Microsoft has opened up its Virtual Earth-based hotspot map

Back in April, Danyel Fisher of Microsoft's Redmond Research Institute developed a tool called "Hot Map", which uses internal statistics to generate a Virtual Earth-based map that clearly shows how Microsoft's online maps are viewed (the darker the color, the more visitors). Originally used for research, the tool is now open to the public, allowing each user to see how a place is visited (only on Microsoft's online mapping service).