About Six years ago, millions of people were amazed when Google launched its maps.google.com. From that day forward, it revolutionize the way how a person access street maps and locate geographical boundaries in and out of any country. Many were pleased and like us, we are hoping that someday google maps may still be upgraded too. Let’s just say to make it more realistic perhaps?
It appears those wishes are now being granted (a little bit) for today Bing.com is unveiling a beta version of Bing Maps. Contrary to what it’s expected, it wouldn’t use AJAX as a primary engine to run this masterpiece, it will utilize silverlight. Here’s the reason why:
On a presentation made by Microsoft entitled “Fall of Bing” Techcrunch keyed in some important notes and one of them is about Bing Maps. (uploaded by mashable)
Their new Bing Maps Beta product is making it very clear where Microsoft is heading: A web powered by Silverlight. The new Maps product is visually very impressive, but it does require Silverlight, which of course, Microsoft is in charge of (but offers plug-ins for many browsers, including Safari on the Mac).
There were many questions as to why Microsoft simply wouldn’t use AJAX like Google and others use for Maps? Microsoft’s stance is that while they’re not trying to spread their own “stack” (their own technologies), they are going to use what they think are the best — in this case, Silverlight.
Everything we’re showing is all Silverlight – not web-based AJAX. You just can’t do some of this stuff with that.
Here’s the demo-video of BING MAPS
What’s different with BING MAPS?
- First is the speed and the loading time for each maps to finish. If you’ve been using google maps, you know that there’s something “not so smooth” on the way it loads a map or a phase on the 3d environment. Now with BING MAPS, it seems the developers had foreseen this ‘unpretty’ feature and make a ‘smoother’ version. Actually, the loading time of bing maps is very smooth, it’s like liquid. Maybe that’s the power of Silverlight?
- We fell in love how the streetside works, I mean it’s like in the sci-fi movie “DeJa Vu” by Denzel Washington. A highly-competitive feature of Bing Map which is at par with Google’s Street View. (click to zoom)
- And yes the Photosynth! What this feature does, is to collate all the images that has been uploaded for that area of the map (e.g Statue of Liberty) and arrange them in a 3D like-formation wherein the user will have the ability to play around it, see different angles he/she wishes. Bird’s eye view, side view, bottom view? You name it, photosynth can indulge your curiosity.
Future Improvements We See?
- Remodeling of Photosynth – Perhaps by applying a ‘minority report effect technique’, in each mouse strokes so instead of just showing irregular shape triangles to control view we can change the angle view more realistically.
- Also, if you will notice there’s a control-area at the middle of your screen when you use Bing Maps. I supposed it would be better if it will be like a sphere shape compass and people can drag their mouse over that sphere and the map will change accordingly on how you stroke that sphere-controller. With this interface, each phases will be seen on photosynth, not unlike on this beta stage wherein the views are already pregenerated based on that “irregularly-shaped” triangle which holds the angle to change the view of the photosynth.
- Can we use right click? If you are playing MMORPG games then you should be familiar about dragging of the right-click to rotate the view of the environment. If that kind of interface will be applied on the photosynth, then things should be easier to utilize and more smooth to the touch.
- Photosynth is based on the pictures being uploaded by the “good samaritan users” the only hindrance here is not all people have the time to pimp and upload pictures on their community. Would it be wise if somehow the satellite can take multiple snap shots of each vicinity and those array of photos will be the default view for photosynth? Just in case photo for a certain location is not available, so at least the user can still enjoy the power of Photosynth. But this time not being limited to popular place only but to every place a user wishes to be.
- The Streetside is amazing, just a little more refinement on the controls and availability to different places (not only on the streets) and this will be one of the coolest feature. Furthermore, you will notice that to access streetview you need to put the “blue-man” marker on the street and it takes 5-10 seconds for the environment to change from the normal 3d view to street view. As a first time user, It was a little bit difficult for me to access it. Newbies will surely benefit if there’s some sort of signal, when the loading of street-view is taking place. (a ticking clock inside the blue-man perhaps?)
- Hopefully on the official release, streetside will be named “worldside” and it won’t be limited to USA maps only. Obviously, the whole world wants to enjoy the full-features as well.
Crazy Idea: I know this isn’t possible for the meantime, but people are dreaming to see real-time footage one day. Hopefully in the next updates (10 years from now?) The pictures for streetside will be something more than just a pregenerated snap images. I am talking about real raw footage coming from the satellite. Haha, just a fig of my imagination. But that would be cool, wouldn’t it?
Maybe there’s some privacy issues involve, but having that experience to navigate something in our world in realtime will be the best!
(sources: Bing Maps)
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Tags: bing map photosynth, bing maps beta testing, bing maps photosynth, bing maps review, bing maps silverlight, bing maps streetside, bing maps vs google maps, what is photosynth, what is streetside
I’m sure if the smooth, full-feature experience was possible using AJAX, Google would have implemented that first in Google Maps. But since google decided to develop Google Earth (a desktop application) for the premium experience, you can’t really blame Microsoft for choosing Silverlight.