Images: Microsoft maps in 3D

Microsoft released a virtual 3D-mapping feature on its Live Search Maps site on Tuesday. Microsoft Virtual Earth gives people photo-realistic 3D bird's-eye views of New York (downtown shown here) and several other cities.

Unlike Google Earth's 3D world, Microsoft's virtual world can be seen via Microsoft's Internet Explorer and in Firefox, once an add-on has been downloaded. Google Earth's 3D-mapping features are not compatible with Web browsers but rather with the application download.