View the MapGoogle Maps static API
Google have released a new API for Google Maps. This is really different - it doesn’t require Javascript - it’s static. Simply pass some parameters to a URL and it returns a gif image of the location in question. For more information read their blog entry - http://googlemapsapi.blogspot.com/2008/02/google-maps-without-scripting.html.
The way mapofstrange.com works is designed to be interactive, so I can’t see me replacing the entire feel with this non-Javascript method, but it still might have some really useful application at mapofstrange.com. If we don’t need Javascript, it could be a good way of providing a mobile service. Or I could have an ‘add this to your webpage’ link which generates the code to display an image.
At present it only shows map-level images and not satellite imagery, which means that it isn’t right for mapofstrange.com (at least not yet). It’s definitely something I’m going to keep my eye on though…
It is incredibly easy to setup - there is even a wizard - http://gmaps-samples.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/simplewizard/makestaticmap.html. Just do a search for the location, choose the zoom level and the size of the map, and it generates the map for you. At the moment there is a maximum of 1000 page views per person (not per image or per key) per day, which is ample, but I expect that this will increase over time.
Here’s an example of it in action (click on it to open the map) -
Altogether, I think it’s an excellent addition to the Google Maps API - I only wish it would show satellite images as well!