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Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Google Maps mapping data: web app vs. API

The O'Reilly Radar has the scoop on a very important change that has taken place in Google Maps mapping data for those of you embarking on creating Google Maps mashups:

Google Maps and Their Data Providers


Never assume it's easy to bring a free API to fruition. Check out Google Maps as web app versus Google Maps as API. Notice something different about the two maps? The former has "map data (c) NAVTEQ" whereas the latter has "map data (c) TeleAtlas". In the past, both API and consumer maps credited both companies, but it's a safe bet that Google has had a battle with NAVTEQ to offer their free API. The provider changed occurred around October 4 and prompted a discussion on the developer list about the greater number of errors in the TeleAtlas tiles (e.g., "In Tele Atlas you don't get the Statue of Liberty. In Navteq you don't get the bridge that goes to Ellis Island", " it labels "Holy Ghost" Hospital in Cambridge which changed its name in 1988 to Youville Hospital").
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