Mapping Out the Future

Online maps are getting one heck of a makeover. And that's good news for travelers as well as for city dwellers eager to brush up on the delights of their own turf. Once just electronic versions of printed maps, online maps can now locate everything from the best street-food vendors in New York City to the Arctic Monkeys' concert route across Britain, complete with addresses, details and occasionally images. These new-style maps, called mashups, are created by blending Internet applications such as Google Maps and Yahoo! Maps with data on just about anything to create personalized guides....