Google Maps and Virtual Earth, Mashed and Flashed

Flash Earth ( http://www.flashearth.com ) takes information from Google Maps and MSN's Virtual Earth, and mooshes them together in one flash- based interface.

You start out with a map of the Earth. You can drag the map around and there's an enormous slider available to zoom in. As you zoom in the picture is replaced with a picture from Google Maps (a set of radio buttons on the left also lets you choose Virtual Earth or Virtual Earth with labels pictures.)

As you move and zoom in, the pictures refresh and update. In the lower right corner longitude and latitude is updated as you move the map around. I found that after I zoomed in a certain amount, it took longer and longer for the pictures to refresh.

I find this an interesting application. Unfortunately, after I'm zoomed in a certain amount it's too easy to get lost. How about a guide in the lower left corner that has a miniature of the area you're looking at, only zoomed out about 50 percent? It'd help me keep up as I move the map around.

Posted to Internet-Tools-Mapping | TrackBack