Windows Live Local

Microsoft have retired Virtual Earth and rebranded it Windows Live Local. They have also added the Bird's Eye View. For example, here is a shot of the entrance to our US HQ (the topmost building).

Apart from a few minutes fun looking at familiar sites, this is a poor application. The controls are limited when in Bird's Eye View etc. As a competitor to Google Maps, it does okay. However, it just does not have the wow factor of Google Earth.

Note that Microsoft have updated their Location Finder application to version 2.0.

Search Preview Add-in for MSN Search Toolbar

Here is a useful addition for MSN Search Toolbar: Search Preview Add-in for MSN Search Toolbar. This builds thumbnail previews of search results. It can speed up searches since it pre-fetches the pages and gives a detailed preview.

Find it on MSN Search Toolbar with Windows Desktop Search Add-ins. (Also note Windows Live Favorites Beta.)

MSN Messenger Encarta and BBC TV bots

Here is an interesting applicaiton of MSN Messenger. Add contacts for

encarta@conversagent.com
bbcbackstage@hotmail.com

The first allows you to query Microsoft's Encarta service with questions such as "What is MSN Messenger?" Answer: "MSN Messenger is the application you're using to communicate with me. :)"

The second will allow you to ask about BBC TV listings.

From: News and views on IM, Presence and RTC Technologies.

Google Earth improves UK data down to 6"

See Google Earth Community.

Sony list of CDs containing XCP

CD's Containing XCP Content Protection Technology.

Ray Ozzie is blogging

Ray Ozzie's Weblog

Software Crusades

Redmond Magazine - Software Crusades

Arc2Earth - ArcGIS to Google Earth Conversion

This is something to keep track of: Arc2Earth (via James Fee).

Cingular to increasing GSM investment

There have been media reports that Cingular will delay their 3G deployment to concentrate on GSM. For example, Unstrung have an article about Cingular investing $227 million in their GSM netowrk in two markets (Kentucky and Tennesse). See Cingular Spends on GSM. (See GSM Goes Wild.)

Free SQL Server 2005 Training

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 E-Learning

Virtual Earth is now live

Microsoft Virtual Earth is now live and it's a huge disappointment. I suppose it looks strong against Google Maps, but is a poor competitor to Google Earth.

One interesting component, however, is the Microsoft Location Finder. In theory, this will work out your location as you travel using IP lookup and the like. It then synchronises to Virtual Earth.

Controlling Google Earth from C++

Here's a quick trick to peak inside an application: Do a #import somewhere in Visual Studio and then examine the resulting IDL in the .tlh file after the compile.

I did this for the free version of Google Earth and got a googleearth.tlh. This exposed a basic COM interface. There is not much to control, but the following will give you some idea. (Sorry about the formatting of the long string. It looks ugly, but I'm sure you get the idea. Any KML is valid in this string, by the way.)

IKHInterfacePtr googleEarth(__uuidof(KHInterface));

// testing LoadKml()
BSTR kmlData = ::SysAllocString(L"
    <Placemark>
        <name>Sample Path</name>
        <LookAt>
            <longitude>-112.0822680013139</longitude>
            <latitude>36.09825589333556</latitude>
            <range>2889.145007690472</range>
            <tilt>62.04855796276328</tilt>
            <heading>103.8120432044965</heading>
        </LookAt>
        <LineString>
            <tessellate>1</tessellate>
            <coordinates>
                -112.0814237830345,36.10677870477137,0,
                -112.0870267752693,36.0905099328766,0,
                -112.082378303451,36.06778704771370,0
            </coordinates>
        </LineString>
    </Placemark>");
googleEarth->LoadKml(&kmlData); // loads the string

// change the view to the above area
IKHViewInfoPtr viewInfo = googleEarth->currentView;
viewInfo->latitude = 36.06778704771370;
viewInfo->longitude = -112.0870267752693;
viewInfo->range = 5000;
viewInfo->tilt = 45;
viewInfo->azimuth = 0;
googleEarth->setView(viewInfo, 0.1); // 0.1 is the speed

// open a file
googleEarth->OpenFile("Test.kml");

googleEarth->Release();

Remember you'll need a CoInitialize before this.

Update: Steve is controlling Google Earth using JScript.

Google Earth KML Documentation

See Google Earth KML Documentation and Google Earth KML Tutorial.

Google Earth Hacks

Google Earth Hacks

T-Mobile US future uncertain?

See this New York Times article.

Orange SPV C500 Update

Orange have finally released the Orange SPV C500 update: Orange SPV C500 (you may have to choose a phone and update to save the cookie).

The main new feature is Windows Media Player 10.

You can get the direct download here.

NewsGator Outlook edition 2.5

NewsGator Outlook edition 2.5 is here!

Cingular considering iTunes phone

Cingular considering iTunes phone

Google Earth

Google Earth beta.

Update: Like the Google Web Accelerator, new Google Earth subscriptions (at least to the free and, suprisingly, the Plus version) have been taken offline. Hopefully everyone downloaded, installed and started (it needs this to acquire a login) the program in the two days that it was made available.

Windows Desktop Search updated

MSN Search Toolbar with Windows Desktop Search - updated to version 2.05.0000.1082.