Microsoft Chairman BillGates announced MSN Virtual Earth, Microsoft's Satellite/Geo Mapping & Local Search service, on 3D conference in California. It lets the user to zoom in on a local area and get information about the restaurants, cafes, hotels, dry cleaners, coffee shops & so on. The first release of it will be available in the summer, sometime between June & September.

Google, Yahoo & other search engine giants have this Local Search service running already.


Features include :

· Imagery -- satellite maps and a unique 45-degree-angle view of buildings and neighborhoods, Eagle Eye view.

· Hybrid Maps -- street maps overlaid over satellite maps

· Full-bleed Map Views – a nearly full screen map that users interact with

"High-fidelity images captured by a fleet of small planes will be added to the service in the fall", said Stephen Lawler, General Manager Microsoft's MapPoint business.

The aerial images are provided by Pictometry, the worldwide leader in Digital Aerial Photography.

MSN coming late but with Latest.