Windows Live Local is a web map server similar to Google Maps, Google Earth, Mapquest, or Yahoo! Maps. It is a part of Microsoft's Windows Live online applications services suite. Upon its release in December 2005, Live Local assumed the client side functionality of the former MSN Virtual Earth platform.

Features

The new features in its initial release included a Pictometry "Birds Eye" view of several major US and UK cities and integrated route calculation. The new features in its May 2006 release include a revised UI, user points of interest that can be stored and shared, and tracking of traffic in several major cities.

Coverage

Windows Live Local contains highly detailed street-level data for all cities, towns, and villages in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Japan, and Australia. There is also basic aerial photography coverage for all those areas.

There is also detailed map data available for many global cities in developing countries like Rio de Janeiro. However, for such cities, the detail of the map decreases significantly as one moves outward from the city center.

History

Windows Live Local is based on existing Microsoft technologies such as Microsoft MapPoint and TerraServer.

Compatibility

Windows Live Local has been tested on Internet Explorer 5, 6 & 7, Mozilla Firefox 1.5x for Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows. It has also been unofficially tested on Netscape and Konqueror, but does not run on Safari.

See also

• NASA World Wind
• Google Earth
• Google Maps
• TerraServer-USA
• Microsoft MapPoint
• Mobile GMaps

External links

• Windows Live Local
• ViaVirtualEarth resource for Live Local developers
• Official Virtual Earth Blog
• Flash Earth compares satellite images of Virtual Earth and Google Maps
• /veWorldWind Virtual Earth imagery in NASA World Wind
• Virtual Earth: MSN's answer to Google Maps
• Google Maps and Virtual Earth Comparison
• GeoURL.org Mashup using MSN Virtual Earth
• Address & Statistics Information using Virtual Earth
• Virtual Earth News and Articles
• Virtual Earth Developer's Blog
• Book from O'Reilly that covers Virtual Earth programming
• UK Secret Bases - revealed using Live Local and many other online tools

Cartography | Windows Live

MSN Virtual Earth | Windows Live Local | Windows Live Local | வின்டோஸ் லைவ் லோக்கல் (Windows Live Local) | Windows Live Local