- No embedded video for Mac, Linux for now: The KML 2.2 reference documentation notes that “In Google Earth 4.2, video is supported” and goes on to show sample code for embedding YouTube video in a placemark. Unfortunately, word from informed people is that only the Windows version of Google Earth comes with the requisite embedded Flash player. “Mac & Linux do not have this, and won’t for some time.” This definitely dampens the incentive to go make KML with video content in it, as it would break the cross-platform compatibility that Google Earth 4.1 enjoyed with KML 2.1.
- 2D floorplans to 3D KML: Metropix has a novel idea that I would never have thought of. Writes Metropix’s Max Christian:
GE has been used for real estate since back in 2005 of course, but the new aspect is that we have developed technology to generate furnished 3D models in GE automatically from 2D floor plans. We produce thousands of floor plans per day for real estate agents, so this will lead to quite a lot of 3D models quite quickly! There’s more information here.
Amazon Web Services Blog also writes them up today as another fine use of their S3 scalable server service. The result is impressively detailed KML (though I can’t vouch for its accuracy) :
- Spreading risk spatially: Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Insurance of Munich makes sure to spread the risk. Literally. Using Google Earth. Here’s how they do it. (Via Econdev20.com)
- Morocco’s censorship of Google Earth continues: More than a year later, Google Earth is still censored in Morocco. Francophone Motic blog has an in-depth round-up of local reactions, but concludes, depressingly, that “The censorship of Google Earth in Morocco has lasted for over a year because the majority have chosen to accept it rather than to denounce it.”
Given that the Google Maps API provides the same data (albeit in 2D) and given that any URL can now embed a Google Map, surely somebody can point out to the Moroccan government that they’d need to close down the internet if the intent is to prevent this imagery from ever being seen by Moroccan residents.
- Multitouch demo: More Jeff Han multitouch display pr0n, on YouTube, featuring some good geospatial candy. (Thanks giasen!)