O’Reilly’s Where 2.0 Conference isn’t until the end of May, but Google just released two sweet new map-related features: GeoRSS support and MyMaps.

The GeoRSS support means that any application that can output it’s geocoding — as simple as <georss:point>45.256 -71.92</georss:point> — can now be linked to a live map with no more effort than it takes to paste the feed URL into Google Maps’ search box. Google holds this up as the exemplar, but I’m a fan of the cheese photo map here. (Here’s some notes about GeoRSS feed validation.)

And if that isn’t easy enough, the MyMaps feature that allows anybody to start marking up a map in their browser.

The really cool part, however, is Google is now indexing all this data and supposedly will be making them part of their local search. The result? Geo mashups have now gone from peculiar examples of the new technology to the loosely linked nuggets that made Google search and the web magical in the first place.

Expect more, way more.

(Also worth noting: with these announcements, the release of the 1.0 version of the Geo Mashup WordPress plugin, and Cliffy’s experience, I’m now formally throwing in the towel on my own bsuite_geocode plugin.) (Tip o’the hat to Ryan for telling me about the GeoRSS support.)

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I’m in San Antonio for ALA Midwinter and enjoying the benefits of wide-area mobile internet access via my Treo and and the power of local search. This is sort of a test for me and my Treo, as I passed on all the usual trip prep I do and entirely I’m depending on what I’ll find in situ or in my mobile web browser.

I wandered around a bit this afternoon to get a feel for the place, but as I got hungrier, I found myself stuck in the Riverwalk Mall, and without any local clues about where to look for better food (Steers & Beers, in the mall, might have been an option if it had more activity or if those few who were sitting at tables didn’t look so miserable). So I sat down and started searching with the accompaniment of a mariachi band. Google sent my to Yahoo!, which had restaurants by neighborhood. A couple clicks later I was looking at the map and figured out that I needed to get myself over to Commerce Street, where’d I’d find at least a couple places worth dining at.

Moments later I was at a patio table at the Lone Star Cafe, sipping a Shiner, and enjoying yet another mariachi band. Score one for local search and mobile access.

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