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Everyone loves Google's maps. But here's something you may not know. In February Google added a new feature: traffic reports! For 30 major U.S. cities, they'll highlight the spots on a map where traffic problems have been reported. (After you've pulled up driving directions, just click on the "traffic" button!)

It's one way that a "Google's Maps" block is more powerful than you think. Xerpi makes it easy to add a search window for Google Maps to your home page. (Just click the "Add Content" hyperlink at the top of the page -- then click "Add Google Maps"!) Here's some handy tips for the getting the most out of your Google Maps block.

• Just for fun, type something in parentheses after your address. Google will display that on the map in place of the word "Address"!

• Did you know you can stretch Google's maps across the entire width of your screen? Just click the tiny blue arrow located halfway down the map's left edge!

• To get driving directions between two locations, type them both into the window with the word "to" in between!

• Your map can even display businesses in your neighborhood. Just type what you're looking for, and then the word "near", and an address, city name, or zip code.

Some geeks will even pull up a location's map by typing in the numerical coordinates for its longitude and latitude. And don't forget that you can always switch your map to Google's "satellite photo" view.

A Google Maps block may not take up much space -- but it's very powerful!