Google Maps: A Prelude to Broader Predictive Search by Stephen E. Arnold.
From the post:
Short honk. Google’s MoreThanaMap subsite signals an escalation in the map wars. You will want to review the information at www.morethanamap.com. The subsite presents the new look of Google’s more important features and services. The demonstrations are front and center.The focus is on visualization of mashed up data; that is, compound displays. The real time emphasis is clear as swell. The links point to developers and another “challenge.” It is clear that Google wants to make it desirable for programmers and other technically savvy individuals to take advantage of Google’s mapping capabilities. After a few clicks, Google has done a good job of making clear that findability and information access shift a map from a location service to a new interface.
You really need to see the demos to appreciate what can be done with the Google Map API.
Although, I remember the flight from Atlanta to Gatwick (London) as being longer than it seems in the demo. 😉