Google today announced a new feature in Google Maps that brings the interactive 3D view of Earth directly to your browser. It requires the Google Earth plugin, but once you have that, you can use pretty much any browser you like. If you have Google Chrome, you’re already set.

You can view the new map view by clicking on the “Earth” button at the top of a map. You will be flown directly into a Google Earth view where you are able to zoom and pan around with your mouse, or on-screen controls.

Still, Bing Maps is far better than Google Maps as they already have Photosynth (3D view), Awesome Flickr integration. Bing also presents its Flickr add-ons well, layering them neatly into the scene to provide what's obviously a different perspective, as in the shot above. Bing's imagery pops a bit more than Google's, which may make a difference in the long run. But Google appears to have far many more locations imaged with its own Street View technology.

Bing also announced that it will eventually offer Worldwide Telescope integration. "Once launched, you will be able to walk outside in Streetside mode, look up, and see what's above - way above - right now where you're standing," the Bing Maps team wrote in a blog post written in conjunction with the TED showcase. "Constellations come to life as you pan - you can even set the time of day so you can see what you'll see at 9pm - great for exploring with your daughter to get her ready for what she'll see when the sun goes down."

Bing already includes layers allowing users to see nearby geotagged tweets, and plans to add live Webcam feeds as well. (Bing already allows users to see live traffic camera feeds, but the service needs more inputs.) Eventually, Bing plans to add local ratings, probably onto the facades of local restaurants, much like Google has done with its local "My Favorite Places" layer for Google Maps.