Where oh where is Microsoft Redmond?

As much as I would like to visit Microsoft Home & Center for Information Worker, the nearest I will get to Redmond is perhaps virtually online. And its not even going into the showcase, but I am just going to find out where IS Redmond.

Lets fire up my Microsoft Live Maps.

Type in my search criteria.

Here I am, lets zoom in, and look, each building is neatly labelled. I wonder which building Bill Gates used to be in.

I am now going to fire up the 3D view, and tilt the map while zooming in. Look there is a huge paying field, parade square of some sort.

To find out what it really is, I am going to use the Bird's eye feature. The Bird's eye feature uses Microsoft's Photosync technology to map camera taken pictures geographically on to the map. This allows you to search a database of picture that are related by location.

So now I have a few choices to learn about a certain location.

1. Locate it on the map, look at it from the satellite

2. Check out the shape and size of the buildings, using 3D models

3. Get a clear view of the location, not from satellites, but from anyone who have taken a picture in the vicinity.

And look, you can even tell that the traffic is smooth around Redmond! (hint, look at the green coloured overlay on the road)