Here's the latest innovation from Google - Google Maps!!!

http://maps.google.com/

Google Maps Features:

- Extremely fast map loading/rendering when changing zoom levels. Play around with the zoom tool on the left of the map (I tried to zoom into NYC to see Donald Trump firing someone... but alas ).

- Integrated business listings -- which have a red balloon icon displayed over it's geo-tagged location. Try searching for 'Trump Towers in New York'. Scroll the Mouse-over the balloon and voila! A pop-up displaying address/phone/name/URL and related businesses will show up.

- Directions - currently text based form without selectors, no doubt this will be tidied up.

Take a tour of the Spankin' New Google Maps

Is it that Google is all over anything to do with 'searching' or they are playing it real big on local search business!

I have to admit, that is fast - especially when zooming. The map area is also larger letting me look at a wider area in a closer zoom which is also nice. ::thumbsup::

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Final Fantasy

This will be a Mapquest killer. I love the speed of Google Maps. The Business search is awesome. I did not know that there were so many Starbucks in my area.

The only thing I am missing yet on the driving directions are the detail maps of the destination area.

Christoph

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Thanks for the heads up. I use mapquest on my site and so I ask about using their map. I will check it out.

Thanks again

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Ed Shuck

Sure it's good ..... if you're an American

I'm glad someone brought this up, I actually used the map system yesterday and found it be quite nice and very visual.

Google ups the anty once again.

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Image Freak