NEW TOOLS TO MAP YOUR COMMUNITY

New tools to create maps of your community have been rolled out by Product managers with Google Maps at their I/O conference. They relied heavily on user feedback, for example from their API issue tracker, to determine what tools to build.GOOGLE PLACES API
Users will now have access to top reviews of places when they explore map icons, such as eating places. Google extracts reviews from Zagat scores in Google+ Local to provide reviews.
GOOGLE MAPS API
The new Google Transit adds a transit layer to maps and helps find possible route alternatives in your town.

New maps will allow users to include clearer symbols that can also change as they’re viewed (dynamic visualization of vector data). This YouTube clip shows and example of this visualization.

GEO-CLOUD

Google Geo-Cloud platform is designed to make it easier and cheaper for organizations to place their various data types onto maps, then to build and create personalized maps for their own audience. These can then be used to securely deliver maps on desktops or mobile devices.
ASSET TRACKING and MOBILE APIs

Not all features are static. Some move about, such as trucks, packages, animals, and employees out in the field. Google's Maps Coordinate and Asst Tracking APIs are designed to help track and map these assets. Google reports that by 2015 over 1.5 billion employees will be mobile.

Google Maps is now available on Android, and soon to be available on iOS, iPhone and iPad devices. This will complement Google's 3D earth imaging technology and Tour Guide system.

LINK to YouTube Presentation.