First, as you can probably tell from the banner, today is a special day.  It’s Rid’s birthday.  (For those of you that are oblivious or new to the site, he’s the co-owner and sometimes makes a post here and there.  You’d know him from “Rid’s Reviews.”)  So make sure you wish him a happy birthday or else .

Alrighty, onto todays topic.  I’m sure we’ve all played around with Google Earth, right?  It’s probably the most famous satellite-imaging online map system on the internet.  This doesn’t necessarily mean its the best, however…

Just a few weeks ago I read about Microsoft Virtual Earth.  It’s basically the same as Google Earth - you got your map view, your satelite view, you can zoom in and out, you can pan left and right, you can rotate the screen, etc, etc…  There is one really nifty difference though.  In Virtual Earth, you can get a nice 360 degree 3D view of your house, the Empire State Building, whatever by using their “BIrds Eye View.”  It’s better than viewing a flat 2D image of everything from Google Earth.  It’s definitely really cool.

I can’t believe I haven’t heard more about this.  It seems like it’s better than Google Earth and Google Maps, and since it’s from Microsoft, I’d figure they can get the word out easily.  Either way, I’m glad I found it.  I like just going around and looking at places I’ve been when I was younger and such.  It’s real entertaining.  Remember, there’s no need to download anything, it’s a free online application.

Who here has used this before?  What do ya think?

If you liked this post, don't miss out on other good ones in the future, bookmark our RSS Feed. Also, if you're feeling kind, Digg this post or give it a thumbs up with the StumbleUpon toolbar or by using the buttons below. I appreciate any help you guys give out!