Microsoft has updated Virtual Earth and now calls it Windows Live Local. It’s just one more online mapping site until you look at the Bird’s Eye Images. Wow! I can count the skylights here at Casa NewMexiKen.
Here’s an example — Albuquerque’s Sandia Casino (with hotel that has just now opened shown still under construction). You can zoom in.
The software is beta and seems more difficult to navigate than some, but the Bird’s Eye Images (taken from aircraft, not satellite) are amazing.
The places with these images is limited. The site lists these metropolitan areas so far:
New York City, NY
San Francisco, CA
Boston, MA
Los Angeles, CA
Washington, DC
Seattle, WA
Philadelphia, PA
Las Vegas, NV
Atlanta, GA
Albuquerque, NM
Indianapolis, IN
Lexington, KY
Update: When viewing the aerial photos, be sure to click on the direction arrows on the compass to see the same object from every direction. Awesome!