Google Maps Mania: Google Maps API V2 officially launches

location based services

For those of you creating Google Maps mashups and tools with the Google Maps API, this post is for you:

Google Maps Product Manager Bret Taylor has indicated in this post on the Google Maps API Official Blog that the Google Maps API Version 2 is officially launching. Some of the new features include two additional satellite zoom levels (previously only available from Google Local map browsing) and an "Overview Map" you can display in your mashups that "displays an attractive and collapsible map in the corner of the screen".

The terms of use are a bit more friendly as well. There are no longer any page view limits (although Google requests that you let them know if the site you're launching the map on gets in excess of 500,000 page views per day. This is so they can prepare in advance to handle your traffic). There is also a hint of advertising coming to mashups in the terms: "90-day notice before any advertising-related change. The Maps API does not include advertising. If we ever decide to change this policy, we will give all developers at least 90 days' notice via this blog."

Bret links to an upgrade guide that will help with your migration from V1 to V2 and encourages bug reports and experiences through this upgrade to be posted on the API Group.


[Check out the full post here]