Google is launching a new maps mashup service called Mapplets this week, which has made us all nostalgic for our favorite Google Maps mashups. There are plenty of obvious ones (Frappr, Zooomr, Trulia) but we've made some quirkier picks for our must-see mashups. Enjoy!

WikiMapia

As the name suggests, WikiMapia is a wiki-like map where users can add information about a location.

TaxiWiz

Figure out how much a cab ride is likely to cost beforehand by plotting your route in six different cities including New York and San Francisco.

Flickrvision

Combining Flickr’s API with Google Maps, Flickrvision shows the most recently uploaded photos from around the world in real-time on a map.

HousingMaps

This site is a mashup of Craigslist with Google Maps, providing a listing of housing for rent and for sale in most major cities. The site also includes filters so you can drill down to listings in a specific price range.

Findbyclick

Findbyclick offers a tool that combines Google Maps with various store locators, including Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Tim Horton’s.

HealthMap

This map utilizes feeds from the World Health Organization and others to provide the latest updates on diseases and outbreaks in the different regions of the world.

Fastfoodmaps

Combining store locators from 10 leading fast food restaurants with Google Maps, fastfoodmaps.com allows you to drill down to specific cities and indicate which chains you would like displayed.

WalkJogRun

This site helps runners plot a route by specifying where they would like to run, and what distance they would like to travel. WalkJogRun includes features for saving and emailing your routes.

AP News

This mashup shows recent headlines from Associated Press on a map from where the story is datelined.

US Presidential Primaries

This map shows the results of polls that have been taken in each state for both parties leading up to the 2008 US Presidential Primaries.



Sunrise and Sunset Tracker

Find out where in the world the sun is currently rising and setting with this map.

Telephone Prefix Locator

Want to identify where a mysterious telephone number is calling you from? The prefix locator allows you to enter both the area code and next three digits to find a fairly precise location of your mystery caller.

ChicagoCrime.org

This site allows you to search a database of crimes reported in Chicago and see where they took place. You can filter your results by location, type of crime, district, and date, and then see details of the crime on the map.

Google Maps is already one of the most widely used APIs and the trend will only accelerate as the service moves to become “the Facebook of maps” through the new Mapplets feature. The additional exposure that an official Google Maps application repository will provide should cause a flock of both entrepreneurs and developers to build new applications using the technology. Google has already shown a penchant for companies that build innovative apps on top of Maps, having acquired photo mapping site Panoramio in May.