Well, ok, the changes in the APIs might be worth it. But
Google's personalised maps feature (MyMaps) don't impress me much. Maybe there's something I didn't get but apart from Google Earth/KML integration, this new feature seems to add relatively little to what other services and mashups have been doing with Google Maps and other map-based online services (
Yahoo! Maps,
MapQuest, Microsoft's
Live Local,
Mappy, etc.).
One thing I expected in creating a new map is that distances would be automatically calculated. Sure, you can get directions with distances. But those directions are based on car driving and you pretty much need to have addresses. Besides, it takes a lot more time to input the data necessary than just drawing a line.
Actually, I'm still convinced that functionality exist (getting distances by drawing lines) but I haven't seen it yet. Microsoft's
Live Local does it.
In fact, it could be fun to be able to set a distance (that you want to walk, say) and draw around a path which would be equivalent to that distance.
Someone told me about a
Mappy, European map/direction system which takes into account toll roads, gives you an estimated gas consumption and generates maps for pedestrians or for express routes. It also includes public transportation for Paris. I hope that we'll eventually get the same in North America, especially for those of us who aren't so car-centric.
So, despite its hype for its new map-making feature, is Google losing its touch with creating new tools?
Official Google Blog: Map-making: So easy a caveman could do it
