Microsoft integrates Photosynth with Virtual Earth
Posted by Jacque on May 7th, 2009
I was pretty intrigued by Photosynth when it was first introduced to the public in Auguast, 2008, but I admit to being a fan of Google Earth over Microsoft’s Virtual Earth.
There’s always room for an interesting new twist, however, and today Microsoft announced the integration of Photosynth with Virtual Earth. The foks at TechCrunch are lauding the step.
By using Microsoft’s Silverlight technology it is possible for users to port their Photosynths to Virtual Earth, running on both Macs and PCs. The company suggests the combo is a must for tourism agencies as well as businesses who want to add a “cool visual layer” to their stores, outlets and offices. The example they provide (one image below) is of a house for sale.
The latest release of Photosynth introduces commercial licensing, privacy controls, and one-click highlighting for viewers to easily explore synths. TechCrunch points out that getting users to install and use both Virtual Earth and Silverlight will be a challenge. So far they have eluded the mainstream.
