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Google Releases Maps API for External Use

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the step-in-the-right-direction dept.

bahree writes "Google now has officially released their API's for Google Maps; till now there were a few hacks in place such as my where I work, but now its all supported. You would need to get a key, which is associated with a specific url, you can get that here and also read up on all the fun details here." CT: Sorry for the dupe. Teach me to forget to relaunch my mail client.

6 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. Google retains the right to put advertising... by amembleton · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Google retains the right to put advertising on the map in the future.

    That is intersting. Perhaps they will add advertising for cerain locations. They might add a starbucks logo over each of their coffee shops on the map. It would be a good way to pay for it and thus keep it free for developers.

    1. Re:Google retains the right to put advertising... by stienman · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Chances are good it won't just be "Let's put coffe shops all over" but instead will be tragetted google ads base don your website content.

      Have a website featuring bike trails? You'll have bike ads on the map - some may point to locations of bike shops, others to ice cream shops (biking and ice cream go hand in hand, for those who don't know)

      A key to Google's strategy is to maximize advertising effectiveness by targetting the ads. This is one side effect to organizing the world's information - a powerful ability to discern user preferences by the page content and choosing ads wisely, while not getting in the way of the user.

      -Adam

  2. Slashdot doesn't care by DogDude · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Slashdot has *long* since stopped caring about quality. It's all about pageviews and clickthroughs. They know that even if they post 5 of the same stories in a row, that they'll get the same amount of traffic (maybe more?). If you see a crappy article or a dupe, the BEST way that you can send a message to the editors that you want quality is to spend time NOT viewing Slashdot for that day/week/whatever. Don't browser, don't post. THEN, maybe they'll realize that they can't just rest on momentum forever.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
  3. Re:Google's business plan is flawed. by LDoggg_ · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Google has put all its eggs, as it were, in a single basket

    Where have been for the last several months?
    Google has been buying everything in site. Spreading out quite a bit.

    --

    "If they have both, tell them we use Linux. And if they have that, tell them the computers are down." -Dave Chapelle
  4. Google advertizing by AnonymousJackass · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I see in their disclaimers that "Google retains the right to put advertising on the map in the future.". I can't help but wonder if this is a sign of things to come. They'll let everyone and anyone use their maps, spread them around the web, maybe until Google maps are the only maps to use, and then WHAM! Adverts appear on Google maps everywhere.

    OK, it's a tin-foil hat theory but I can see it happening...

  5. Re:dupe by ZorinLynx · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If Slashdot's search engine actually worked, and didn't return five million unrelated articles if you enter more than one search term, maybe we'd be able to use it.

    How come that hasn't been fixed anyway?

    -Z