Yahoo! Local & Maps Blog

The latest version of the Yahoo! AJAX Maps API includes performance improvements, numerous new features, bug fixes and a smaller footprint.

• Polyline support allows you to draw lines on a Yahoo! Map.
• Polylines with GeoRSS can be drawn on the map using the coordinates of your choice.
• Local Search is now built-in to the API so that results from local.yahoo.com can be plotted on your map.
• Traffic overlay information is built-in allowing you to display traffic information from maps.yahoo.com on your map.
• GeoRSS export functionality let’s you export your map application into the portable GeoRSS standard.
• An additional 20+ methods, like auto-fitting zoom level when specifying radius.

There’s more information in the getting started guide. Make sure to join the yws-maps group to find the answers to your questions when building mashups or implementing Yahoo! Maps.

Mirek Grymuza, Vince Maniago
and the Yahoo! Maps Team

Are you ready to shoot, tag, upload, and collect?  The latest Yahoo Local features - released today - will allow our users to start organizing their world in a whole new way.  Here’s how:

• Everyone gets tags – well – maybe not everyone, but anyone who’s reading this blog.  We think tagging is a great way for users to organize Local content for themselves, and for everyone else. 
• While tags may just say one word, pictures say a thousand words!  Now you can upload photos into any local content.  Show the world what food you’re eating, or how good that plumber’s service really is. 
• If a picture says a thousand words, how many might a collection say?  Collections are groupings of anything you want….could be California Beach Towns…could be Seattle Sites and Sounds…could be Chicago’s Cuisine Scene.  We think this is going to be a great way for you get even more out of Yahoo! Local. 

Bringing it all together, a new “Dashboard” helps you get back to saved ratings & reviews or collections.  The dashboard also gives recommendations on places you might like based on your existing ratings & reviews.

Go ahead try it out and let us know what you think.

Frederique, Brian, Raghu & The Yahoo! Local Team