Google's most popular API brought a lot of interesting mashups between data and maps, but they were not that easy to find and the developers couldn't monetize them. Google tries to fix these problems with the new mapplets, small gadgets for Google Maps. Infoworld reports that Google will allow the creators of the mapplets to include contextual ads on the maps. The ads could have special icons that distinguish them from the normap push-pins.

When the icon is passed over, information appears in the pop-up window. If the link is followed by a user on the Mapplet, "you receive a share of the revenue," giving Web site developers another way to make money for their sites. (...)

Users would be able to set a limit on the number of sponsored ads on their customized map and also turn the feature off.

Google Maps shows both ads that send you to a website and ads placed on the map, but there aren't too many ads from the second category.</img> </img> </img>