Google Map Search gadget for the personalized homepage – an easy way do local searches and then quickly scroll through the results on a map.
[via http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/map-search-gadget-for-homepage.html]

In fact Google AJAX team talk about that two days ago ;)
http://googleajaxsearchapi.blogspot.com/2006/08/map-search-gadget_14.html

but, IMO, I prefer Google Maps itself, not a built-in version