Yesterday Google announced a number of improvements to the still relatively new Static Maps API including more marker and path options, language transliteration and improved marker image file format support. The Static Map API can help you to create a quick map of a trip or location to post on your blog without having to learn how to develop in Google Maps. They even have a nifty Wizard that will walk you through adding the pins and lines to your map.
However, I think that there’s another potential application of the Google Static Maps API on the mobile web. Google Maps and Mapquest don’t load very well on mobile browsers because they’re very javascript intensive. The mobile browser feature race is on and there are a plethora of options, but none of them do a very good job of handling complex AJAX sites like Maps.
Enter Google Maps Static API. Developers can use the Static Maps API to create applications for the mobile web that use maps and that load quickly over the air. Great applications for this would be a social tool that shows your the locations of your friends on the mobile web. This kind of technology can help you keep in touch and meet up with friends. One of the mobile web’s greatest opportunities is to create more context and communication that is portable and crosses over into every day life.
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