Google Maps - One Click to Real Estate and more

In case you haven't noticed, there's another space where numerous companies are competing. 
Mobile and web-based mapping and navigation are big .. and becoming bigger as more smartphones make their way into users pockets.

Numerous new products and acquisitions have swept this segment in the pat year alone.

Google Maps (the home and office based PC version) has been making a number of quiet strides over the past year as the technology (and broadband proliferation in rural America and elsewhere) allow.

If you haven't tried it lately, it's worth another look as Google has not only added well-know features (such as the sometimes-controversial Street View) but even more noteworthly are the features you can turn on and off with one click from the 'more' button at the top of the map after chosing as destination.

Google Earth of course is there .... now coupled with photos from Panoramio (which just about anyone with a Picasa account can upload for approval .... and there are now tens of thousands).

In Maps 'Labs', there's the aerial view.  If you've never visited the GooglePlex, try it in aerial view.  Simply cool.

One feature I didn't know about until earlier this week was Real Estate.

Simply go to Google Maps, select your destination, click 'more' and then tap Real Estate.

While this could get a bit crowded in some cities, it's apparent that Google has reached many parts of Rural America and I was surprised at the amount (and accuracy) of the listings in a small town here in Pennsylvania.

A few more clicks and there's area webcams, photos, videos and lots more.

It's a great quick take in addition to the more extensive Real Estate sites such as Trulia, Zillow and others.

You can access Google Maps directly here.

Note: The aerial view is still in labs, so you need to click the little green button at the top to turn it on.