Online map - Microsoft's

Microsoft is aggressively building a system using sensors to develop online maps full of accurate information and quickly updated right in the search time.

These map pages will be updated every minute on issues such as gasoline prices, current road traffic, even waiting times in each restaurant .

Microsoft's SenseWeb site has a very different way of distributing information. It allows users to search for information at many times within the searched area. Specifically, if you want to search the addresses of restaurants in your area, they will mark the area on the online map. Immediately, SenseWeb will synthesize all information about restaurants in that area and present in many different forms, including waiting time of each restaurant, average waiting time, maximum waiting time. and minimum. From there, searchers can choose the restaurant that best suits their needs.

Surf the online map, users can also know all the activities taking place in their place, decide which way to drive easily to avoid traffic jams, easily find parking or check the situation Traffic is going on the road.

Updates on the map are provided directly from people or automatic sensors. Specifically, SenseWeb includes 3 parts: sensors (information collection devices, can be thermometers, light sensors, camera recording or computers at restaurants), data arrangement system Microsoft's listing and online maps allow users to access information data. When someone wants to check the traffic situation on some expressway, SenseWeb's database will immediately connect to the camera on that highway and show the image on the map.

According to Microsoft, anyone can participate in providing information to SenseWeb. They just need to push their information on the Internet and provide that information to Microsoft, stating their type of information to use, the meridian, latitude and type of information provided (gasoline, heat degree etc .)

However, SenseWeb faces a big challenge, which is how to create all kinds of obtained information into a stable and complete database for analysis and classification. In addition, promotion is required to attract a large number of people who sign up for this free service. Currently, there are many gas stations or restaurants that do not know SenseWeb, or even do not know how to bring their information to customers.

Microsoft said that in the next few months, the project team will spread SenseWeb to universities and contact parking management companies to gather information to help users find parking easily. than. Suman Nath engineer of SenseWeb project said Microsoft also intends to integrate them with Windows Live Local (formerly known as Microsoft Virtual Earth), an online mapping platform of Microsoft.

Uyen Minh