Microsoft Business Manager Toni Pelg explained the new functionality in the Windows Live blog.

Users can now view the maps in 3D mode. The link to this view is found in the upper left menu in Map View.  Alongside aerial and bird’s eye views, streets and labels are also available here in either 2D or 3D versions.  Before being able to use 3D Mode, one needs to have installed Microsoft’s online globe program Virtual 3D (only available for Windows).  If not preinstalled, one is prompted to do so at the first attempt to view in 3D mode.  Once installed, the user is able to navigate through the virtual landscape per mouse-click. Particularly impressive is that the current weather conditions are displayed in the virtual landscape, though approximately 15 minutes behind the actual conditions, said Pelg.

Further, aerial view now offer two additional zoom levels.  For locations where bird’s eye views are already available, once the maximum zoom level is reached, the angled aerial views are loaded to add detail.

However Microsoft hasn’t merely pepped up the map views, but has also redesigned the navigation setup of its local search service.  For example, the Route Planner is now also available at the start via the search entry page, and users who want to switch to other Country/Language editions (previously somewhat clumsy) can simply change this on the right side of the header.  New too, is the so-called MSN Search Agent.  This appears after a local search, below the search results.  Pelg said that this new feature provides an overall view of information at the location, such as maps, links, images, news and weather.