. I like. Feels much better to use than Google Maps.
Who lauds Photosynth? All the demos I've seen are just garbage. It makes me think I'm looking down a tunnel with crooked sides. Just terrible.
Slower than Google?!? Not for me.
And who has a Silverlight aversion? I'd rather use Silverlight than the security hole that is Flash.
Streetside is MUCH better looking than Street View. It is amazing the difference between the two. I just hope the keep adding more to the Streetside collection!
I just tried it and it is frickin AMAZING!!
Amazing Indeed !!!
That's cool but made my CPU nerves.
Anyway, about the whole mapping thing; Google seems rock solid compared with Bing and much more updated.
@Dary Yes i didn't have the best experience with this, i have quite a high spec computer aswell. They have spammed too many features all over it, its confusing
@ben Odd, I have a low spec system and it runs amazingly.
@Evolyptic
I'm running on a 5 year old Celeron M laptop that was slow even when it was new and this thing runs absolutely super-smooth for me. It took about 30 seconds to load up the first time, but after that there's been no slowdown at all.
Is there going to ever be a standalone package for Microsoft, like google earth because based on this mapping technology, it would give google a hell of a run for its money.
@Ike Turner They announced it after google announced streetview though
The technology and coding behind this is amazing! Though for my own personal use I wouldn't be able to see the practical application.
@johnwin I also thought that, it seems more of a technical achievement than something practical
tried to view the URL, but got redirected to http://bingmaps.com.au/explore/ - which gives me a nice IIS 404. Is there any way to access the URL without a redirection in Australia, short of going through a US VPN?
slow ass piece of crap #fail
Bing directions and maps have been better than google for most of my searches so any improvements to the already good display is great.
This kinda really sucks. It's slow, it's nearly impossible to navigate, and it hardly has imagery from anywhere.
I completely disagree although I wonder why some are reporting it running slow while other's fast. I have in no way a high end computer (no dedicated graphics) and Bing maps was blazing! It is the fastest I've ever seen and if you put it in the mode where it automatically switches to the appropriate map type (aerial, road, and birds eye) it flawlessly transitions back and forth with using a zoom wheel on a mouse. The Photosynth is alright, but some areas have too many photos while others too few and the streetside is similar to street view (which is a good thing, but it many more areas need to be done), but overall the quick transitions between any and all viewing modes was way better than expected and the fastest I've ever seen in an online only map program.
Keep it up!
I think it's interesting that some people find it slower and others find it faster. I personally find it much faster and smoother then google.
My only guess is the difference is either the browser and/or the OS people use.
So for those people who say it's slow. What browser are you using?
@BucksterMcgee
it's blazing fast for me, running IE8 (yes you guessed it right, I'm running windows not eXPerience, or Vistabullrush...I'm using win7doves)
@BucksterMcgee
Microsoft still hating on opera :(
I like this. I've always liked Bing maps for the Birdseye, but this really nice. Higher resolution images than Google as well. Bravo Microsoft. Given me another reason to keep not using Google.
@Ike Turner
For the record, A9's Blockview was before BOTH of them, and Amazon was using Google's search engine to do it. Then Amazon dropped it, and Google stepped up. I was surprised. 2005. It was impressive at the time.
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum16/1647.htm
It's quite bewildering how wholly unoriginal Microsoft are. They can't do anything original, and instead wait for others to do all of the innovation, copy their best ideas, then try to muscle them out of the market. Windows, Internet Explorer, Zune, Bing, and now Bing Maps are just some of the many countless examples of this. Their ability to leech is quite amazing. That said, I use and love Windows 7. I have never personally owned an Apple computer in my life, but I realize it would not be as good of an OS as it is without Microsoft copying Apple.
@Bozz
Seriously - all companies copy their competition in one way or another. Some more than others but it happens all the same.
Does anyone say Apple copies palm, MS and Symbian in creating the iPhone? No they say Apple was innovative and came up with a game changer! I can't see why MS is never given a chance to create a game changer but are levelled with the charge of copying! Windows might have copied but it was as much (even more so) a game changer as some might say the iPhone is to smartphones.
Why complain if a company copies and betters another product? How are you losing out?
Silverlight + Maps = killer app. Though sidestreets hardly makes a dent, with google in just about every major US city, including all of Oahu now ( you can see me waving!), its much more interesting experience. Now if only they can stick this win WM7 for free....
@HexiumVII
With WM7 having native silverlight I will be betting that this will be integrated in some way. I believe there will be some kind of nav app included by default.
@Ike Turner
Let's also not forget that MS had TerraServer way back in 1998, with real satellite imaging that you could view. This was the real precursor to all of these services and was absolutely amazing at the time when only the governments had access to this level of imaging (which pales in comparison to street view and bird's eye view now).
http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/History/The-History-of-Microsoft-1998/
"but the Silverlight requirement and non-Google-ness of it all might keep away the Bing-averse among us"
1. silverlight requirement? do know what flash is? how about quicktime? pretty hypocritical to purposely avoid installing silverlight for no reason but having flash and/or quicktime installed.
oh did i forget to mention google maps uses flash for its street view?
2. non-google-ness. So admitting you have a bias towards google and any competitor no matter how good it is wont be good because its not at google.com. as long as theres a google logo on it, youll attempt to make good out of it and any competitor wont have a better product no matter how much better it actually is, solely because they arent google.
@Troll
No kidding, the Silverlight installer literally fits on a floppy disk. It's about the most lightweight plugin ever created, there's no reason to not install it.
Okay, this Photosynth thing is flat-out the most impressive thing that I have ever seen done by computers. I'm freaking blown away by this, I can't stop playing with it.
@pachi72
To be fair, they would probably love to, but it would get denied by Apple for duplicating features so why waste their time?
Bah, it's sooooo sllooooowwwwwww that it's useless.
@Ike Turner
Too bad the media paid more attention to Google
Also very under rated is the "What's Nearby" feature. It shows a circle on the map that you can move around and it will show all entries in that area. Then it can be further filter by restaurant, stores, etc.. I find this would be very useful when in a new area or when you forget what something is called but know where it is.
Other freature i just noticed while writing this is the 'Scorecard' when clicking on restaurants where it pulls data from sites like Yelp and CitySearch. Nice!!
Well done Bing
this is the craziest thing ever.. it looks like im playing simcity game, and it's also extremely fast on my 4 year old computer!! way cooler (and usable) than google maps
I don't think there's any comparison between the two. The current crop of Google street view pictures are stellar, the usability of the app is top notch, and the locations covered are unmatched by Bing. If MS expands quickly, they might be able to catch up. But honestly I don't care if they do. I think Microsoft should stick to making (or trying to make) excellent software and let Google have the web.
@Amun So you'd rather have less competition, and let Google guide your web experience? Wonderful.
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