"Google Places API Could Do For Check-ins What Google Maps Did For Maps Written by Marshall Kirkpatrick / July 29, 2010 6:28 PM / 6 Comments « Prior Post Next Post » Google has begun opening up access to a new Application Programming Interface (API) called the Places API. Developers building apps that include a "check in at this place" feature can use the Places API to search across all the places users might check in for basic information like business name, address, phone number and other descriptive information. That information will be editable by the businesses listed and no caching of data is allowed, so apps will have to ping Places regularly for real-time data. Making this data as free and easy to use as Google Maps is today could create a foundation for new location-savvy apps to bloom throughout the mobile web, with far less overhead than such apps have to wrestle with today in order to provide a rich user experience. One catch? All these apps will have to be integrated with Google's Adsense. Also available: rating information from the same business review sites that appear in Google Maps search results. So show me the best-rated coffee shop within a mile of me that's described as dog-friendly in user reviews. That would be awesome. How it Might Be Used GplacesWhen Google first began discussing the Places API in April, we discussed as an example a pizza restaurant that edited its delivery area on Google and then made that information available to apps that pinged the API for information. Those kinds of examples are less likely to be implemented at first, since the first developers being allowed access to the API are people building check-in apps. But the possibilities beyond checking in are many and diverse. Just as Google Maps made it easy for any developer to add a map and display location, the Places API could make it easy for any developer to search up to date information about any location for their application. At least that's what seems to b

"Another beautiful summer week brings another beautiful social media round-up. In case you missed any of the resources published here on Mashable, we've got them all laid out in neat little sections for your perusal. This week we looked at some great podcasts for summer listening, some hilarious infomercials on YouTube (YouTube) and some awesome trailers from Comic-Con 2010. Tech and mobile fans will be pleased to see stories on the new Samsung Galaxy S, a look back at the last five years in mobile, and an interview with superb designer Jesse Thomas. If you need some business tips and advice, we've got ways to promote your brand on YouTube, how social media can make you more productive, and ways to include multimedia on your website. Looking for even more social media resources? You can find this guide every weekend, and check out all of the lists-gone-by."