CNet: Edit Google Maps With Google Map Maker
Anyone can add to or update Google maps with Map Maker. Small businesses could use it to improve information around their locations. Mobile businesses such as food trucks could use it to show where they are.
“Google Map Maker, the crowdsourced mapping Web app launched in 2008 and available in 183 countries, is finally coming to the United States. It’s an important addition to Google’s mapping services here and could make for maps that are vastly more detailed and useful than they are currently.
In some countries (like Romania, Tech Lead Lalitesh Katragadda told me) Map Maker users have been responsible for creating whole maps from nothing. Here in the U.S., the editing features will allow the addition of more commercial data (stores and other businesses locations) and highly specific street information that’s currently missing, like temporary closures due to construction projects. Google Maps, Google Earth, and Google’s mobile products will all use this data. Google’s route-planning services will take traffic-related updates into consideration.”