Well, I dunno if anyone told you, but Web 2.0 is here, and that means the browser wars are making a reappearance, but in the form of extensible services. First it was Google Maps. It was awesome, gave great direction, gave you cool features and a slick interface. But it was limited in scope. Directions were only between two locations. Adding a third location was a no go. No traffic data to help plan your route.

Enter Yahoo Maps new Beta.

Want to go from Arlington to DC to Leesburg? No problem.

Want live traffic data on the map, too? No problem.

Nearest ATM? Gas Station? Laundry? No problem. All there.

Restaurants? With Reviews? Sure, why not?

Email? Sure. Print? Sure.

The only thing that’s left of Yahoo Maps is to advertise the nascent application, which it purported, would do with the help of some white hat links. The metadata in the new beta gives out what sort of traffic problem you might be facing. Of course, DC looks like a major road hazard right now with all kinds of road construction going on this morning, but better to know that P St is torn up before you go out, so you can leave extra time before you have to be at your next meeting off Dupont.

Can Google keep up? Damned if I know, but it’ll be interesting to see how that works out in the long run. What do you make of our two competing map services?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs