Microsoft updates Live Search maps, announces Live Search 411

Filed under: Internet, Web services, Microsoft

Microsoft updates Live Search maps, announces Live Search 411

by Brad Linder Oct 15th 2007

The other day Goog 411 graduated from Google Labs. So while Gmail is still in beta, the much younger service that lets you get phone numbers and directions on your phone is 100% officially launched. So what does Microsoft do? They announce Live Search 411.

Right now if you dial 1-800-CALL-411 you get a "coming soon" message. But if history teaches us anything, when Live Search 411 launches it will work almost exactly the same way as Goog 411.

Microsoft is also announcing/confirming a small boatload (perhaps a kayak or a canoe) of new features for the desktop versions of Live Search:

Improved driving directions with dynamic rerouting based on traffic, and landmark clues to let you know if you've gone too far
Improved 3D imagery coverage. Now Live Search Maps has bird's-eye 3D imagery for 80 percent of the US.
User generated content is incorporated into Live Search local results
Virtual Earth updates including multipoint trip routing, enhanced geocoding, and map control support for Safari 2.0
An updated version of Live Search for Windows Mobile 5.0/6 will be available today with support for voice input and GPS
Live Search for Blackberry beta

Honestly, at this point we have no idea whether we prefer Microsoft or Google's mapping service. Maybe we'll just start using Mapquest again. No, we probably won't.

Tags: goog-411, google-maps, live-search, live-search-411, live-search-maps, mapquest, maps

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

The Donkey said 11:34PM on 10-15-2007

I think Microsoft is quite amazing. How many companies can make a living off of imitations and yet still charge premium prices? We will certainly not go back to Mapquest!

michael said 5:55PM on 1-06-2008

What imitation?

Live Maps and Google Maps look/do completely different. The new update kind of gives Live a more cleaner feel, and it's widely known that Live Maps use a better high-res camera via helicopter and satellite. Take a look : http://www.liveside.net/blogs/main/archive/2007/12/31/a-look-at-the-live-maps-high-res-cameras.aspx

And what 'premium price' are you claiming about Live Maps? All Windows Live services are free. So what do you mean?

There are aspects that I love about Google Maps, and there are aspects that I love about Live Maps. But don't be an idiot, and make false claims about something you never used.

Mysterius said 8:04AM on 10-16-2007

I'm in awe of how much money Microsoft must be throwing behind its Live brand. And people fear Google...

JP said 8:07AM on 10-16-2007

Was 1800-LIVE-411 taken or something?

Also I have to say that I find the Live 3D thing pretty useless. It's a toy basically. Google Street view is actually useful.

michael said 8:58PM on 10-16-2007

I love the new Live Maps! A much more better reason for me to switch from Google Maps!

The Virtual Earth team put up a new post on their blog: http://virtualearth.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!2BBC66E99FDCDB98!9276.entry

All the new features, and how it's getting to be much more better than Google Maps.

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