October 16, 2007
V2 of Live Search Maps was just published.
One of the most interesting features must be the new 3D version of the Birds Eye view (see the video below). The feature has clearly borrowed ideas from the equally impressive Microsoft PhotoSynth.
It requires installation of Virtual Earth 3D beta (think of Google Earth), though. I couldn’t install the current beta of it on the Firefox / Vista, but on IE it (somewhat) worked.
Update: After installing it through the IE, it seems to work fine in Firefox, too. 
There are a lots of more new features that are described here.
No Comments » | 
Search | 
Permalink
Posted by jemm
August 9, 2007
Some months ago maps.live.com added Bird’s Eye view, which is made with images captured from low flying planes. They allow better resolutions than images taken from satellites. You can even change the point of view (North, South, East, West)!
Anyway, I have started using this view for many things lately:
- Learn the surroundings of where you live (or where you are going to move)
- Help someone else to visualize how to find to my home (driving instructions)
- Locate parking spots near your target address
These days when GPS-navigators are common it isn’t hard to find your target when driving. However, when going to some new location you still need to find a place where to park your car. I know some GPS-navigators know about parking places, but they don’t know all of them.
It is easier to locate a parking area if you explore the surroundings of the target address first. Of course, images aren’t real time, so you can’t find free parking spots - yet! 
Here is an example:
(Capture and annotations were made with the handy FastStone Screen Capture -tool)
No Comments » | 
Other, Search | 
Permalink
Posted by jemm
