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Maps on Path to Mass Innovation

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the maps-rock dept.

Ryan MacCarthy writes "When Google and Yahoo! released their map APIs last week they unleashed a horde of hungry developers eager to integrate their data with the user-friendly maps. Brilliant hacks like Chicago Crime and Craigslist Real Estate are in the midst of switching over to the new API, while sites like MetroFreeFi use the new API to make it easier to find free wi-fi locations in US cities (San Francisco, for example). Imaginative developers, like Alan Taylor (Transparency concept), are digging deep into experimentation to dream up new uses for the maps. It's great to see the innovation when hacks turn to apps." I want to see Los Angeles maps of the action in James Ellroy's novels, and a national map of the worst, funniest tourist traps across the U.S.

4 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. Re:With all this innovation... by batura · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually, Local Search on maps.google.com does a really good job of doing just that. Unless I am misunderstanding your question.

  2. Re:Never mind maps... by PenguinOpus · · Score: 4, Informative

    Never mind reverse-engineering KMZ/KML, the spec and a tutorial have just been posted on http://code.google.com./

    Enjoy!

  3. Re:With all this innovation... by That's+Unpossible! · · Score: 3, Informative

    You are, and it doesn't.

    Local Search on google uses some crazy algorithms to find things by doing a GOOGLE SEARCH for what you entered, and then showing you addresses on a map found in the pages you referenced. (Basically.)

    Yahoo Yellow Pages is actually a database of business listings, and when you search that, 99% of the time you will get all the businesses.

    Example: I search for haircut near my area in Google Maps, and I get a few nearby haircut salons. I do the same thing in Yahoo Yellow Pages, and I get ALL the salons nearby, which gives me more choices, especially when there is a specific entry I am looking for. I know I will find it with YYP.

    I wish Google would just hurry up and buy some Yellow Pages company's data so they can compete against that. The "Local Search" idea was interesting, but is not comparable or adequate.

    --
    Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
  4. Re:Google Earth by chrisd · · Score: 3, Informative

    See Google Code for a link to the kml docs and tutorial.

    Have fun!

    Chris

    --
    Co-Editor, Open Sources
    Open Source Program Manager, Google, Inc.