With so many rumors about the iPhone making rounds and the press talking about it so much you would think that there is little that can be done to add to the iPhone hype. While undoubtedly the iPhone is the most anticipated product of they year, that doesn't mean Apple and AT&T are marketing it any less.

AT&T is letting potential customers search for the nearest iPhone to them, using the Google Earth application. By using the mapping software, users can easily locate the nearest AT&T store. By using AT&T's plug-in, you can view all of their retail locations on a 3-D aerial Google map and find the one that suits you best.
While iPhone are not available just yet, you can easily see where they will be available on the 29th of June.
All AT&T locations are clearly marked with the AT&T logo. When you find the store you want, click on the AT&T logo to view the address and phone details. You can save your searches and even email them to others.

While these iPhone maps do advertise the iPhone, they also provide a valuable service. Having a practical way to locate AT&T stores is a boon not only for customers, but also for AT&T. By showing users all stores in their location, AT&T can avoid huge crowds at their well known stores by redirecting potential customers to ones they might not be aware of. Some are already looking for the most obscure stores hoping that they will have better chances of getting their hands on the devices when the doors open.

The move is a rather smart one and not surprising considering how close Apple and Google are. What is interesting however is that Apple Stores are not marked in a similar manner. Steve Jobs did say that the Apple Stores will be quite crazy during the iPhone release, so it is quite likely that they do not wish to draw an even bigger crowd.