A GEarth challenger from Iran

Apparently, Iranian officials have decided to build a service to counter the success of Google Earth, which is described as a website that “was designed and built by the global arrogance for espionage purposes and to gather information from other countries” (Brigadier-General Mohammad Hasan Nami quoted in a Mehr news agency report). The new website called “Basir” (the one seeing) will be globally accessible and – in the Brigadier-General’s imagination – “can prevent certain websites such as the ‘Google Earth’ from gathering information about other countries” (no information as to how that should work, other than substantially undermining GEarth’s user base).

There’s not much about specs, yet one announced feature is kinda unique, as far as I know: users of Muslim belief will be able to easily determine the direction in which to pray at any point on earth.

I can’t find the site online. Would be interesting to give it a spin, once it goes live. Though I’m not exactly holding my breath – nor is El Goog, I imagine.

(via got geoint?)

Addendum: The Tehran Times has an article. But it quickly mingles the Basir topic with Iranian and American geopolitics in the Persian Gulf.