Yahoo released at 9PM PT a beta version of a new maps implementation. The first version was functional, but not as powerful as Google’s, and did not allow for map mashups to be included in a web page (they appeared in a popup). 
This new one solves that limitation, and adds many more cool features.
I have just started playing with this new version and find it quite remarkable. It leverages Flash to deliver maps and some Ajax code to input addresses therefore providing a lot of interactivity. And it support multi-address routes – a welcome functionality.
Another interesting one is the integration of local search results. For example, entering an address maps it out to the business located at that address, or provides a list of businesses located at that address if there is more than one.
The “Find on the Map” features allows you to perform a local search, and display all matching results on the map. For example, these are all the “Peet’s Coffee and Tea” located in the region. I can then drag one of these coffee shop addresses and drop it on an address field, therefore building an itinerary. You can also overlay live traffic information. A small window on the right top side of the map controls the zoom factor and the area displayed on larger map. Clicking on “Print” provides the itinerary, the list of points of interest (the Peet’s I searched on) and a small map.
Overall, very cool.
Yahoo has also released a new set of APIs (simple, Flash, Ajax), alongside a suite of sample applications – most of them are still being worked upon.
More:
- The Yahoo Searchblog has the official announcement
- Google’s Matt Cutts points to an amusing reverse mapping glitch
- SolutionWatch has a pretty extensive post