untangling_the_web

DID: 4046925
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Virtual Earth Developers
Bird's Eye Tourist
http://blogs.msdn.com/virtualearth/default.aspx
http://www.birdseyetourist.com/
Early in 2006 the Virtual Earth Team introduced street views (something only A9 had
previously tried to do in the US). Here's the announcement:
The Virtual Earth team is pleased to launch a preview of a new feature we have
been working on - interactive Street-side browsing. You can try it out at
http://preview.local.live.com Street-side imagery allows you to drive around a city
looking at the world around you as if you were in a car. But unlike the real world,
you can stop your car anywhere you. like and rotate your view around
360degrees. Currently we have street-side imagery for San Francisco and
Seattle online. 8 ?
I love this technology because there is nothing like being able to "walk" or "drive"
through an unfamiliar location to get your bearings. However, with the demise of A9
Maps, I am not sure this type of "you are there" technology is here to stay. The
excellent European sites that offer similar options. France Telecom's Pages Jaunes
and Spain's Callejero Fotographico offer similar "stroll" technologies.
B!j Windows Live Local
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ISan Francisco, CA (City Center) :::1 ->
Virtual Earth Technology Preview
http://preview.local.live.com/
87 Sean Rowe, Program Manager, Virtual Earth, Live Search Weblog, 28 February 2006,
(31 October 2006).
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