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Thursday, November 03, 2005 8:03 PM PT Posted by Harry McCracken
Yahoo's Slick New Maps
So Yahoo has a public beta up of a new version of its Yahoo Maps service. Like Google Local and MSN Virtual Earth, its provides maps, driving directions, and (here's where Yahoo will presumably make a buck) information on local businesses. And if you have any interest at all in this rapidly-evolving Web category, you should sneak a peek.Unlike its Google and MSN counterparts--which it mostly resembles in basic look, feel, and functionality--the Yahoo beta doesn't let you view aerial photography of the locales you search--just crisp maps. But that omission aside, Yahoo's new take on local info may be the slickest of the three. For instance, a little inset map shows you a view of the area surrounding the main map, helpful when it comes to panning and zooming. And Yahoo's interface is particularly streamlined, giving slightly speedier access to driving directions, business reviews, and more. I'm not sure if it actually saves clicks compared to its rivals, but it sure feels faster.
I can't help but think, though, that every local-information service worth its salt is going to get a lot better over the next few years. There's huge potential for really embedding information on local businesses in the maps themselves. (Right now, with all three services, you basically depart the map interface the moment you want to dig into the details on a particular business.)
And someday, I'm sure, the best local search sites will have extraordinarily deep user reviews of restaurants, attractions, and other destinations, and do really smart things with that data.
Interesting sidelight on the new Yahoo Maps: The nimble and attractive user interface is done with Macromedia's Flash, and therefore requires that you have Flash 7 installed (and you probably do). (Google Local and MSN Virtual Earth both use AJAX, which is a code word for "clever use of Javascript, XML, DHTML, and other long-established technologies").
And a random thought: I wonder how many people are using any of these three services? AOL's Mapquest still seems to be nearly synonymous with online mapping, despite the fact that that venerable site is now a few generations behind the portals' mapping services when it comes to highly-polished interactivity.
Which mapping service--if any--do you use? Or do you (like me) hop around between several?
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How about http://maps.a9.com?
I like those maps
I use mainly Microsofts Streets & Trips and Google Earth (Both need to be installed in your PC). Sometimes I also use Google Local, MapQuest, and Yahoo.
Google Local is really cool, and it allows you to choose from Maps, Satellite, or Hybrid.
The Flash software they developed for this service is NOT compatible on Linux which I run on with Firefox + latest Flash plugin from Macromedia. The trouble is cannot enter any text.
No Europe? No Asia?
Myopic mericans!
Unless they make these (Google, Yahoo and MSN) do real-time navigation, they are of limited use. I don't want to print maps anymore. They should make it work like Wayfinder.
We have been rendering maps in Flash for 2 years, and embed location based data right on the map using Flash and LFS.
We currently visuallt chart the location of oil tankers, refineries, homesites, hurricanes, etc and allow the user to drill down to the data for each intellignet feature on the map.
We Americans created the internet, thus demonstrating great vision long before the rest of the world woke up. The myopic ones are not Americans.
I like Bananas.
It's always going to be the close-minded moron that takes a shot at Americans, especially when Americans developed AOL's, MSN's and Googles mapping services. Friggin idiot...
Not impressed... Yahoo still has a lot of work to do.
I like Google Local. Just wish there were a way to maximize/view full screen.
*Yawn*.... whereis.com.au
With Yahoo Maps, when one clicks on the map and drags it around with the cursor, you get slow and jerky movement. With google maps, you can drag the map around faster, with less rendering downtime.
It is cool. And it is useful for point A to point B directions. What else it is good for that I could use over and over?
Can I use it as a tourist? Not really, printing is terrible, and this would compete with much better local guides I can picup for free. So, if its not for traveling then this is only good to find out where is the closest pizza to my home - like I already don't know that:)
I'd like to see more "live" information on all of these sites, such as live traffic and construction info, maybe even weather conditions....
Please no international fighting... we all have contributed a good share to the world of technology. We created the internet, and the asians create all the way-cool gadgets that we americans have come to love and grow dependent on every day. Plus, 99 percent of the gadgets created in asia are way-cool stuff that we drool over. See, we have all contibuted.
hello i like google i am using n-gauge qd mobile phone with airtel cinnection i am from india,andhra pradesh,hyderabad can i get the google map in my moblie and can send me all abt the details how to be connected to google map
Tim Berners-Lee, a Brit., laid the foundations for the World Wide Web.
India invented 0 many moons ago.
Americans, like everyone else, do not have a monopoly on inventiveness. Think globally.
i tried to email a yahoo map to a friend and copied myseld. never did receive the map. Anyone else have this problem with Yahoo maps?
Three phrases should be among the most common in our daily usage. They are: Thank you, I am grateful and I appreciate.
google map user, although local.live.com looks extremely promising.
When are the 'Americans', myopic or not, going to learn that Mexico is part of North America. Maybe we should change the maps to indicate this.
'Americans', the ones from the USA at least, do not know that anything or anyone exists outside their bordrers.