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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.

28 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. my favorite google map hacks :) by professorhojo · · Score: 5, Informative

    HousingMaps
    Google/Yahoo Traffic Maps
    Traffic Monitor
    Cheap Gas
    Chicago Crime Map
    Earthquake Viewer
    Google Maps Plugin for Mac OS X

    can't wait to see what's next :)))

    1. Re:my favorite google map hacks :) by udderly · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The Chicago crime map is especially cool. Thanks for passing the info along.

      It's interesting to see how some crimes are localized (like narcotics) and others are randomly dispersed (motor vehicle theft). I'm sure that enforcement methods for narcotics is partially to blame, but it's interesting nonetheless.

    2. Re:my favorite google map hacks :) by fo0bar · · Score: 2, Informative

      I created a map hack for all recent recorded Nevada and Eastern California earthquakes a couple weeks ago. A few days ago, the hack stopped working. I noticed Google changed their code and many of the map hack sites stopped working. "Oh well, maybe I'll fix it later."

      But with today's announcement, I grabbed a key, read the documentation, and had the site back up (and with a few new features) within about an hour. Their API documentation is VERY good.

  2. dupe by garbletext · · Score: 3, Informative

    As if we don't already get enough google news...

    1. 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

    2. Re:dupe by nmb3000 · · Score: 2

      But he fixed it all with an Update!

      CT: Sorry for the dupe. Teach me to forget to relaunch my mail client.

      It's alright Taco, you don't have to try to be sneaky. You can say Outlook Express here and nobody will judge you. Really!

      --
      "What do you despise? By this are you truly known." --Princess Irulan, Manual of Muad'Dib
      /)
  3. What if... by rbarreira · · Score: 4, Funny

    Google released a dupe checker for slashdot stories?

    --

    The AACS key is NOT 0xF606EEFD628B1CA427BEA93A9CA9773F
    1. Re:What if... by MattWhitworth · · Score: 3, Funny

      The 50000 usage limit on that tool would run out pretty quickly :)

    2. Re:What if... by Enigma_Man · · Score: 2, Funny

      That's some of the worst "English" I've ever seen. I can't even infer what you meant.

      -Jesse

      --
      Nothing says "unprofessional job" like wrinkles in your duct tape.
  4. More Maps APIs by TimeTraveler1884 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wow, these guys at Google are good, I mean real good. For them to release not just one, but two APIs for Google maps within 24hrs of each other, that place must be swelling with brain-power. They probably don't even have to walk from point A to B, just levitate themselves using their psychokinetic abilities. Flying around the room back and forth as they communicate faster than thought with each other non-verbally that to us mortals, sounds just like a high pitched squeel.

    Now only if Slashdot editors had a just fraction of those kind of mental resources, they could maybe... possibly... bang a keyboard with their clubs made human bones while in a circle of gigantic monoliths and type "Google Maps API" in a search before posting a story. But until then, I for one welcome our new Google Maps API-Producing Psychokinetic -Squeeling Duplicate Post-Inducing overloards

  5. 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

  6. Integration with Google Earth by mogrify · · Score: 4, Interesting

    For anyone who's interested, I've started a way of using the XML import features of the API to use the KML file that Google Earth exports. You have to unzip the KMZ file and use the 'doc.kml' file within it.

    This lets you display the placemarkers saved in Google Earth on a flat Google Map. Descriptions & icons aren't in there yet... but you can see the results so far at http://twig.homelinux.org/gmap.html.

    (It's broken in IE for some reason. FF works.)

    --
    perl -e 'foreach(values %SIG){$_="IGNORE";}while(){}'
  7. ex girlfriend maps... by Alex+P+Keaton+in+da · · Score: 5, Funny

    How long before we get ex girlfriend maps?
    There are a few I would like to see, including- best chili dog map and cheap beer map.
    How long before someone finds out the next time google is going to be taking pictures, and writes something really raunchy on their property in huge letters.
    This would also be a great way to advertise... Hey look, those cars are parked in such a way to spell out slashdot as seen from the sattelites!!!!
    If a man speaks in the forest, and there is no woman there to hear him, is he still wrong?

    --
    And All I Ask is a Tall Ship And a Star to Steer Her By
  8. satellite view by gooogle · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I noticed the maps API does not allow you to switch to a satellite view like their web counter-part. If they added that, the cool factor on this thing would double.

    Overlaying polygons and lines is a neat feature though. No need for using flickr to mark out areas on static maps when you can do so on dynamic maps right through the google API.

    That's what google does so well; build the foundation, open up the API and let the developers build on top of that foundation. Some really cool things will come out in the upcoming weeks.

    --
    -- Binary Finary
    1. Re:satellite view by mogrify · · Score: 3, Informative

      It does. You have to do

      map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl());

      --
      perl -e 'foreach(values %SIG){$_="IGNORE";}while(){}'
  9. shameless plug by harshaw · · Score: 3, Informative

    There are a number of fantastic google maps hacks site popping up.

    You might want to check out placeshare.org to see a simple site that does flikr style tagging with user managed locations.

    There are a couple other sites that are moving in the same direction... there were some excellent demo's at the where2.0 conference yesterday.

  10. 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.
  11. "Re:50K Pageviews" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I suppose the question is, do they consider each tile you load from their map server a page view? If they do, it wouldn't take many users scrolling around on the maps to get their.

    "A "page view" is the number of times users download the JavaScript, not the number of map tiles, so it is a fairly high limit for most sites. Also, we are not restricting use of the API to small sites -- we are just asking that sites who have more page views than 50K contact us first to ask permission so we can make sure we can handle the load.

    Bret Taylor
    Product Manager, Google Maps"

  12. 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...

    1. Re:Google advertizing by Vonotar82 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Does that mean Google reserves the right to put a HUGE Coca-Cola logo in the Sahara? Rename Baghdad "Alladin's Magical Villiage"? New York becomes Googleopolis?? Danger, Will Robinson!!

      --
      "I drank WHAT?!"--Socrates
    2. Re:Google advertizing by Frank+T.+Lofaro+Jr. · · Score: 2

      They could make every city and country link to the website of the Las Vegas casino themed after it.

      --
      Just because it CAN be done, doesn't mean it should!
  13. Service Unavailable by rylin · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... "hacks in place such as my where I work".

    Service Unavailable

    Does that mean you're unemployed now?

  14. More Shameless plugs... by Mz6 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I integrated Google Maps with Storm Data.

    http://www.stormreportmap.com.

    --
    Hmmm.
  15. People posting dupe comments. by I+don't+want+to+spen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yes, I'm off topic, but why do people think that multiple posts saying that its a dupe is any less annoying than a dupe in the first place? People who saw it before know its a dupe, people who didn't won't care. Neither of them benefit by being told its a dupe a hundred times.

    --
    Don't go to a brothel if you want to buy broth
  16. thats nice... by alfrin · · Score: 2, Funny

    AFTER they sue and shutdown numerous sites using Google Maps.
    Come on Google, make up your god damn mind

  17. Google Maps Wiki by yellowbkpk · · Score: 2, Informative

    Forgive the karma whoring, but I host a Google Maps wiki at the following URL:

    http://gmaps.yellowbkpk.com/

    So far people have posted their sample Google Map mashups there along with some code samples. Most of this was done before the Google Maps API was released, so some of the sites may not work due to the new javascript file version.

    Also, make sure to check out the Google-Maps-API and Google-Maps Google Groups. The Google-Maps-API group is particularly active and there ahve been over 100 posts just today.

  18. yahoo also releases APIs by xWastedMindx · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In an ironic twist? Yahoo also released their Maps API today as well.