Map services, the latest thing in online searching, are now at the hackers' disposal.

Google has decided to provide programmers with Google Maps API and the example was shortly followed by Yahoo, which also announced that it plans to do the same with SmartView.

The decision to offer access to these technologies is somehow tardive, considering that there are already sites which have developed interesting applications using these services. The most well-known example is an American example, HousingMaps.com, which sells real states. By using Google Maps technology, the site allows viewing the locations.

From now on, programmers will be able to integrate Google Maps and Yahoo Maps in their applications, provided that they mention the names of the technologies.

Both Google and Yahoo hope that programmers will find new usages for their map services, for example, to create maps of industries for certain regions. In this way, Internet surfers will have web sites that point out which are the clothes stores in a certain district and provide information on them.

The two companies have different policies regarding the applications resulted from this decision. For example, Yahoo has announced that it will host the maps created by the programmers on its own servers and that it is also able to provide ads for them, if one desires so.

Google, on the other hand, encourages programmers to host their applications wherever they desire, the company being also able to offer ads for them.

Aside from the new development possibilities, both Google and Yahoo, hope that in this way, more and more users will use their maps.