'Anything you can do, we can do better.' So Microsoft has been trying to show its rivals for some years now. First it took on Apple's iPod with Zune; that didn't work out so well. Then it took on Google's dominance of search with Bing, and the latest figures suggest that's going a little better.

Now Redmond is taking on Google again, this time targeting Street View. Bing already offers a version of Google's ultra-fun but tabloid-baiting service. But, Microsoft point out, it's kind of crappy to use if you're trying to move around a neighborhood.

Enter Street Slide.

OK, that video's a big long and science-y (we lose interest when people start talking about 'hyper-parallax effects'). But the idea is pretty nifty, no?

This is a few months or years away from primetime yet, so Google may hold the advantage in mapping for some time. And, of course, they could always have a go at something similar themselves.