We've been hearing a lot (and writing a lot here) about Google Maps, but how does the service actually work? In particular, how does additional data get added in to a Google map? There have been a lot of maps on the Internet over the years, and many of them have been highly popular (such as Yahoo! Maps and (years ago) maps from folks like DeLorme). However, none of these location and driving maps have had the caché of Google Maps. The most obvious reason is that none of them allowed you to add your own content to the map …

In yet another post on the Google Maps phenomenon, the New York Times has an article that discusses what the fuss is all about as well as provides links to several different sites that make use of the Google Maps API. At this point I would like to make a personal plea to the God of GIS for something new to come along in the world of GIS so that I can have something else to talk about. For those of you who don't already know the New York Times requires a free registration to view articles.

India, South Korea, Thailand, the Netherlands and a few other countries have expressed concern about the quality of satellite images on Google Maps and their potential use by terrorist groups. Maybe Google is trying to be the new Microsoft. Apparently, not everyone is excited about the way in which Google Maps may change the world. Wired magazine has an article (India: Google Maps Too Graphic, originally titled Google Terror Maps) discussing how security officials in several countries such as India and South Korea are concerned about the possible misuse of Google map data. In particular, security officials are concerned that …

One of the most talked about new uses of mapping has spawned more than a few articles about its impact on society. While Google Maps and its competitors are no competition for a true GIS package it is an innovation in terms of non-technical users. As the map search wars are now just starting to heat up several respected technology magazines have articles sizing up the innovation, uses, and odds of who will win. In particular, Technology Review has an excellent article entitled Killer Maps, while Geospatial Solutions article is entitled Google Sparks Search Wars. Read and enjoy and please …