Time was, if you wanted to get a good view of your neighbourhood, you'd have to expend a bit of energy and haul yourself up the nearest hill.

Well now you can put away your pac-a-mac and sensible walking shoes for good, because, thanks to Google (who has already saved us from dating psychos), you can now take in not just your local landscape but everyone else's too. And all from the comfort of your living room.

Google Earth is a nifty bit of software which sits on your desktop and harnesses the power of satellite imagery, detailed maps and Google's all-conquering search engine to allow you to browse the planet. Want to take a look at Red Sqaure? Just type in 'Red Square' and the watch the virtual camera fly from the farthest reaches of the universe right into the heart of Moscow. The KGB must be having heart attacks.

Niagara Falls? Time Square? The local curry house? Yes, Google Earth even contains data on all local amenities too. Want to know where the nearest golf course is to the Imperial Palace in Tokyo? No problem.

If you own a Mac you'll have to wait as Google are still working on that. But in the meantime find a PC-owning friend and have a play.

As for us, we're off to see if we can find Area 51!