Facebook Plunges Again
Tumblr 101: Tips And Tricks To Get Started
The future of maps and augmented reality
Augmented reality has the potential to make life more interesting.
In the same way that the Internet has brought about a revolution of knowledge, augmented reality is probably the next step. Considering we've hunched over our Internet-enabled computers for twenty years, I think it's about time we head back outside -- and, because the real world is ultimately boring, we're taking the Internet with us in the form of augmented reality.
Case in point: check out Bing Maps. You MUST have Silverlight installed -- don't bother otherwise.
Now... start zooming in.
Click the blue person, and go down to 'street view'. Pretty awesome, yes, but nothing special -- now click 'Map Apps' -> 'Streetside Photos.' You can now see photos from Flickr superimposed on the street view. As you can see from the screenshot I've used above, there's historical imagery available too! Now play around with the other Map Apps... <insert an hour of Sebastian giggling and smiling like a loon>
Impressed yet? Well, I'm just parroting the video of Blaise Aguera y Arcas at the TED convention last week (video is embedded below). It's actually a follow-up from his photosynth presentation back in 2007, and damn it's exciting to see how far things have come in such a short time! Click around on the Silverlight version of Bing Maps, and if you're not suitably impressed, just watch the video to get an idea of what's to come -- scroll through to four minutes; that's when it gets really cool.
Comments
13
Subscribe to commentsMxxConFeb 26th 2010 2:10PM
not directly related to augmented reality, but i just discovered that NYC Goverement has a pretty competent maps site http://gis.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/
They have detailed address info for each and every building/house
and more interestingly, they have "satellite" map of NYC from 1924.
very cool beans :D
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 26th 2010 2:20PM
Very, very neat... thanks for the tip :)
ArnieFeb 26th 2010 4:24PM
That is really cool. I can imagine news coverage from local folks rather than outside folks.
However, I cannot even imagine the amount of processing power we would need on both ends to take this to a real time level in major areas.
One other thing I would love to see this hooked up and which would be very practical is major routes in and around metro areas. This would help us avoid most traffic jams or also help us understand traffic densities on typical days in areas we plan to visit.
Cool features though.
ArnieFeb 26th 2010 4:26PM
Also , they are bringing Bing to their Win7 phone. I would love to see them integrate such a dynamic experience with the phones as well.
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 26th 2010 7:33PM
Yep, as you can see in that 'live' example in the video, with the guys in the market -- that's what they're aiming for with mobile phone + 4G network, I think :) Very, very cool.
Betsy AokiFeb 26th 2010 8:31PM
Betsy from Bing here. Thanks to the commenters so much for the kind words (and to Sebastian, thanks for doing the blog post around maps and Blaise's great presentation). I came to Bing from Xbox and of course the first thing I think of when I see these amazing maps developments is - video game! but I know that community folks like you will help us figure out exciting avenues to explore for both business and fun in this area. The Bing Maps SDK is just getting more and more interesting, and if you code, I hope you'll check it out! Thanks again, Betsy Aoki, Bing.
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 26th 2010 9:17PM
Thanks for coming by!
As I'm sure you're well aware, both Microsoft and Google are pumping out great new technology at the moment -- but they're very different types of tech! Google brings out 'hushed silence' tech, while Bing/Microsoft is more 'Woahhh!' -- more immediacy. I never quite know what to make of new Google stuff -- I don't think anyone does -- while Bing/Microsoft is more 'with it'.
I have no idea who will win though. I imagine it'll more likely end up with quite an even split, with Bing controlling one segment, and Google controlling a very different one.
Again, thanks, and good luck :)
MxxConFeb 26th 2010 11:18PM
Sebastian, i see things completely opposite. short of a few projects MS' stuff feels like "me too" efforts.
The stuff that Google is doing with Wave, ChromeOS, Android and a myriad of other projects is simply awe-inspiring.
MS' stuff short of a few Bing efforts, worldwidetelescope.org, Photosynth and Silverlight's streaming video capabilities are "meh" to me.
It's like Google is a boiling kettle vs MS is like a simmering pot.
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 27th 2010 5:53AM
I think it depends on point of view. If you ask your mother or father to name some neat Google invention... do you think they'd be able to name any?
I try to remember that Google has been 'into' the Internet thing for a lot longer than Microsoft (though we're still talking only a few years!)
(I've just woken up, and need to go out... so a more intelligent response will have to wait :)
jeorgekantFeb 27th 2010 1:15AM
It seems like the question of pinpoint accuracy and floating icons are separate. You could solve the latter not by increasing accuracy, but just by making sure that, wherever the tags first appear on the image, they %u201Cstick%u201D relative to that image as you turn. Software can easily identify invariant corners and edges as you move (particularly if you%u2019re rotating, not walking) %u2014 that%u2019s much easier than identifying objects, or getting inch-level accuracy.
blogwardFeb 27th 2010 4:32AM
What blue person? I have Silverlight and Maps 3D installed - I don't see a 'blue person'.
blogwardFeb 27th 2010 4:45AM
Oh, got it now. Typical Microsoft lame GUI again.
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 27th 2010 5:50AM
Hooray :)