"Atlantis," reads my copy of The Dictionary of Imaginary Places, "a vast island-continent submerged under the waters of the Atlantic towards the year 9560 BC; parts of it are still inhabited and can be visited."

Google has been very apologetic about the fact that open businesses are being incorrectly reported as closed on Google Places. It's incredibly easy to report business as closed on the service, and Google has promised on its blog to fix the problem. Let's back things up for a second and look at the Google Places service.

Google has removed a service that predicted travel times with traffic from the browser-based version of Google Maps.

Google Maps fans have been in full satire mode writing reviews for what might be the site where American forces killed Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Shortly after President Obama spoke to the nation on Sunday, people scoured Google's satellite imagery and came up with what may very well be the hideout where the al-Qaeda leader was staying. The purported Bin Laden site on Google Maps looks like a large estate surrounded by large security walls, similar to the description of the compound showing up in news reports.

Google Map Maker was released almost three years ago, allowing users in 183 countries to modify the online maps we've become reliant upon. Now Google has extended the reach of Map Maker to include the United States and added new features such as street-level perspective on places with Street View imagery, editable points of interest, and powerful search options that can see small details like railroad tracks.

The Android versus iOS platform war is heating up. Just one day after Apple announced its new in-app subscription model, Google responded with a similar scheme. Google may soon launch its long-expected music service to compete with iTunes, and Apple may be trying to horn in on mobile social products such as Google Buzz with a revamped Mobile Me.

Apple may be looking to release its own mapping and navigation software with future products, according to a few new job listings on its website.

Apple may be looking to release its own mapping and navigation software with future products, according to a few new job listings on its website.

With the founding of ESRI 40 years ago, Jack Dangermond pioneered the business of geographic information systems (GIS). He shares his perspective on how the Web has democratized access to geographic information, and how mashups between GIS and traditional information systems are transforming the way companies view and analyze business data.