More Cool Google Maps Mashups

Following up on yesterday’s post about the Google Maps/Twitter mashup, the Lost Remote blog points to an interesting mashup created by Spokane, Washington’s Spokesman Review. In all the snow the area has received, it basically creates a micro-marketplace between snow plows and those in need of their services.

This is the kind of thing newspapers can do to experiment with online tools that combine their trusted brands with sticky map-based local tools. The same goes for YP publishers. Serendipitous mashups like this are a great and low barrier way to start to customize mapping experiences and test-drive functionality that can be the foundation of future full-fledged products.

We’ve seen a few publishers do similar things and overall, maps mashups are of course nothing new. Though we’ve given them a nod a few times this week (and sporadically in the past), Google Maps Mania is the blog of record for map mashups. Check it out to see the range of obscure and useful maps that others have created, and for inspiration for how local mashups could apply to where you sit.