Both maps are centred on J30 M1 motorway, Barlborough. This is the thinking persons centre of the UK. A few miles south of J30, to the west of the M1 motorway is the official centre of the UK. It's a council estate in the middle of nowhere, well, in the middle of the UK now, called Poolsbrook. Known locally as Spike, if the Earth ever needed an enema, this is where the tube would be inserted.	2D & 3D Satellite Imaging Road mapping combined with aerial photography is being developed by both Google and Microsoft. Both have gone one step further with 3D Imaging software... Google Earth and Microsoft's Virtual Earth 3D. Thanks to Google being a major player the software downloads and installs are free, a fact that must make Bill Gates stomach turn. 2D Mapping, on the other hand, is available to anyone with an internet connection and a browser. Both companies are now mapping and updating their UK data. The best system for you is the one with the most upto date data for the area you're interested in. For that reason both systems are accessible from this page. Both systems use the same types of map views, albeit labeled differently (compare right). However, Microsoft have the edge with their 'Bird's Eye' view. If your area of interest has been upgraded you'll be able to view properties 360° and it's impressive. For an example go to... SPYintheSKY.co.uk         Best Data... As well as Google and Microsoft, there are several other companies that are developing 2D mapping services , including Yahoo!, Ask, OpenLayers and NASA. The first two seem to be streets ahead of the rest and Yahoo! can't decide between Paris, France and Paris Hilton. If you've Flash 8 or above installed on your PC then this cool site from Paul Neave lets you switch between the mapping data of the above companies... check it out!