It's Manhattan, minus the cab fare

UpNext.com offers a simulated three-dimensional interactive version of Manhattan, complete with skyscrapers, reviews and business contact information. You can use your mouse to zoom in and out, spin around and click on buildings to view a list of businesses there. Users can specify a category of business that they are searching for, and matching businesses will be highlighted on the three-dimensional map. Registered users can enter reviews.

"Rather than sifting through pages and links of data, UpNext enables you glide around your city, virtually. Exploring has never been easier," according to a Web site description. And if you get lost, you don't need to ask for directions  or hail a taxi -- you can zoom out to get your bearings, or key in an address.

Raj Advani, a software engineer who received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and computer science at University of California, Berkeley, is the co-founder and chief architect for the site. Vik Advani, co-founder and chief technology officer at UpFront, has been a Java developer for IBM and a video game programmer for Savage Entertainment.

Google, too, has ventured into the three-dimensional city-search space with Google Earth and Google Maps, and Microsoft is building up its 3-D inventory at Microsoft Virtual Earth and a photographic tool called Photosynth.

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