Yahoo's been busy, today it also announced that it is overlaying traffic data on top of its Maps product. The picture shows get from my house to Yahoo, with traffic highlights.

This is a capability that John Hanke showed with Keyhole at Web 2.0, so I expect we'll see something similar from Google shortly...Release in extended entry.

YAHOO! BECOMES FIRST ONLINE MAPS PROVIDER TO OFFER
REAL-TIME TRAFFIC SOLUTION

Sunnyvale, Calif. – December 16, 2004 – Yahoo! Inc., a leading global Internet company, today announced the launch of a service that lets consumers view live local traffic information on their online maps and driving directions. Yahoo! is the first online site to provide speed conditions and dynamic traffic information nationwide.

The new mapping feature will initially be integrated in Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! Local, and Yahoo! Maps — and is available to consumers at http://maps.yahoo.com. In the coming months, Yahoo! will continue to develop additional enhancements that increase the functionality and power of its mapping and traffic technology to deliver on its vision of delivering the best local search experience online.

Online map usage has grown 60 percent during the last two years (Nielsen NetRatings, October 2004), and products are becoming more advanced with technology like Yahoo!’s innovative SmartView service. In line with this increase in consumer demand online, the new Yahoo! traffic solution provides users with the best way to reach their destinations by incorporating reliable information for over 70 metropolitan areas in the U.S.

With this new mapping service, consumers can now

• Customize their Yahoo! Maps display and layer traffic information on top of driving directions or maps
• Scroll over the traffic icons - an extension of Yahoo!’s SmartView technology - to find out the road conditions on their journey ahead including the time the incident occurred and the estimated time that it will be resolved
• Find traffic accident reports and road construction information in over 70 metropolitan areas
• Find real-time driving speed data in over 20 top metropolitan areas
• Pan and zoom to find the traffic information most relevant to them
• Provide the best way to reach their destinations by incorporating reliable information from embedded road sensors, traffic cameras, police scanners/reports, and traffic helicopters.

For example, if a consumer uses Yahoo! Local to search for a restaurant, he/she can now click on the map or driving directions to see the traffic conditions and determine how long it will take to reach the destination. Or, if a consumer types the phrase Atlanta Traffic into Yahoo! Search, he/she will receive a link on top of the page that would enable him/her to see a real-time map of the traffic conditions in Atlanta.

“Yahoo! continues to improve our users’ online experiences by delivering new and innovative local services,” said Paul Levine, general manager of Yahoo!’s Local Services. “We’re pleased to be the first major maping site to offer a robust, nationwide traffic service. This is an exciting extension of our local strategy and another example of how we can leverage Yahoo!’s content and technology to create a truly differentiated search experience.”

As an extension of Yahoo!’s SmartView product, this real-time traffic service brings content into a mapping interface to offer users the ability to visualize traffic information in a whole new way. With current integration with Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Local, this mapping product will offer deeper integration across the network in the coming months.

About Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is a leading provider of comprehensive online products and services to consumers and businesses worldwide. Yahoo! is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and the most trafficked Internet destination worldwide. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo!'s global network includes 25 world properties and is available in 13 languages.