14 DAY TRIAL // A new Cloud application from Microsoft is now available for end users around the world that want to witness the devastation produced by the recent earthquakes in Haiti. Haiti Earthquake is an app built on top of the Bing Maps platform, allowing users to compare imagery before the January 12 temblor, and after the shaking that hit the Caribbean nation on the island of Hispaniola in the Atlantic. Of course, images of the initial 7.0 magnitude earthquake and the more recent 6.1 aftershock have been bombarding people around the world through various traditional news channels, but also via online outlets, but Bing Maps Haiti Earthquake delivers a new perspective over the damage suffered by the country’s capital.
“The Haitian Earthquakes have captured the eyes of the world. As part of the effort, Bing Maps is doing what we can to help the world see the changes over time around Haiti by unveiling the Haiti Earthquake application in the application gallery. The concept of the application allows users to view the aerial imagery before and after the earthquake,” revealed Chris Pendleton, the Bing Maps technical evangelist for Microsoft.
Of course, Microsoft is doing much more than providing the Haiti Earthquake app on Bing Maps. The Redmond company is also using online properties such as Bing and MSN to help users donate money for the relief efforts. In mid-January 2010, Microsoft pledged no less than $1.25 million for Haiti relief efforts, and will donate over $400,000 more matching the donations of its employees dollar for dollar.
“The application allows you to select to view imagery before the earthquake or after the quake (dated January 15, 2010). Also included in the application is a link to our Twitter Maps application focused on Haiti using the Geolocation API from Twitter which allows you to view Tweets coming from people in Haiti,” Pendleton added.