Microsoft's 'Street Slide' Brings Panoramic View to Virtual Maps

Microsoft researchers may be looking for a way to best Google Street View, and, we admit, its Street Slide project comes close. Google and Bing utilize what are known as "bubbles," discrete units of perspective that allow you to virtually explore a 360-degree view for a given chunk of space. But, as most seasoned Street View users know, you must click through each "bubble" to advance your perspective in one way or another.

Microsoft's Street Slide combines panoramic views of streets with the 360-degree capabilities of Street View, allowing you to see whole (and even multiple) city blocks at a time. The downside is that you get a very thin panoramic slice when you zoom out too far, for which the researchers have tried to compensate by adding business logos, street numbers and directional information. A pretty interesting development to be sure, but, unless you're a Thomas Pynchon fan or an astronomer, all the talk of parallaxes may put you to sleep. We suggest that non-nerds only listen to the snooze-worthy narration if you're interested in "efficient browsing of building façades." Check out the demo of the project, which is still in the early development phase, after the break. [From: Microsoft]

Tags: GoogleMaps, GoogleStreetView, maps, microsoft, microsoft streetslide, MicrosoftStreetslide, panorama, StreetSlide, StreetView, top