Maps? What's the deal?

It seems that the web is alive with maps at the moment, the in thing is Earth Google with the new Google Maps also being popular.
Is this the new way of looking at the world as a small space were we are all connected? Well it could well be.
Whilst I’ve not tried Earth Google yet as it’s PC only but the Google Maps are pretty cool, makes you wonder how Columbus ever found land without them.
By the way this is my local area