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ParkMe's Android app officially launched, does everything but the maneuver
Finding a spot to stash your whip, especially in unfamiliar territory, can be a chore, so you might want to employ ParkMe to do the finding for you. The service -- which has been available on iOS and via the web for a while -- has now officially debuted its Android app after a few months of soft-launch tweaking. (What ever happened to Google's own parking app?). It's basically a database that uses the Google Maps API to help you locate a spot in almost any city you can think of. It also shows you prices, how you can pay and when garages are open, but best of all, it'll tell you how busy specific locations are using real-time figures, thanks to partnerships with some of the companies that deal in floor space. You can get it for free in the Play store, but one thing it won't do is actually park for you -- luckily, there's an app for that, too.
Google drops cost of Maps API to keep developers, gives Foursquare puppy eyes (update: potentially cheaper)
Google must be feeling the pinch from developers like Foursquare who've jumped ship from Google Maps in opposition to costs, as it just cut the price of heavy Maps API use in a big, big way. Where it used to cost $4 for every 1,000 map hits beyond a 25,000 daily limit, the company is now charging as little as $1 in addition to eliminating the lower usage cap for app writers who tweak the map look. The olive branch won't make Apple change its mind, of course, but Google clearly isn't keen on anyone else using the price tag as an incentive to join the exodus. Mountain View is no doubt eager to keep as many mobile and web app developers on its side as it can -- with Google I/O just around the corner, it wouldn't do to have customers leaving at the very moment Google is trying to rally support for a big Maps update. Update: As some of you have pointed out the comments, it can get as low as 50 cents per 1,000 map loads. We've been using the API version 2 price as the baseline, but it's true that if you only need version 3 or one of the more limited static or Street View calls, you can pay half as much.
Pastmapper looks to take Google Maps back in time
There's not exactly a ton to see there just yet, but a new website called Pastmapper has some pretty ambitious plans, and it's off to a fairly decent start. With a little help from the Google Maps API, it's aiming to provide maps of cities as they were in the past, complete with local business information, accurate streets, and even changes to things like hills and coastline. To kick things off, site founder Brad Thompson has debuted version 0.1 of the site with map of San Francisco as it was in 1853, including information from the A.W. Morgan & Company's San Francisco City Directory. Take a gander for yourself at the source link below -- and, if you're interested, Thompson is currently looking for some help to expand it.
