Microsoft announced the third release of Windows Live Local, the company’s online local search and mapping service, adding real-time traffic flow and incident reporting, new social networking tools that enable users to save and share their favorite local experiences, and productivity enhancements from extending the Windows Live Local experience into Microsoft Office Outlook and Windows Live Messenger. The service is also expanding its beta release to the U.K. and a limited version to Canada.
Standard aerial imagery for the U.K. has been licensed from Getmapping plc. Microsoft is also working with the Blom Group to provide the unique bird’s-eye-view photos that will cover roughly 235 square miles of London in the coming weeks and will expand over time.
Bird’s-eye-view imagery in the U.S. is provided by Pictometry International Corp. for 30 percent of the U.S. areas that are mapped.
In Canada, bird’s-eye-view imagery will not be available in the initial release but will be introduced as the beta is built out and improved over the next several months.
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