Friday, May 21, 2010

Google enables map customisation

Google is making lots of new exciting announcements this week using its I/O conference as the main venue to demonstrate the latest product updates as well as new products and services. The one that caught my specific attention is a functionality upgrade to Google Map v3 which allows developers to customise map appearance. You are no longer limited to standard “look and feel” of Google Maps that many are now so accustomed to. By making simple adjustments to the code Google will now serve maps that are altered to specific developer requirements - in terms of visual appearance of the map and its content. Some examples can be found on Google site. Google also provided a wizard application to help in defining map parameters.

I am excited about this new development not because you can now make all sorts of strange looking maps but because Google is only a step away from enabling full customisation of the content of maps that goes beyond just a few markers, lines or polygons! Another point in case that Google Map is fast becoming a fully featured GIS, but in its own very unique way.


First spotted on Google Maps Mania

Related posts:
Free GIS Tools – Google Map
Ingenuity of Google Map architecture also its main limitation

No comments: