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Microsoft Unwraps Ambitious 3-D Mapping Service

In response to growing competition between the major players in the internet arena, Microsoft has announced the launching of a new feature for its Live Search mapping service. The Virtual Earth 3-D service allows users to gain a 3-dimensional perspective of 15 major cities in the Untied States. In an ambitious statement, Microsoft says that it aims to add 5,000 more cities to its list within five years. At present, users can see 3-D images of: San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Detroit, Phoenix, Houston, Baltimore, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas and Fort Worth.

Up until now, the leading site in the internet mapping industry was undoubtedly Google Earth. Using this program, approximately a third of the earth?s entire population was able to see their homes, neighborhoods and cities from a bird?s eye view. 3-dimensional viewing, however, takes internet mapping up a notch. Photographic images of the cities allow users to explore the locations online in a way that almost totally realistic. Photographers have spent months shooting pictures of these cities from every angle and the results are truly amazing.

Over and beyond the novelty of viewing a city from all angles online, users can make use of Virtual Earth 3-D in other ways. Microsoft has linked this program to its Live Local service, thus enabling users to literally ?walk? into a store in one of the 15 cities and do online shopping. With this new type of technology, the sky is definitely the limit!