In the past week or so, I’ve learned the following mapping news from Microsoft through map developer Chandu Thota’s blog:

• Overshadowed by the PDC stuff on Virtual Earth at the time, I guess, but version 4.0 of the MapPoint web service was released last month, and Chandu outlines the details of interest to developers using the SDK.
• Possibly the first time I’ve seen a Virtual Earth hack that made me say, “Why can’t Google do this?” A mashup of Virtual Earth and MSN Messenger. (Latest Windows version only, sadly; it exploits the Messenger API.)
• Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 was launched Friday; Chandu outlines the new features.