We have started to render new maps with NAVTEQ data which is more detailed than what we had before (TIGER). Also, we've decided to switch to a different projection -- World Mercator, which we prefer visually compared to what we're using currently, World Miller Cylindrical. We're also rendering separate disaggregated layers to provide the ability to turn off certain layers like freeways and streets. More discussion to come later.

More map events have been created to detect dragging, zooming and mouse events. Click here to see a list of map events and here for an example of when particular events get triggered. There is also a good example and explanation of handling clicks here.

Polylines are a new feature in the API and you can add them as overlays to the map. Click here to see an example. Polyline colors, width and opacity can be configurable and are accessible via the PPolyline class. They can be added to the map in similar fashion as markers using addOverlay().

There was an issue with maps loading slowly in IE, which has since been fixed. Map tiles in the map view are now loaded first to improve efficiency.

Pushpin was officially released today at the 2006 Location Intelligence conference, and we've already received quite a bit of press. Our commercial JavaScript Mapping API lets you embed draggable maps (with custom branding and no advertising) on your website. Features in the API include 15 detailed zoom levels of the US and the ability to drag, pan and zoom with controls, add custom markers, display info windows, and geocode (convert addresses to map coordinates). We will be charging a monthly fee for a certain amount of map transactions and upon signing up, you will receive a key that you can use to access our API, as well as full customer support. Documentation for the API can be found here.

With the release of the Pushpin API, our team has decided to start a blog to keep track of new development and major bug fixes, as well as address common problems and requests. We're hoping this will create a helpful channel for our users to keep up with the latest updates and a way for us to respond. We are also planning on introducing discussion forums in the near future, but for now you can send all feedback and questions to support.