
Mapquest and Yahoo Maps are slow. Google Local's maps pop up almost immediately and allow you to click and drag to scroll around without waiting for a new page to load. Google bypasses the traditional bottleneck-building the map on a server and then transferring it-by instead sending your computer several small map "tiles" with instructions for assembly. When you scroll, it sends new tiles rather than a whole new map. Google also released the code behind the site, inspiring users to create dozens of applications with it, including chicagocrime.org, which plots reported crimes.

| regarding | user | just commented |
|---|---|---|
| The iPhone Intervention | lweldin | I have had the iphone |
| A Six-Pack of "Light" Beer | mrob10 | Can anyone recommend another |
| Popsci 5-Minute Project: How to Make a USB Cassette | lweldin | I agree with pcusack, the |
| Nuclear Moon Bases | drstrangelove | Brightblade81, you are |
| What's Next for Nokia? | Chipper Smoltz | Hello, Not a Nokia brand |

