Google Geo Developer Day

I'm here in the briefing and Google is demonstrating a range of impressive enhancements to maps coverage, 3-D mapping and resolution. There's a new version of Google Earth available for Windows, MAC and Linux. Think of Maps and Earth as an alternative kind of web browser, a "geobrowser" if you will.

According to Google: 30K developers using the Maps API and 100 million downloads of Earth. Also, Maps and Earth, formerly separate, are being integrated — "different browsers on the same database for different use cases."

Google is also providing tools to make mapping more accessible to ordinary people and permit more user-generated content in Earth and on Maps. And make ready for the merger of multi-player gaming and mapping (at some point).

I'll provide more information later on the SEW blog. Here's more detail from Google Maps Mania and the Google Earth Blog. Google Maps Mania's Mike Pegg is running though a demo session of a range of interesting mashups right now. I'll try and do a roundup in my SEW post.

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More from the Official Google Blog on the new features and capabilities.