- Atom for KML: Very interesting post by Sean Gillies: Atompub, KML and Google Earth. Just as you can today use the Atom publishing protocol to post and edit entries in a blog, Sean suggests that soon we may be using it (or something similar) to post and edit content in a KML file. That would make parallel publishing/updating to not just HTML and RSS but also KML very easy. I like it!
- Coloring maps: I’ve seen this mentioned on some geoblogs but hadn’t tried it until now. Zonum’s ColorIt, which first offers you a set of map boundary data for subdivisions of a country or state (globally), then colors it, and finally lets you export the data as KML (where you can play with transparency), is actually really cool:
But Zonum has more Google Earth related stuff on his website, all of it under the radar until now (at least my radar): There is a whole collection of free small converters available, for example for turning an Excel spreadsheet into KML, KML into a Shapefile (and back), finding the bounding box coordinates, KML to AutoCAD DXF and a lot more. Check it out to see if there is a tool there for you.
- Bikemap.de is a German-language community site for bike routes, with nice design, height data, embeddable maps, and exporting as GPX and KML. It uses the new MyMaps tools for editing and adding routes. Definitely worth a look. (Via Teddy Krieger)
- Sketchup campus competition downunder: After the US SketchUp campus building competition, there’s one for New Zealand and Australia.
- Immersive US cities: Launching later this year, EveryScape, which seems to be a US counterpart to urban panorama sites Arounder and 360 Cities, though with a “mentored” user-generated component. EveryScape also has in-picture links to more info and to nearby locations — it’s just like a real-life verson of Myst:-) No word if there will be a overlay for Google Earth. (Via O’Reilly Radar)
- UK GE imagery update: Google’s latest dataset update erases some recently built infrastructure at UK’s RAF Fairford air base, where B2 bombers are stationed, according to Secret Bases, a UK military site. Apparently, older data has replaced newer data. Is it a conspiracy? I doubt it, as only the southern edge of the base was updated, as part of a much bigger wedge of data.
- Hurricane tools: The GuiWeather site has updated their KML offerings in time for the US hurricane season.
- Pilot tools: Climb! for Mac is a pilot logbook. It’s database of airports now has links to the view in Google Earth. (Perhaps future versions will let you fly your track in Google Earth?) ($30)
- Virtual globe UI: OnomyLabs Geo-Explorer Table lets you tilt and rotate a table to navigate a virtual globe. It was demoed at the 2006 Where 2.0 and looks like fun:
One thought on “Links: Atom for KML, ColorIt, Bikemap.de”
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Unfortunately the “elevation data” is determined by the user and it is on a range from 1 to 5 (if I remember well). If you take, for example, veloroutes.org there you find a real elevation calculated profile, the possibility to export kml/gpx. At the moment the author is working to implement auto-routing. Ok, the page is at its beginnings but looks promising …