Mano Marks lead off on the 1st Google Geo session for Google I/O this year.
First up were updates, enhancements, and changes for the Google Earth API and Google Earth support for HMTL. Highlights included
- The new Tour KML tags for GE 5.0
- Use of update tags during Tours to create animations during tours
- Using the GE API to playback tours
- Limited HTML 5 is operative within GE 5.0 including video and audio tags on the Mac (via webkit 4.5 on PC)
- Based on an audience question, JavaScript support for JS within KML description windows will be resolved soon
SketchUp API – Mano showed some neat physics simulations which use the SketchUp API.
Pamela Fox presented on Google Maps APIs.
- Travelling Salesman in Google Maps www.geweb.net/optimap/
- StaticMaps API does support directions
- Google Maps API can be used for Desktop Applications (Section 7.1c in the Terms of Service)
- Reverse Geocoding, you can get full jSON on reserve lookups for large areas and the bounding box will be returned as the recommended viewport
- ClientLocation API to use IP to rough guess user location
- Monetization: GoogleBar and Maps Ad Unit
- Recoloring tiles in Flash (mush be approved by Google)
- 3D Flash Map with GE API like rotation control in Flash 9 and 10 (coming soon)
- Google Maps “Qualified Developer” programhttp://code.google.com/qualify
