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We've been watching with some interest - shall we say - as AOL attempts to secretly prepare for a MapQuest social network called mqVibe. It hasn't been announced yet, but we've been able to connect enough dots to figure out that it's a neighborhood social and business network. UPDATE: And it launches tomorrow.

Our intrepid gumshoe at Fusible.com has poked around some more, and now we have specifics about the kinds of features we can expect to see on mqVibe. It will sport tight Facebook integration, and it will combine reviews and popularity votes on neighborhoods and businesses into a "vibe score." AOL really is going to take a shot at Google Places and Yelp.

Something cool is coming to your neighborhood. AOL appears to be preparing us for some kind of neighborhood-based social network built around MapQuest (remember them?). It has registered a bunch of domains this year that all point to a page that says something called "mqVibe" is coming soon.

Earlier this month, we reported on a slew of domain name purchases and trademark applications that indicated some kind of AOL social network was in the works. At the time, we figured it could have just been speculative. But no, it looks like AOL is serious. MapQuest will be the hub of AOL's effort to get on the social networking map.

Skyhook Wireless, the company that provides location services for a number of mobile apps, announced this morning that it would be integrating with MapQuest to provide a more accurate location for mobile app users. If you've ever tried to use something like Google Maps while navigating busy city streets, then you realize how important it is for your map to update quickly, lest you become lost in a maze of one-way streets and alleys.

Skyhook says that its methods for gathering location data provide just that - better data faster - and it will debut today with MapQuest's android app.

One of the superior apps on the Android phone has long been Google Maps, with its turn-by-turn and voice-guided navigation missing from the iPhone version. So on the surface, MapQuest has a difficult sell to Android users with the launch of its free app today.

The MapQuest app also offers the turn-by-turn capabilities and takes advantage of Android's speech capabilities to offer a voice guide as well. The benefits of MapQuest over Google Maps comes from the former's use of OpenStreetMap (OSM), making the mapping app usable outside the U.S. and adding to it some user-submitted data.

AOL-owned MapQuest has undergone a number of changes over the last year, including a major overhaul. Today, it has launched a new initiative that may help endear the once top dog in online mapping to much of the geolocation community - a U.S. site based on crowdsourced mapping effort OpenStreetMaps.

MapQuest has already introduced similiar sites across Europe and Asia, but this site - open.mapquest.com - brings OSM data to the U.S.

MapQuest, owned by AOL, has taken backseat to newer mapping services like Google Maps and Bing Maps of late. But the venerable driving directions site added some exciting new data to its open API: bike routing information. Users and developers will now be able to access routes optimized for biking through MapQuest's Open Directions Service.

AOL's MapQuest announced today that it is launching an open-source mapping initiative, beginning with the U.K. and then heading to the United States. The project, available now at open.mapquest.co.uk, uses the new modern design and layout for MapQuest revealed last week in beta format. However, the data on the site comes from the OpenStreetMap community, an ongoing effort to create free and editable maps worldwide.

Along with the launch of "MapQuest Open," as the project is called, AOL also announced a $1 million OpenStreetMap investment fund to support the growth of open-source mapping in the U.S. "MapQuest is the first large-scale mapping site to embrace the open-source community," said Jon Brod, executive vice president of AOL Ventures, Local and Mapping.

If you've spent much time driving around and trying to navigate using Google Maps, then you know how difficult (and potentially unsafe!) it can be to try to look down and read the tiny instructions on where to go. Personally, I've spent many an hour wishing it would just read the directions aloud, as with many of the expensive GPS directions apps that are out there, but without having to shell out the big bucks.

While this feature doesn't seem to be showing up for Google Maps quite yet, it looks like Mapquest 4 Mobile has released a new version that will speak driving directions and more.

MapQuest, the one-time leader in online mapping, has been completely revamped as of today with a fresh new look and added functionality. The updated website is available now, in beta format, at new.mapquest.com.

The beta site offers a clean and uncluttered design, more discovery options and social networking integration, among other things.

MapQuest continues to lose market share to Google Maps. While MapQuest started the year with a small lead, it's now 10% behind Google Maps. Today, MapQuest launched a few new features and a major update to its map design. MapQuest now features more readable maps, as well as enhanced terrain and vegetation data. The new maps also feature building footprints and main subway stops. It is unlikely, however, that these updates will be enough to fight back Google Maps' momentum.