Now when you search for somewhere to go in Explore, you’ll see a score from 1 to 10 next to the name of a place. It’s our way to give you a quick sense of how much people love it, and it’s a lot different from the other types of ratings you see today. ...
Instead of other sites where every place gets 3.5 stars, we come up with our scores using the same Foursquare magic that powers Explore. We look at signals like tips, likes, dislikes, popularity, loyalty, local expertise, and nearly 3 billion check-ins from over 25 million people worldwide. And, with every check-in and Explore search, our scores will get smarter and better.
And, yes the scores are available via the API.
Yandex, a Russian Internet company that operates that largest search engine in Russia, has released a basic maps service for Europe and the U.S. The new maps services is powered by Navteq, a Chicago-based provider of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data, and it can be viewed through maps.yandex.com. For now, no links to the Maps section from Yandex’s homepage is accessible. Yet Yandex says that the service is now up and running.
An API is expected in the coming months.
"Sources at Google familiar with its mapping plans say they are 'not optimistic' that Apple will ever approve a dedicated Google Maps iOS app," according to a report from The (London) Guardian. "Though the app is reportedly in development and should be ready to ship by the end of the year, the sources say their plans are only proceeding in 'the unlikely event that Apple will choose to approve the app.'"
- eWeek
Google's mobile maps product saw its market share in China decline by close to 50 percent in the third quarter due to Apple switching to its own maps product.
- MacWorld
