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November 2, 2005

New Yahoo Maps Shows Power of Flash

Michael Arrington

79 comments »

An all new Yahoo Maps launches tonight at 9 pm PST.

I spoke with Paul Levine, the General Manager of Local, Jeremy Kreitler, a Senior Product Manager of Maps and Local, and Diana Vincent, a PR Manager, earlier today about Yahoo Maps.

Unlike Google and Microsoft maps, Yahoo has chosen to use Flash over AJAX in building its new service, and they’ve added new features that are not found anywhere else. They’ve also done some things to reduce the hassle of creating, sharing and printing maps online.

It’s built with on the new MacroMedia Flex platform for flash, something we’ve been hearing a lot about lately.

Key Features

Because Yahoo Maps is a flash application, it avoids the need for page refreshes changes are made to the page. A simple drag and drop module on the top right lets users move around easily (even easier than the great Google drag method). There are multiple ways to zoom into and out of a map, including using the scroll wheel on the mouse, or the page up/down buttons on the keyboard. The arrow keyboard keys also allow for scrolling off-screen to new areas.

There is excellent integration wth Yahoo Local businesses. Once a map is pulled up, a quick search, such as “pizza” pulls up all local restaurants. A click shows more information, and options to add it to the driving directions itinerary.

And this is cool - they allow multipoint directions, something Google and Microsoft don’t have.. add as many stops as you need, in the order you want, and Yahoo Maps will calculate driving directions for the whole trip. This could be really useful when house hunting, for instance. Simply add all of the addresses and get an itinerary.

And as you edit the map by moving, adding things, etc., the URL in the browser bar self updates so that it can be copied and pasted at any time. This is something that really bugs me about Google Maps - the need to click a link to get a permanent URL. Yahoo’s solved that with some cool javascript coding.

Because Yahoo Maps is built on Flash, the “back button” on the browser still works (a problem with AJAX applications). At any time you can back up into older maps and the URL also rewinds.

Yahoo Maps requires the installation of Flash 7 or greater. 90% of U.S. and European computers already have it installed.

Developer API

Yahoo has two flavors of APIs for developers. The syndication API is a simple way of bringing Yahoo Maps into a website in either Flash of AJAX. They’ve also launched a richer Building Blocks API for maximum flexibility.

  • Sphere It

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2005 at 9:55 pm and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Comments

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  1. Brian Furbush

    November 2nd, 2005 at 10:06 pm

    That’s a really awesome service, I’m very impressed by the layout and the interface of the site - also very impressive that when you load the site it goes directly to the map of your location - the flash app for maps is now sure to become a tool that is more widely used by other services, hopefully from the likes of Google, MSN, etc.

  2. Chris

    November 2nd, 2005 at 10:48 pm

    http://maps.google.com/ powns this site. Grab the map and move it around…Google moves smoothly on a P4 1800, this thing moves in jerks with a 2-5 second refresh.

  3. Wow

    November 2nd, 2005 at 11:05 pm

    This is awesome. I don’t care what technology they are using, but this is just awesome.

  4. Kyle

    November 2nd, 2005 at 11:29 pm

    Once again, Yahoo is more caught up in showing off their technology(see Yahoo Mail Beta) rather than improving and innovating in the realm of the user experience.

    I agree with post #3(Chris), the Google Maps interface is much more intuitive, and it runs as smooth as butter on both my 2.0 GHz Celeron laptop, as well as my Powerbook. Not only is the Ymaps interface less intuitive than Gmaps, but as someone else pointed out, the map doesn’t refresh nearly as well as Google’s service.

    I’m beginning to think the majority of Googles PhDs are in their user experience departments, and not so much on the technology side.

  5. Orlando

    November 2nd, 2005 at 11:48 pm

    Nice job. I havn’t had any speed problems. Google Maps is cool and all, but what a rediculous interface. How anyone is expected to know what to do in that mess is beyond me. Kudo’s to Yahoo for a killer UI. Google should have fixed theirs months ago.

  6. PXLated

    November 2nd, 2005 at 11:59 pm

    I agree with others, was a dog for me with jerky movement, interface isn’t as intuitive as Google, and not as nice a Google with their satellite views. Maps don’t seem as detailed either, it didn’t even have the name of my street list, never have seen that not listed before. Thumbs down so far.

