Google Maps Gets a Major Makeover

Google says it has rebuilt Google Maps for the Web with a new version that's more immersive and social. The new version takes a page from Google's mobile efforts by putting the search box inside the map and making use of cards - Google's take on interactive information widgets. "It's simple and powerful. The map is the user interface," Google's Bernhard Seefeld told attendees at the company's annual developers conference, where the new Web service was unveiled.

When users click on locations, information about those areas appears on cards. Information can include navigation, which offers a comparison between driving times and public transit times in one spot. Maps also offers social results, showing places that friends have reviewed.

The Maps interface features a 3D view, which Google says does not require any additional software or browser plug-ins. This is a similar experience to what Google has offered in its Earth app. In fact, users can zoom all the way out to see the entire Earth with a live view of clouds.