Live Maps Go on a Safari
News Brief. Not so fast, Google Maps. Microsoft wants a slice of that Apple, too. |
Windows Live Maps service now supports Safari, which also means iPhone. I can't say if this is new, but a yesterday post over at Microsoft's Live Earth / Live Maps Weblog surely suggests so.
Before today, I hadn't even considered doing Live Maps on iPhone. Why, when the Google Maps experience is just so damn good—and there are location services without GPS. Terrestrial is as good for getting around as satellite, and there's no extra battery drain.
Sure enough, it works. This morning, I went Live Mapping on my iPhone. Experience is surprisingly rich, but there are missing features.
"Until the new iPhone firmware release in June, you won't be able to pan or zoom the map directly on the map surface, but the onscreen navigation controls work fine in that regard," the blog post says. "Note that this is an untested configuration and there are bound to be bugs, but if you have an iPhone give it a try."
The iPhone may compete with zillions of Windows Mobile devices, but the Live guys are right to support Apple's mobile. Why should MacBU be the only Microsoft division pulling in gobs of cash from the Mac?
