Microsoft has rolled out
a major update to its web-based
Windows Live Maps and it desktop
Virtual Earth applications. Here are just a few of the new features:
- Improved 3D cities with higher resolution textures, rendered trees, and thousands of additional buildings. This feature is only available in a handful of cities for now, but more are coming soon
- Export Collections to GPS devices in KML, GPX, and GeoRSS formats
- Improved modeler for adding your own buildings
- Labels added to Birds Eye imagery, letting you figure out what buildings or landmarks you're looking at
- 1-Click Directions maps can now be edited to add hotspots and popups
- MapCruncher integration
- Subscribe to RSS feeds for any neighborhood to keep up to date on activities in that area
- High definition videos in Tours
- Improved display of web-based KML files, including Google maps links.
This release comes a day after Microsoft
added ClearFlow technology which helps you choose driving directions based on traffic predictions.
Tags: live-maps, virtual-earth
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Comments
3
Subscribe to commentsQuikboyApr 12th 2008 7:49AM
This is really sweet stuff. One of my favorite things about Live Maps (not on this list), is that your map search results dynamically change as you zoom in and out.
Like if you were looking for hamburger in a certain area of Houston, as you zoom out, more listing immeadiataly show up on the map AND the list. Google Maps does no such thing.
It's only too bad that most people really don't know about Live Maps. Out of all the WinLive services, the Live Maps team is the best. They blog a lot, they give really good updates, and their solution is 2nd to none.
If you want to find a pretty equal or better alternative to Gmaps, Live Maps is definitely it.
MrMuggsApr 13th 2008 12:02AM
This is so true. I love almost all things Google but MS Live Maps is FAR superior to Google Maps and few people seem to know it. Live Maps and the Bird's Eye View will blow you away compared to GMaps. Many of the Live Maps features are also light years ahead of GMaps.
RandallApr 13th 2008 8:49AM
FINALLY it works for Safari. ^not sure why it didn't work for you. I love the birds eye view thing but still prefer the speed and ease of use that is google maps.