Google Maps Released

Hi Friends, As Google continues to focus on the local advertising market, it has now released Google Maps. The maps (which on the Macintosh work with Firefox, but not Safari) allows one to scroll along...

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Hi Friends,

As Google continues to focus on the local advertising market, it has now released Google Maps. The maps (which on the Macintosh work with Firefox, but not Safari) allows one to scroll along a given area, placing additional graphical elements onto the screen as one scrolls, rather than redrawing the whole screen to show the map.

Little Sheba the Hug Pug’s Backyard Dog Park – Hoover Park

You can also get directions or do a local search (for lawyers or restaurants or auto body shops…) on the location shown in the map screen.

Overall the interface is clean. I am sure they will add some features to compete (defeat?) Yahoo!’s and MapQuest’s maps. Maybe Google will combine the scrollable interface with an Amazon/A9 like street pictures and/or with Google’s Keyhole technology. And then make it work with a Treo that has GPS and then… Competition and programming will eventually make this all happen 🙂

Here are some links:

Google Maps
Google Maps FAQ
Google Maps Tour

And here are usability comments from Gary Price (of ResourceShelf.com fame) on the Search Engine Watch blog.

Or just do a Google search on “Google Maps”.

Peace – Tim