14 DAY TRIAL // Bing Maps, formerly Live Search Maps/Virtual Earth, is not limited at just a mapping, search and location service, it is also offering companies a Cloud platform designed to put their applications in a geographic perspective. One such example is Save Our Sounds, an initiative designed to invite users of Bing Maps to create an interactive global map put together from recordings of sounds from around the world. But there's more. No less than 11 applications are now live on Bing Maps.
Chris Pendleton, Virtual Earth Technical Evangelist for Microsoft, enumerated the apps: “Cannes 2009 Map - Use this map to explore 2009's Cannes Film Festival in video, audio, pictures and text. Updates will appear on this map throughout the festival, which began on 13 May. G20 Summit Map - Use this map to explore 2009's London G20 summit in video, audio, pictures and text. Olympic and Paralympic Heroes Parade - BBC Sport's interactive map of the Heroes Parade for Olympians and Paralympians, taking place in London on Thursday, 16 October 2008.”
Bing Maps users will also be able to access an interactive map of Wimbledon 2009. The journey is designed to start at Centre Court, but users are invited to explore the surroundings and enjoy additional content offered by reporters. There's also an overview of Berkshire Floods, opening the area to exploration. Not really that keen on running in the London Marathon 2009? Well, participation can still be achieved via a Bing Map app, which will keep a close eye on the 26.2-mile course.
“British and Irish Lions - 2009 tour of South Africa - Use this map to explore the 2009 Lions tour of South Africa in video, audio, pictures and text,” Pendleton added. “Irish Language Map – Turn on layers of Irish decent including family name, features, Flickr photos, map photos, events and place names. England Council Elections 2009 - Use this map to follow BBC coverage of the run up to June's English council elections. India Election Train - Use this map to follow the reports of BBC correspondents as they travelled by train around India to cover the country's elections.”