Battle For Planet Earth, Take Two

Price is one of the key differences between MSN Virtual Earth and Google Earth, the two services unveiled in the last week. Microsoft’s version is part of its free Search service; Google provides some free satellite maps through Google Maps but the hi-res service is a revamp of subscription service Keyhole. WSJ offers an overview of the various mapping services offered around the web. Microsoft developer Chandu Thota offers sample images.
One interesting note: AOL’s MapQuest once offered satellite maps but stopped because of a lack of demand. The combination of broadband, better monitors and higher-quality images may change that. Ditto for transforming the images from more than a virtual tour guide to a practical search tool. (Google Maps alone are nice but they soar in consumer value when information, like cheap gas prices, is overlaid.} MapQuest founder Perry Evans told John Markoff the sat-map services are “eye candy.” Evans’s newest company is Local Matters, which provides local search technology. I’ll suggest that a content provider who leanrs how to harness this power will be able to transform it from eye candy to infographics and beyond.
Lost in the shuffle: a new personalized start page is coming for MSN.

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