Google released its Maps API version 2, which include faster Javascript download, overlay maps, easier debugging, more map types and no page view limit (over 500K/day give Google some notice so they can prepare to handle the traffic) and a 90-day notice before ad related changes. The more friendly service terms (Google had a restriction of 50,000/day) on transactions seem to respond in part to Placebase's Pinpoint LE, a commercial alternative to Google Maps that offer its API on per transaction basis (tiered pricing starts at $1,600 for 150,000 transactions/month), but also includes non-branded or customer-branded maps, licensing for any application, service-level agreements and support services. As Jonathan Schwartz likes to say, it's hard to compete with free.