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Bing Maps adds 270TB worth of Bird's Eye imagery, its largest update yet
If you thought the 215TB of satellite imagery Bing Maps added last year was hefty, think again. In what is the largest installment of Bird's Eye shots yet, the mapping folks in Redmond piled on a whopping 270TB of high-res flyover images to their database yesterday. Some of the more notable (read: gorgeous) additions include overviews of Rome and Milan in Italy, Stavanger in Norway and Kaanapali in Hawaii. Aside from the new visuals, Bing also added a couple of improvements to its Venue Maps with an expanded points of interest list and a new "Report a problem" system so users can inform Bing if a location is marked incorrectly. So go on, head over to the source, select any of the amazing locales and take a little free trip to the other side of the world.
Bing Maps piles on 215TB of new Bird's Eye imagery, proves it's a small world after all
Did you think Microsoft was done with Bing Maps updates after it threw a whopping 165TB of satellite imagery at virtual explorers? You've got another thing coming. The mapping crew in Redmond has thrown another 215TB of data over the fence, this time targeting its Bird's Eye views. Most of the attention is on Australia, Europe, New Zealand and Tokyo, although Microsoft has seen fit to sharpen up some of its US visuals in the process. All told, there's over 88,800 square miles covered by the new and updated aerial shots -- enough to make sure that we'll never have trouble finding Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland.
Google Maps adds 3D bird's eye route previews for high-flying navigators
Sure, you could use Google Maps to find the shortest path from point A to point B, but what if you're interested in going from A to B via scenic route C? That's where Google's new 'helicopter view' comes in. Unveiled last week, this feature allows online navigators to visualize any driving, walking or mass transit route with a 3D, bird's-eye animation. All you have to do is enter your starting point, destination and mode of transportation, and click the new "3D" button that will appear next to each route. From there, you'll be launched into a Google Earth-powered flight, displaying all the buildings, mountains and other terrain that you'd encounter during your real-life journey. You can also pause the flight at any moment to check out any sights of interest, along with any geo-linked photos, videos or other online content. Buckle up and check out the source link below for more details and images.
Bird's Eye iPad app lets you use Twitter while looking down on it
Spending more and more time on Google+ these days and looking for something to draw you back to Twitter? Then you might want to consider giving the new Bird's Eye app for iPad a whirl. As you can probably surmise, it promises to let you "see Twitter from new heights" or, more specifically, view nearby tweets from high above on a map. Those not interested in the strangers around them can also specify other locations to see what folks are talking about in any given city. Not an entirely original idea, of course, but it is fairly unique as far as iPad apps go, and it's completely free. Head on past the break for a demo video.
