Live Local Goes 3D

Virtual Earth 3D, an update to Microsoft’s Web-based mapping platform, has enabled the company to add photorealistic 3D images of cities and landscapes to its free Live Local mapping site. To earn money from the new feature, Microsoft will offer advertising, such as floating billboards, within these virtual environments. However, the 3D maps require significant computing resources and currently work only with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) browser.

Integrated into Free Web Site

Virtual Earth is the brand name for the back-end platform that powers Microsoft’s Live Local mapping site. Launched in Nov. 2006, Virtual Earth 3D incorporates data from a variety of sources, including photographic images gained in Microsoft’s May 2006 acquisition of Vexcel. The 3D user experience on Live Local is similar to that offered by Google Earth, which has been in beta since June 2005—users can adjust their height and viewing direction and “fly” through virtual landscapes with the mouse or simple keyboard commands, although Virtual Earth 3D offers significantly more detail, particularly better building exteriors.