Submitted by: kirkland on Monday November 06th, 2006 at 08:02 PM EST

Websites like Google Earth have given us a bird's eye view of the world. Until now, that world was flat.

But that's about to change, CBS News correspondent Anthony Mason reports.

"The real power of this application is when you actually turn to see the angle of the buildings," Microsoft's Alex Daley says.

Daley gave CBS News an exclusive first look at "Virtual Earth 3-D," Microsoft's new mapping service that goes online Monday night. From the "Live.com" website, you'll be able to swoop down into Las Vegas, fly up the strip, and soar over the Hoover Dam.

It's different from Google Earth, Daley says, because "this is a singularly unique experience. Virtual Earth is really about creating a fully 3-D realistic model of the world."

Initially, 15 major American cities have been mapped in 3-D, but within five years, Microsoft plans to map around 5,000 around the world.

» Full story @ CBS News