Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:58
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 7
Developer Day also covered a range of Google APIs, including the “Google Earth API”, which allows Google Earth functionality to be accessed in a browser and the “YouTube API”, which opens up a full range of YouTube functionality for web pages, software and devices.
Another API to be covered was the “Flash Maps API”, developed in Google’s engineering office in Sydney, which allows anyone to create enhanced applications for Maps using Flash.
Google Gears, which was unveiled to the world at the first Developer Day in Sydney 2007, was also discussed, being a product that brings offline functionality to the web that used to only exist for desktop apps.
Also covered were Google’s “Mapplets”, which are mini-applications developed in Sydney that allow developers to add new features or overlay data on Google Maps.
There was also the “Google Web Toolkit”, an open source framework for developers that makes it easier to build high-performance AJAX applications compatible with all browsers.
Finally, the “Google App Engine” was explored in more detail, being a new product that allows developers to easily build and scale applications by building them on top of Google's infrastructure.
Tom Stocky kicked off the proceedings with the keynote address, and we have a bit of a Q&A with him on page 3.
But before we get to that, Stocky said in a statement that: "The web has become the platform of choice for application developers. Instead of targeting proprietary platforms, developers can target the client they can be sure every user has -- the web browser.”
Stocky continued: “The web is based on open standards and open source software, and no single company controls it. It's when you take all of our contributions in aggregate that we're able to move the web forward as a platform”.
Please read on to page 3.
