Good news for all Bing Maps developers with windows update 979202 solving a major performance issue.

CPU usage is high when you use the Deep Zoom feature in Silverlight 3. This problem occurs when the Deep Zoom feature cannot load or decode a tile. The problem persists even if you minimize the Web browser in which the Silverlight 3 application is running.

This would occur if you had either :

1. a custom tile layer that would return 404 errors when tiles were requested (typical for a simple file system on edge tiles that don’t exist but are still requested by the control) or
2. if you disabled the coverage map of the base layers and zoomed into the non-covered area.

Additionally my tests prove that an additional problem with animations causing the MSI control to redraw have also been solved.

This is great news and allows us to do some clever things with dynamic tile layers and animated icons on the map without major performance hits. I hope to share some of these with you in coming posts.

Think you’re savvy enough to navigate Bing Maps faster than anyone else? Answer 4 questions and you’ll be in the running to win a $100 gift card courtesy of the Bing Maps team. Take the Bing Maps Challenge now.

CP – Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPendleton

National Geographic has been hard at work getting their atlas of maps into your grubby little hands. And as such, they’ve released their newest mobile application for iPhone – World Atlas (iTunes link). The application allows you to view 7 different levels of cartography, 3 maps styles and the ability to find locations around the world with nearly 7 million place listings. And, of course, the Bing Maps Platform has been integrated right into their application as a mapping option.

Here’s a quick run down of the features I snagged from their site:

• High resolution National Geographic cartography, the same used to print our award-winning wall maps and bound atlases!
• Preloaded with 3 different styles of world maps, down to country detail. Additional detailed zoom levels and Microsoft Bing maps require internet connection to view. Map Library feature allows you to download and save National Geographic maps for faster access and offline use.
• Easy-to-use and fast place name search tool, with over 6 million database entries (major cities index is preloaded; full search requires internet or cell connection).
• World Flags and Facts database, expertly edited and up-to-date with concise socio-economic and geographic data.
• Push pin tool enables you to mark, annotate, and save your favorite places. Push pins come in a variety of colors and can tap into your iPhoto library or camera.
• GPS enabled iPhones can center the maps to show your current location.

For more information, read the full announcement on their web site.

CP – Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPendleton

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.

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.

My heart goes out to those who have been affected by this travesty.

Other Microsoft efforts in Haiti:

Microsoft Community Involvement

Microsoft is making an initial commitment of $1.25 million, which includes cash and in-kind contributions. In addition, Microsoft is matching U.S. employee donations (up to $12K). Already, 2,200 employees have contributed over $410K to 120 nonprofits working in Haiti.

Photosynth

You can view a photosynth of the video footage of the earthquake damage in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Courtesy of NBC.

Microsoft on the Issues Blog

CP – Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPendleton

We’re ripping the Beta tag off the Bing Maps Silverlight site and going full board with continuing innovation on Bing. Removing the beta tag has so many implications as a Microsoft asset in terms of what you can expect moving forward…reliability, supportability, and continued innovation and investment to name a few. The removal of the beta tag was done in parallel with a couple of new features and Bing Maps Application Gallery mash-ins.

First off, if you go to the Bing Maps AJAX site and have Silverlight installed chances are you will be redirected to the Bing Maps Silverlight site (note this change only affects users in the US). We're rolling this out with a small percentage of users increasing up to 100% of all users in a few weeks. If you don’t have Silverlight installed you can hit the AJAX site and will be prompted to install Silverlight (which you can opt out of, but WHY would you??). Well, to make the AJAX site a bit smoother we’ve introduced some new transitions in the tile loading process for panning and zooming. So you can have your Silverlight and AJAX too. If you don’t want to stay on the Silverlight site, you can opt out and return to the AJAX site (aka Bing Maps Classic) via the link on the Silverlight site.

Also, two new applications have been added to the Bing Maps Application Gallery (Silverlight only) each of which I’ve written specific blogs on to explain each of the applications in detail:

• Destination Maps – Vector based route geometries on new map backgrounds
• Local Events – Find something to do any day of the week

These apps are only the beginning. You see it coming? A massive wave is upon you. Get ready.

Oh, and you can now access my blog from Bing Maps. Hey, that’s a big deal to me! :)

CP – Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPendleton

Need to give people directions to your house, business or party (yeah, baby!). Use the Destination Maps application just specify a place (such as Club XS in Las Vegas); set the area of interest by dragging the sides of the on-map square to include all the areas people are coming from; then give the map a title. You can select multiple map styles such as Sketchy, European, American or Treasure (a la pirate! – featured). Very reminiscent of the Line Drive maps from my Vicinity days...only way fricking cooler!

CP – Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPendleton

No plans this Friday? Make some. Bing Maps newest application Local Events allows you to search for what’s happening around where you plan to be. Or, even better, where you may not plan to be but will end up! Load the Local Events application and navigate to your favorite destination to see events pinned to the map. If you’re looking for a specific type of application such as music or dancing you can filter the results on the map be changing the category in the navigation pane. 

And, next to location what’s the most critical element of events? When! You can further filter your search results by specifying when you’re looking to have some fun. You can specify today, tomorrow, this weekend, this week, next week or specific dates. If you dig arts and crafts on Wednesday nights between January 13 and March 3, we’ve got your search query for you.

Plus, use the cool pin feature to pin the event to the map. Then, you can view just “your pins” at any given time. Also, get directions, share the event information or save the event to Your Places easily with built in features to do so. Go find something to do!

CP – Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPendleton

The Bing Maps imagery release for January 2010 release is SO BIG we had to break it into two parts – not kidding! The January 2010 Part 1 release is 558,000 square kilometers of imagery consisting of:

• Germany’s Ruhrgebeit
• Belgium
• Luxembourg
• Vancouver – Sea to Sky Hwy to Squamish and beyond
• Additional imagery scattered throughout Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Latvia and Turkey.

As always for the best experience, view the imagery using the Bing Maps World Tour.

CP – Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPendleton

Need to do a little grocery shopping? Chances are you’ll be shopping at a Kroger and not even know it. The grocery retail chain behind such huge brands as Ralphs, Food 4 Less and Fred Meyer (to name a few) is now officially moved their store locator over to the Bing Maps Platform.

The new locator application from the Kroger.com home page allows you to enter a postal code or city/state combo, then select additional search filters such as Fuel Center, Pharmacy and Marketplace; then, specify the search radius to find the nearest store. The site also features an Advanced Search so you can put in a full address and add additional filters for other services available within the respective stores including Bank, One Hour Photo, 24-hour Pharmacy, Gas Station, Organics and Pharmacy Services. At the end of your search result, you get a list of stores and a Bing Map with branded pushpin icons on the map containing contact information, services available and driving directions.

I need coffee creamer. I better stop on the way home.

CP – Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPendleton

For those of you wanting to see the devastation in Haiti resulting from the recent Earthquake, Bing Maps has published the new imagery online. Visit the Bing Maps web site to view the imagery first hand. The imagery Is 50 cm color imagery taken from Digital Globe’s new Worldview 2 satellite.  While the imagery is current, there was a cloud over part of Port au Prince which obscures some of the downtown area.  Digital Globe will be acquiring more imagery daily and as soon as we have a cloudless image we will publish again.

(Non-Silverlight link).

Other related links from Microsoft:  

• Also, check out the MSR HD-View on MSNBC.
• Photosynth of Port au Prince.
• Microsoft’s Response to the Haitian Earthquake.

CP – Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPendleton