There is a new arms race these days, and for once we aren't talking nukes folks. It's a race to see who can make a website act like an application without installation. At the moment its over maps, something so simple till you add the phrase: Web 2.0.
The big players are all over this, with Yahoo, MSN, and Google going at it. For a long while Google was way ahead of the pack. With their web-base Maps and the desktop Earth app, they far out strip the others in function. But lately Yahoo Maps has been catching up and MSN has come out of nowhere.
Under the the heading of Microsoft's new Windows Live initiative , the Live Local mapping feature seems to beat the others (into a bloody pulp) when it comes to image quality and the drill down level. Now, I am no huge fan of "The Evil Empire" although I use their products, but I think they are on the right track with this one.
Now for the fun stuffOne of the features is that you can place your own push-pin markers on a map and then using the permalink option , be able to link back to that map with your comments intact. Be warned though, all of your comments are stored as part of the actual text link - so the result is huge: (spaces inserted so the line would wrap)
http://local. live.com/ default.aspx ?v=2&cp=40.387031 ~-79.8 64662&style=a& lvl=19&scene=2365 104&sp= aN.40. 387670_ -79.866440 _Wh ere%27s% 20the%20WipeOut%3f_ Yeah% 2c%20so%20they%20put%20 the%20new%20ride%20 there%20 -%20so%20wh ere%20did %20the%20o ld%20one% 20go %3f~aN.40.385752_-79.865408_More%20en trance%20 work%3f_So%20ju st%20how %20old%20i s%20t h is%20sat- shot%3f%2 0didn%27t%20t hey%20just %20redo%20this%3f~ aN.40.38 8873_-79.86 6416_No%2 0Aqua_Ironic %20that%20 much%20o f%20the%20p lace%20looks%20like%20a%20parking %20lot % 20in%20the % 20off% 20se ason~aN.40.3859 58_-79. 864657_D rip%20Drip _Anyone% 20esl e %20ever %20get%20the %20feeling%20you%20 end%20up% 20leaving%20t he%20park %20with% 20motor% 20oil%20 in%20your%2 0hair%3f~aN.40 .387531_ -79.865105 _Bunch-o -hot%20air _The% 20glory% 20that%2 0is %20fib erglass%2 0vocanoes% 21%20%20... %20by%20the%20way%2 0my%20wa tch% 20is% 20s till%20 wet%21~a N.40.38784 4_-79.86 2680_Not% 20so% 20Gaint %20Wheel_Well% 20is %20is %20wh ere%20it%2 0us ed%20to %20be%2c %20gave%20 way%20to% 20the%20Arrow360%20... %20hey%2 0that%20sorta%20rhy mes~aN.40. 388922_-79. 867508_W arning%3f_L et% 20me%20guess% 2c%2 0the%20 Whip%20w as%20actu lly%20plac ed% 20ove r%20a%20 rad ioact ive%20waste% 2 0dump%3f
And, yes, Google Earth has this - but this version is web-based. Oh the possibilities! Since I'm gearing up for Amusementparkapalooza 2k6, what better than a snarky tour of my home town park? Yep take a short statalite-view stroll through Kennywood with me - your personal tour guide!
And yes, I admit, at the moment, Web 2.0 is rather pointless, but thats a theme of Web 2.0: new, cool, user generated, user modified, user edited, fun to play with, useful - but only of you make a point of using them hardcore - but in the end you can still live happily without them. Well, except for podcasts. I gotta have my TWiT and DLtv!
Its ironic considering I'm typing this @ ZOHO Writer and read Digg everyday! Yep thats me: a jaded, hypocritical tech whore.