Hoping to make it even easier to turn its online maps into collages of local information, Google is introducing tools that will stitch together applications from a hodgepodge of Web sites. Google is hoping to unite the information mishmash by encouraging mashup developers to package the creations into mini-applications called “mapplets” that will be posted under the “My Maps” section of Google’s Web site. Multiple mapplets can be laid over Google’s map simultaneously, meaning a user theoretically could get a glimpse at where homes are being sold in a specific neighborhood while also analyzing the area’s recent crime patterns. While it looks promising, I attempted using the new feature using Firefox but was unsuccessful it getting it to actually work. It may be a browser compatibility issue with the “mapplets” I was adding, so I’ll try testing it again and report back later.