Google Maps - the basics

Google Maps, for those that may not know is a free, web map server application provided by Google and is currently powering many of the webs map based services such as Google Ride Finder and embedded maps on thousands of third-party websites via their API code. The online map tool offers street maps, satellite imagery, a route planner and a business locator for many large urban centers.

It features a versatile yet simple map view that can be panned around and zoomed in to show detailed street information. Users can easily control the map using a standard computer mouse or arrow keys to move to the desired location. It is also very powerful and incorporates Google’s powerful search abilities allowing users to enter an address, street intersection or name of an area into a text box and then the map view will quickly find that location on the map. Another great feature is the ability of creating driving directions from one place to another. It gives the user a step by step list of how to get to their destination, along with an estimate of the time required to reach it and the distance between the two locations.

Google Maps offers three view modes by default: a map view, a satellite image view and a hybrid view (with street maps overlaid on top of satellite images).

We recommend that you go check out Google Maps and see this application for your self, as this is the base technology that many of the sites that we feature on our site will be based upon. Virtually paving the road for many great web sites to come!