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Nokia announces Here, a new maps service coming to iOS
Apple's already had plenty of maps-related woes, and here comes what might be even more trouble. At an event in San Francisco, Nokia has announced a brand-new maps service called Here, and in addition to releasing across Nokia's usual platforms, the service also has an iOS app that's already been submitted to Apple and should be available soon. Nokia has also acquired a mapping company named Earthmine that specializes in street-level 3D mapping, so presumably it will be putting them to work on mapping out street locations all over the world for Here. There are also some big pushes to include user-submitted data (including a "Map Creator"), and Nokia will also provide live traffic information and directions (including for mass transit) as needed. The Next Web has a quick run through of Here, although it is not without its own flaws. There's an API for Android, providing a new mapping resource for developers, but the iOS app will actually be an HTML5-based app. Nokia has said its working with Mozilla to bring its maps to Firefox OS, but if you want to sample what is available now, you can check out Here.net in your browser right now. So here's a big push by Nokia on a market that even Apple has floundered in lately. This is a big bet, but it's possible that Nokia, of all companies, could end up filling in with a great maps solution where Apple's own system has had a few missteps. [via Engadget]
Caption contest: four wheels of human-powered doom
Meet Earthmine's "pedestrian area platform quadracycle." The company claims it's a way to map areas of the world that can't be reached by its camera-equipped SUVs... but we think the truth may be far more sinister than that. Diabolical, even. Joanna: "Do you really need a helmet on one of those?" Chris: "Google finally gets around to mapping Bedrock." Vlad: "My other car is a spymobile." Ross: "Get your cameras runnin', head out on the highway, lookin' for adventure and whatever comes our way" Sean H.: "You mean I can exercise and survive a Smoke Monster attack? Sweet!" Darren: "Yeah, GM contacted me about taking this commercial... instead they made the Aztec." Richard: "See Dr. Zaius, they can be domesticated." Josh F.: "Dive, dive!" Thomas: "Earthmullet: party in the front, business in the back." Tim: "When this periscope's a rockin', don't come a knockin'."
Earthmine's photo-truck totally tries to one-up Google, Microsoft
Street level mapping services like Google's Street View and Microsoft's Live Local have gotten a lot of attention lately, but while the notion of pervasive map-linked photography is pretty impressive, the actual execution leaves something to be desired -- the images are occasionally of low quality, have stitching errors, and there are some lingering privacy concerns. A new company called Earthmine is out to solve all those problems, though, by providing high-quality, survey-accurate panoramic photography -- and has a truck or two with cameras towering tall to prove it. Unlike Google's video system, Earthmine plans to use laser range finders and high dynamic range still cameras mounted higher than usual to provide perspective-accurate images that preserve detail and resolution -- but automatically blur out faces and other identifying information, like license plates. Earthmine is planning on selling the service to businesses and governmental agencies, but a consumer version should launch at the end of the summer. We think they should watch out though, we hear the Street View and Live Local drivers have crazy road rage; we really wouldn't want to see anybody from Earthmine get caught up in some kind of weird, street level photography turf war.[Thanks, eggman]
