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I Want More From Google Maps

After playing the new Google Maps for a few days I still think it is very cool. But I want more. Specifically I want to be able to have more of the things I search for plotted on Google Maps. I have a couple of friends that I use Google to look up phone numbers for. I know, it sounds lazy, and it is. At any rate, I want to be able to see those phone book search results come up on Google Maps. Another search I do from time to time is to see what homes are selling for in my zip code. Right now I’m using MetroList MLS to do these, I’d like the option of seeing the results plotted on Google Maps. To go one step even further, for general web searches, figure out which pages contain ICBM info and optionally plot them on Google Maps.

Now that I think about, what I want is an open, extensible interface to Google Maps. This interface should allow me to feed it arbitrary addresses and associated details with each address and have it plotted on Google Maps. Imagine having some sort of XML-RPC/SOAP/REST interface to dump locations into a Google Map results page. It could simply return a url that would then display a Google Map with all of my assorted locations and info on it. That would be cool.

A word or two about the driving directions feature in Google Maps. I like the detail and popups above the map, although I’d like to see the popups move along the route instead of just displaying at the beginning and end. Just for kicks I asked it to provide me with a route from Sacramento, CA to New York, NY, which it did. Although I think it was being a little generous when it thought I should be able to make the 2,830 mile trip in 39 hours. Could I really average 72.5 mph on that drive?

UPDATE 9:00pm 11 Feb 2005: Looks like hacking Google Maps could get us part of the way there.

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