A tool to shorten Google Maps URL's

ResearchBuzz.com has tipped us off on a cool service to shorten those long Google Maps URL's you arrive at when you click the "Link to this page" link in Google Maps. The service is called LookLeap.

LookLeap works a bit like TinyURL but gives you the option of auto-forwarding to the long Google Maps URL or it brings you to a jump-off page which provides additional options such as discussion about the link, an email feature or direct calls to open it. Pretty cool. This seems much better than TinyURL.com, even if the addresses are a bit longer.

Another application for this tool is for bloggers who are linking to Google Maps mashups from their blogs. If a mashup creator has registered the Google Maps API key to a web address with a "/~" this "~" symbol in the URL you link to can sometimes be translated to something else when using blog publishing tools like Blogger. I know if there is a "/~" in the URL when I'm linking to mashups on Google Maps Mania, I often times enter this URL over at TinyURL.com first, then link to the TunyURL.com address. Otherwise the address resolves but the Google Map on the page does not.

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