  7. Michael Arrington

    November 3rd, 2005 at 12:00 am

    I did not notice any speed issues at all. Quite the opposite in fact. It could be massive traffic, although you’d expect yahoo to be ready for that.

    I am absolutely in love with the widget in the top right corner.

  8. ariel

    November 3rd, 2005 at 12:41 am

    Yahoo is utilizing relevant content with this site – stepping into the ultimate consumer game far more efficiently than Google. The bundling of inherently useful info like ATM locations is a needed first step - we can just imagine where it will go…kudos to Yahoo for giving it a shot and not resting on their aerial photo laurels.

  9. RSM

    November 3rd, 2005 at 12:53 am

    It is nice, but I don’t think that anyone is going to move from Google Maps to Yahoo Maps.

  10. Andy Kaufman

    November 3rd, 2005 at 1:03 am

    Ditto with the jerkyness, but kudos to the interface. Can’t wait to play around a bit more

  11. Chunni Babu

    November 3rd, 2005 at 1:16 am

    I think the Yahoo Map is lot better than Google Map. Dragging is smoother and you don’t see the empty squares trying to catch up. Google was trying to prove a point by not using Flash, but does it really matter as long as the users get what they want. BTW, Google uses a Flash for Google Video. Here’s my take on Yahoo map: http://chunnibabu.blogspot.com/

  12. eoino

    November 3rd, 2005 at 2:44 am

    As usual Europe doesn’t make it onto the beta… so can’t really provide qualitative feedback although liked the live traffic status and agree with the jerky nature of the map load.
    Strangely entering “http://maps.yahoo.co.uk/beta/” redirects you to “Yahoo! Deutschland” which seems a bit bizarre ….

  13. Paul Neave

    November 3rd, 2005 at 3:28 am

    Looking forward to more being added.

    Does anyone know how Yahoo! did the URL-changing in the browser as you move about? It’s a very clever bit of JavaScript, I’d love to know how they did it.

  14. David ODonnell

    November 3rd, 2005 at 3:54 am

    interesting to read that flash 7 penetration is over 90% in europe considering that maps.yahoo.com/beta doesn’t even know europe exists… big thumb down for yahoo

  15. Jeff Jarvis

    November 3rd, 2005 at 7:18 am

    Please, please, please, Yahoo, don’t lose the wi-fi finder. That is why I use Yahoo maps not Google maps.

  16. eben

    November 3rd, 2005 at 8:50 am

    finially waypoints!
    this is now the best map app on the web.

  17. Scott Rafer

    November 3rd, 2005 at 8:54 am

    Is comment #28 right or no?

    If it’s Flash instead of Javascript that would be really too bad. I was pretty excited to move Wireless Ink’s new mapping of mobile communities [ http://www.winksite.com/site/d.....ns_map.cfm ] to Yahoo from Google (as we get the heck off Cold Fusion in the next month or two).

  18. Devman

    November 3rd, 2005 at 9:06 am

    This is an improvement over both Google and Microsoft. It does run a little slowly but hopefully that can be addressed. Sending to phone and email is HUGE. I can’t believe it’s taken this long for someone to do this.

    I worry about Google. Whereas most of their stuff was built with that “20%” of time they get to work on other things I’m not convinced that their devs want to continue building things. They work on something cool and then want to move onto something else. Google is just too slow when it comes to revving their products and they are suffering as a result.

  19. aaron

    November 3rd, 2005 at 9:30 am

    Hey # 28!

    The app was built in flash, but Yahoo! has provided a javascript API to manipulate the flash map. Developers can also use the Flash or Flex components directly in Flash or Flex applications. There’s even an AJAX API if you don’t want to use flash at all. Check it out at http://developer.yahoo.net/maps/

  20. Al

    November 3rd, 2005 at 10:00 am

    I think i’ve made the switch to Yahoo maps. It saved me a lot of time this morning because he traffic can be included on the map instantly. I used the traffic feature to find there was an accident on 101 North in Menlo Park.

    Also, it seems to use less of my laptop’s CPU than google maps.. whenever I use google maps, my laptop fan goes to high speed, and sometimes kills the machine as i drag the maps around. I’m happy to hear the fan is running normal speed after dragging around on yahoo maps a bit.

    I love the back button capability and that the url changes as you use the map.

