Google Maps is a popular free web mapping service application and technology provided by Google that powers many map-based services including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder and many embedded maps on third-party websites via the Google Maps API. Recently I have seen one great application of Google Maps API. It is actually a news mashup website called HeadlineMap. It combines current stories from many world news sources with a mapping interface. Depending on the region you are viewing news is being pulled from the largest regional news organizations and plotted for you by the story location. Other technical ingredients and content of this mashup include the Google Maps API, Topix.net and Flickr content. You can put HeadlineMap on your website or blog by adjusting the dimensions and location.

Check out its example on my blog.