Microsoft's superlative digital camera
Microsoft is going on the offensive with its world map software Virtual Earth. As early as the end of June 2007, 100 major cities will be available to marvel at in a photorealistic 3D mode. The company is relying on a digital 216-megapixel aerial camera.
Microsoft is going on the offensive with its world map software Virtual Earth. As early as the end of June 2007, 100 major cities will be available to marvel at in a photorealistic 3D mode. The company is relying on a digital 216-megapixel aerial camera.
According to Pressetext.at, this marvel of technology was developed by the Austrian technology company Vexcel. The company, which was acquired by Microsoft, is also responsible for the 3D algorithms that enable the cost-effective 3D realization of entire cities. As Virtual Earth told Pressetext, this is a quantum leap in computer applications. Users had first searched for information via portals such as Yahoo and then via text-based search engines, but now the multimedia networking opens up completely new possibilities.
Like Google, Microsoft also has a virtual world city map in mind, which will include information on public buildings, shopping facilities, restaurants, cinemas and other data. Real-time information such as weather and traffic conditions will also be available in the virtual world. Microsoft plans to integrate around 3,000 high-resolution 3D cities into the Virtual Earth map material over the next five years. In addition to the project's place of origin, Graz in Austria, the first cities to be included will mostly be US cities. However, a number of European cities are to follow as early as 2008.
According to Pressetext.at, this marvel of technology was developed by the Austrian technology company Vexcel. The company, which was acquired by Microsoft, is also responsible for the 3D algorithms that enable the cost-effective 3D realization of entire cities. As Virtual Earth told Pressetext, this is a quantum leap in computer applications. Users had first searched for information via portals such as Yahoo and then via text-based search engines, but now the multimedia networking opens up completely new possibilities.
Like Google, Microsoft also has a virtual world city map in mind, which will include information on public buildings, shopping facilities, restaurants, cinemas and other data. Real-time information such as weather and traffic conditions will also be available in the virtual world. Microsoft plans to integrate around 3,000 high-resolution 3D cities into the Virtual Earth map material over the next five years. In addition to the project's place of origin, Graz in Austria, the first cities to be included will mostly be US cities. However, a number of European cities are to follow as early as 2008.
