Bing Maps now provides mall directories

Panic sets in as soon as I walk into a mall. I realize I parked a mile from the one store I wanted to visit, and that I'll have to part the sweaty seas of tweens to get there. With its new mall directory maps, however, Bing Maps just made my mall shopping—and maybe yours—a little less excruciating.

Here's how it works: supported malls will show up in the "Mall Map" link in the Bing Local results, and show you where each store in located. Today's release is still limited, so unless you live in the Boston, New York, or the Seattle metro area, your mall probably hasn't been mapped yet. Over the coming weeks, though, Microsoft intends to continue rolling out maps, beginning with the largest malls and adding support for major cities.

Each mall map features clickable stores from which you may access phone numbers, Web sites, and addresses (not that they'll do you much good in a mall). You can send store information to your phone or e-mail address. One curiously absent feature is store hours; here's hoping they bundle that in with future releases.

For those of you who use Bing or enjoy fraternizing with festering adolescents and bling-your-cell phone stands, take a look below for a complete list of Binged malls.

• Bellevue Square, WA
• Crossroads, WA
• Redmond Town Center, WA
• Shops at the Bravern, WA
• Meridian Town Center, WA
• North Bend Premium Outlets, WA
• Seattle Premium Outlets, WA
• Cascade Mall, WA
• Everett Mall, WA
• Kitsap Mall, WA
• University Village, WA
• Marketplace at Factoria, WA
• Bellevue Place, WA
• Lincoln Square, WA
• North Gate Mall, WA
• Pacific Place Mall, WA
• Tacoma Mall, WA
• West Field Southcenter Mall, WA
• Southhill Mall, WA
• Queens Center Mall, NY
• Roosevelt Field Mall, NY
• Chestnut Hill Mall, MA