Introducing the Google Places Library

The Google Places API is now on general release and a Places Library has been added to the Google Maps API.

The new Places Library allows map developers to display venues in Google Places on a Google Map. The venues can be added either via a bounding box or within a radius of a centre point. The displayed venues can be refined by type (e.g. gym, food, zoo, art gallery etc) or by name (e.g. Starbucks).



The Places Library can also display details about the returned venues, including full address information and user ratings.

The Places Library for the Google Maps API doesn't seem to support check-ins. So if you want to give your users the ability to check-in at venues it looks like you will have to use the Google Places API itself with your Google Maps.

Via: Google Geo Developers Blog

Groupon Coupons on Google Maps

Groupon Now

Groupon has finally turned on location and has become a lot more useful in the process. Groupon Now lets you view the nearest deals to your location on a Google Map. It is available both from your desktop and from your mobile device.

Actually Groupon Now is a bit of a misnomer. It should more accurately be called Groupon Later because, for now, it is only available in Chicago. If you are lucky enough to live in the Windy City then you can enter your address and search for deals by category.

The results of your search are displayed on a Google Map and each deal comes with a timer informing you just how long you have left to redeem your deal. The application works really well and, once a few more cities are added, should help to cement Groupon's position as the leading deal-of-the-day provider.

Classified Ads on Google Maps

PigeonMap

Pigeon Map is a free classifieds website that uses Google Maps to let you find classified ads near your location.

The classified ads come in many categories with advanced search options. You can search by location and by category, including 'deals', 'events', 'jobs' and 'for sale'. Results of a search are then displayed on the map.

Users can also post their own classified ads to the map by completing a short form.

Spain's Nuclear Power Plants Mapped

Radiactivdad

Since the recent disaster at the Fukishima Nuclear Power Plant we have seen a number of Google Maps that show the location of nuclear power plants around the world.

For example Zeit-Online created the American Nuclear Power Plants Map to show how many Americans live near nuclear power plants. Another trend has been to create Google Maps that display radiation measurements.

Radiactivdad is a Google Map that displays the locations of Spain's nuclear power plants and also the results of radiation monitors in the country that have been connected to the web using Pachube.