Atlas: Dark horse in the mapping biz

Fresh Logic Studios has stepped out of left field with Atlas, a flashy (or should I say Ajaxy?) new mapping service. Basically what Fresh Logic has done is grab the maps from Windows Live Local and slap a slick new interface on it. Atlas is very attractive and has a tabbed interface that devotes a ton of real estate to the map itself while keeping other functions hidden until you need them. This is mostly a good thing, but having some controls unavailable means some clicking around if you want to switch from, say, searching to panning and zooming. Atlas inherits most of Windows Live Local and adds features like gas prices, events, and WiFi hotspot location (only available after you register for free), and feels a bit snappier than Windows Live Local for some tasks. Unfortunately, every time I tried to get directions I got an error message, but I look forward to finding out how that interface works.

[Via Lifehacker]

Tags: ajax, atlas, directions, freshlogic, map, mapping, maps