Recently, Microsoft unveiled the WorldWide Telescope, a product from Microsoft Research. This is not any ordinary tool, because it’s a tool that web enables exploration of galaxies, constellations and planets! To do this, the project makes use of the image repositories from Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and others.

This would seem similar to Google Sky, an extension to Google Earth that maps the sky. The requirements for the tool are pretty hefty though:-

• Microsoft® XP SP2 (minimum), Windows® Vista® (recommended)
• PC with Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 2 gigahertz (GHz) or faster, recommended
• 1 gigabyte (GB) of RAM; 2 GB RAM recommended
• 3D accelerated card with 128 megabytes (MB) RAM; discrete graphics card with dedicated 256-MB VRAM recommended for higher performance
• 1 GB of available hard disk space; 10 GB recommended for off-line features and higher performance browsing
• XGA (1024 x 768) or higher resolution monitor
• Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing and scrolling device
• Microsoft® DirectX® version 9.0c and .NET Framework 2.0
• Required for some features; Internet connection at 56 Kbps or higher through either an Internet service provider (ISP) or a network. Internet access might require a separate fee to an ISP; local or long-distance telephone charges might also apply

WorldWide Telescope does seem to have a more hefty minimum requirements list compared to Google Sky.

Microsoft seems to be keeping up with Google in the map space. Microsoft does enjoy a greater presence on mobile devices than Google. An advantage they will be looking best to utilize before Google’s Android initiative begins to gain traction. As an aside, a classroom assignment at MIT gave hints as to the potential of open standards for development mobile applications. The students were asked to develop applications on Android and the results included programs to set location specific reminders (such as to buy milk when in vicinity of a market), a location centric social networking application and selective barring of calls based on location.

Microsoft would be keeping a close watch on these developments and will be seeking to remain on top of the developments in the mapping technologies and perhaps in the future mesh all of these together on mobiles.