Google Maps has added a very Flickrish feature which serves photos and popular searches along wth specific Google Maps local search results.
The photos are served by Panaramio (and some by Picasa), a geo targeted photo hosting company Google acquired in May 2007 :
Panoramio is a community photos website that enables digital photographers to geo-locate, store and organize their photographs — and to view those photographs in Google Earth. Other users can search and browse Panoramio photos and suggest edits to the metadata associated with the photos. Panoramio also offers an API that enables web developers to embed Panoramio functionality into their websites.
Some bloggers have even noticed YouTube hosted videos being served for certain location searches and user created maps.
Also, the popular searches function is quite impressive and very geo-targeted. A search for Tampa, FL results in suggestions for Busch Gardens, International Mall and the Ford Amphitheatre, all popular Tampa destinations that tourists and locals are always looking to find.
Yahoo came out with TagMaps in January of 2007, which married Flickr images and map locations. With Google doing something similar, and in a more useful fashion, I’m noticing transition of Google Maps slowly becoming less of an Atlas, and more of a Yahoo Local (with StreetView, and traffic).
