Enjoy the Holiday Road
It seems everyone I know is either heading out for the holiday week or getting ready to welcome people into their house. Me? I’ll be here all week blogging, but if you’ll be off the grid I’d like to make sure you have a wonderful holiday and see you in the new year. And those back east I hope shoveling that snow keeps the pounds off. Take it away Lyndsay…
The Google Maps Data API and Google Fusion API News
It seems like not a week goes by (heck sometimes an hour) without Google just dropping a bombshell. Well this time it is a combination of things.
First we’ve got new functionality in the Google Maps Data API. First off you can now perform geospatial and attribution queries on data stored on Google’s MyMap. Now of course this isn’t paleo-type spatial queries, just simple stuff that solve 80% of all queries you’d need to complete. Simple web apps need not fancy complicated APIs and clearly Google is the master of this. So upload your data into Google’s My Maps and then query it to display on a Google Maps application. Simple and sweet.
Second is an update to the Google Fusion Tables API. As the GeoChalkboard blog rightly points out:
Now, obviously Google Docs has been around awhile so uploading your spreadsheet data to this type of application is nothing new, but the compelling thing about Fusion Tables is its integration with the Google Maps API and Google Visualization API. Visualizations are also real time as Fusion Tables automatically updates data as it is updated or corrected. With the Fusion Tables API you can also update or query the database programmatically. Data can also be imported from various data sources including text files and relational database management systems.
The pieces are really coming together here. Not only can you load and work with data, but you can freely visualize it. And not only do it freely, but do it freely in a scalable environment. Let that all sink in for a moment. Google is enabling tools that we pay big money for with APIs that are so simple anyone can use them. Check and mate for some geospatial companies I think. Database + Visualization = GIS eh?
Information running through my brain…
The Google Maps Data API and Google Fusion API News
It seems like not a week goes by (heck sometimes an hour) without Google just dropping a bombshell. Well this time it is a combination of things.
First we’ve got new functionality in the Google Maps Data API. First off you can now perform geospatial and attribution queries on data stored on Google’s MyMap. Now of course this isn’t paleo-type spatial queries, just simple stuff that solve 80% of all queries you’d need to complete. Simple web apps need not fancy complicated APIs and clearly Google is the master of this. So upload your data into Google’s My Maps and then query it to display on a Google Maps application. Simple and sweet.
Second is an update to the Google Fusion Tables API. As the GeoChalkboard blog rightly points out:
Now, obviously Google Docs has been around awhile so uploading your spreadsheet data to this type of application is nothing new, but the compelling thing about Fusion Tables is its integration with the Google Maps API and Google Visualization API. Visualizations are also real time as Fusion Tables automatically updates data as it is updated or corrected. With the Fusion Tables API you can also update or query the database programmatically. Data can also be imported from various data sources including text files and relational database management systems.
The pieces are really coming together here. Not only can you load and work with data, but you can freely visualize it. And not only do it freely, but do it freely in a scalable environment. Let that all sink in for a moment. Google is enabling tools that we pay big money for with APIs that are so simple anyone can use them. Check and mate for some geospatial companies I think. Database + Visualization = GIS eh?
Information running through my brain…
OpenScales — An Open Source Mapping Framework Based on ActionScript 3 and Flex
I’m sure everyone reading this blog knows my opinions about Flash and Silverlight. I’m of the mindset that I’d prefer HTML Javascript over either, but clearly like my opinion that 3D Globes would too hard for “ordinary people” to use; I’m in the minority. Given the huge adoption for both for mapping, an open source?mapping framework usingActionScript 3 and Flex has appeared.
OpenScales, which has a LGPL license will allow those who want to build “rich” (rich is the keyword for any Flash or Silverlight app, if it ain’t rich, it ain’t a plugin) web mapping applications without need to license proprietary development frameworks. You can see from the demos that this ends up being very similar to other Flex based APIs.
On top of that, it supports WMS/WFS, OpenStreetMap, IGN, KML and direct image reading. You can also deploy on mobile using ActionScript 3 (Palm Pre support), web using wlex or on the desktop using Adobe Air.
OpenScales 1.1 was just released last week so the community seems strong and working toward increasing its functionality quickly. If you are working on Adobe web technology and want an open source mapping framework, you might want to check out OpenScales.
OpenScales — An Open Source Mapping Framework Based on ActionScript 3 and Flex
I’m sure everyone reading this blog knows my opinions about Flash and Silverlight. I’m of the mindset that I’d prefer HTML Javascript over either, but clearly like my opinion that 3D Globes would too hard for “ordinary people” to use; I’m in the minority. Given the huge adoption for both for mapping, an open source?mapping framework usingActionScript 3 and Flex has appeared.
OpenScales, which has a LGPL license will allow those who want to build “rich” (rich is the keyword for any Flash or Silverlight app, if it ain’t rich, it ain’t a plugin) web mapping applications without need to license proprietary development frameworks. You can see from the demos that this ends up being very similar to other Flex based APIs.
On top of that, it supports WMS/WFS, OpenStreetMap, IGN, KML and direct image reading. You can also deploy on mobile using ActionScript 3 (Palm Pre support), web using wlex or on the desktop using Adobe Air.
OpenScales 1.1 was just released last week so the community seems strong and working toward increasing its functionality quickly. If you are working on Adobe web technology and want an open source mapping framework, you might want to check out OpenScales.
MapQuest Does Street Level Imagery
So yea, not a surprise.
As the name implies, 360 view provides fantastic panoramic views (360 horizontally and 160 vertically) of any given image within the 360 View coverage area (initially 30 cities and 15 suburbs across the United States with more to come). We have studied our industry, gleaning tidbits here and there, and polled our customer base in creating a simple, easy-to-use interface that fits seamlessly into the MapQuest mapping experience you have come to know and understand. Best of all, MapQuest 360 View “just works” without requiring any 3rd party player downloads.
Take that Bing Maps and your 3rd party player download. MapQuest works without any Silverlight player to get in your way… except of course it uses a 3rd party player called Flash. I suppose this plays into Adobe’s assertion that their 3rd party player download is included by default in many browsers by default. Still it looks good and appears to have been taken sometime last year (the light rail line isn’t running yet in Phoenix and most stations haven’t been built yet.
A view of University of Phoenix Stadium where youll be seeing the true national championship; TCU vs BSU.
A view of University of Phoenix Stadium where you’ll be seeing the true national championship; TCU vs BSU.
Now before you start going off an claiming this doesn’t matter, remember the real traffic numbers for the four main mapping sites:
Yep, Bing and Yahoo don’t add up to MapQuest’s reach. I think it is critical to get this functionality into their API before more companies abandon it for Google While traffic numbers trend down over the last 6 months, I’m not sure it is losing to Bing or Yahoo.