  21. Charlie

    November 3rd, 2005 at 10:58 am

    I’ve been disappointed with Yahoo recently. They’re consistently later with their releases compared to Google and MSN, and their sites aren’t really that good. The new Y! Maps absolutely sucks. As others have said, moving around is slow. So, again, they’re a year later than everybody else and their site is still the worst of the three.

  22. Josh Bancroft

    November 3rd, 2005 at 11:10 am

    Interesting, but the Flash requirement means it’s useless to 99% of the mobile devices out there (PDAs, Smartphones, etc.), which is where I do most of my map lookups, etc.

    I rarely get lost and need a map or directions when I’m at home in front of my computer! :-)

  23. Jeff Rogers

    November 3rd, 2005 at 11:51 am

    #39. My point exactly. Which explain why I’m soooo unexcited about either Google Maps or Yahoo Maps and why I had no problem shelling out $$$$ for Microsoft Streets….

  24. Aiden Walker

    November 3rd, 2005 at 11:52 am

    Great application if you have access to a PC, however useless if your using a PDA or Mobile phone. I would say that this is gonna be useful to business travellers. But in reality most people know whats in their local area. Maybe thats just my view. However, it works well and it runs quickly. I hope they intend to extend this service to the UK not just the USA.

  25. Billy

    November 3rd, 2005 at 1:27 pm

    It isn’t working in FF for me while every other site I’ve been to works fine, i.e. I have the flash plugin installed, now what? It just sits there with a blank page from the Maps Home page.

    I hope I get a response to this cause I won’t be back, too long….

  26. nate

    November 3rd, 2005 at 1:54 pm

    Anybody else notice that you can drag the numbered locations from the bottom left section (ATMs, restaurants…) to the directions fields?

    Rad.

  27. Al

    November 3rd, 2005 at 2:49 pm

    regarding the comments about Flash for mobile devices.. there has been a Flash light version for a while, and it comes standard installed on most mobile phones in Japan for the past couple of years. Will likely make it into the US phones one of these years.

    http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashlite/

  28. Steve

    November 3rd, 2005 at 6:33 pm

    And don’t forget, Google Maps consistently gives awful directions. It constantly routes me around highways and results in extremely long trips. Thankfully, I was suspicious and went to yahoo maps!

  29. dusoft

    November 4th, 2005 at 9:15 am

    Actually, AJAX history problems (not working BACK button) have been finally solved. Please, look at:
    http://codinginparadise.org/pr.....l_history/

    Google could use that - it’s been release under BSD type licence.

  30. eNeuron

    December 7th, 2005 at 4:23 am

    There is another small company that made something even better - not only their client is based on flash but the map itself is pure flash based vector map.
    The site is:
    http://www.abmaps.com
    And as i know this site exist at least one year.

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  32. ahmedou ahmedsalem

    April 1st, 2006 at 12:05 pm

    hes yahoo thery gfoodf

  33. rado rohal

    June 7th, 2006 at 2:52 pm

    It is nice, but Google Maps is better

  34. Marian Rohal

    August 5th, 2006 at 3:01 pm

    Hi Rado. Google mabs is very gut and dis is true.

  35. Marian

    September 19th, 2006 at 4:16 am

    Hej Rado?

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  37. Tacker

    November 20th, 2006 at 8:01 am

    Now, convince Zvents to take that Google Map off of their page and put a Yahoo one (or a Virtual Earth one). Hint: they won’t do it. Why? For two reasons:

    1) The Yahoo and Virtual Earth licensing terms keep them from putting the map next to a Google advertising component.
    2) There’s a perception that Google will treat companies who stick with all of its components better (maybe by giving a discount in the future, maybe by serving out better ads, maybe, by, alas, making both components better through using attention data!
    3) They know that putting Google logos on their site is “cooler” and “more buzz generating” than putting Yahoo or Microsoft logos on their site (and they’d be right, heck, I work for Microsoft and I’m talking about their site).

  38. Thomas

    December 8th, 2006 at 3:04 am

    This is a great article. I am new to your blog and i like what I see. I look forward to your future work.
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  39. Ron B.

    December 12th, 2006 at 4:49 pm

    The new Yahoo maps really sucks. They made it so flashy that it’s useless for basic tasks like finding locations. I’m switching to Mapquest.

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