LDS Tech

David June 19th, 2008

This week the LDS Church has launched a beta for the new meeting house locator at http://beta.maps.lds.org.    The current site at http://www.lds.org/basicbeliefs/meetinghouse has been adequate, but the new site utilizes both Microsoft and Google mapping technologies to provide the kind of mapping experience that most of us have come to expect from online maps.  Here are a few features that really seemed to stand out, beyond the expected address lookup, mapping, and directions:

• Ability to switch between Google and Microsoft maps.  Some locations are more current with one map versus the other.
• Ability to switch to Microsoft 3D view of the current location if Virtual Earth 3D is installed (also in beta)
• Even if you don’t know the address or your address isn’t found, you can use your mouse to place a marker on the map to identify your location.
• Not only will the application return the closest meeting locations, congregations and times, but it will provide a local contact name and number if you have questions.

I noticed a few bugs switching between maps, particularly when my connection was running slow, but for a beta launch it looks very promising!

• General Technology , Internet Content , News