Mark Evans

A Google Maps Blog

One of the fascinating things about the Internet is how Web-based services can be tweaked or modified to enhance or expand their features. Skype, for example, is attracting a growing eco-system of third-party developers happily adding new bells and whistles at an amazing rate. Another Web-based service drawing lots of developers is Google Maps, which has spawned a flurry of related services since its beta launch in February. A good example is HousingMaps, a hack that combines craigslist real estate listings with city maps from Google Maps. Another spin-off of the Google Maps phenomena are blogs that track new hacks and modifications. For more information on the Google Maps eco-system, a blog to check out is Google Maps Mania, which bills itself as an “unofficial Google Maps blog tracking the websites, ideas and tools being influenced by Google Maps”. The blog, which has been attracting a lot of traffic and some media coverage, a good example of the fascination with Google and how the Internet is allowing the community of developers to grow by leaps and bounds.
Update (July 28): ReserveMy.com is a neat little service using Google Maps to find hotels. For more information on the Google Maps phenomena, check out Erick Schonfeld's Aug. 1 column.