Adobe Flex release

Adobe today announced the immediate availability of Adobe AIR, a new platform for building rich internet applications (RIAs) across different platforms, including Mac OS X.

Adobe AIR enables developers to create RIAs on the desktop using the skills and Web technologies — such as HTML, Ajax, PDF, Adobe Flash and Adobe Flex — they already employ. Applications deployed on Adobe AIR have the advantages of browser-based RIAs, such as speed of development, ease of use, and access from virtually anywhere. Yet they also have the benefits of desktop applications, such as the ability to read/write local files, work with other applications on a user’s computer and maintain local data storage on the desktop.

Adobe points out that AIR makes use of various open source technologies including WebKit, the Apple-sponsored rendering engine behind Safari.

Also released is Adobe Flex 3 software which provides a framework for developing applications based on Adobe's Flex and AIR frameworks.

Flex is a free, open source framework for building highly interactive, expressive RIAs. Adobe Flex Builder™ 3, an Eclipse™ based development tool, accelerates Flex application development and includes new capabilities for deploying RIAs on Adobe AIR. Adobe Flex Builder 3 integrates with Adobe Creative Suite® 3 software making it easy for designers and developers to work together more efficiently. Powerful new testing tools, including memory and performance profilers and integrated support for automated functional testing, speed up development and lead to higher performing RIAs.

The Adobe AIR and Flex SDKs are available as free downloads from Adobe's website and is available for Mac OS X. Commercial versions of Adobe Flex Builder are also available.

Cool uses of google maps

Murph sent through a link a few weeks back with some interesting uses of google maps.
You can see his list on this 100 things to do with Gmaps page.

A particular few I found interesting are:

http://www.thomasscott.net/realworldracer/
http://www.mapmsg.com/

I think all of them are great uses of maps and whilst you can tell it is google maps with a mashup you think more about what you or the app is doing than the fact that it is google maps. In essence it is all about the app and experience - I think that is a good place to be.

Nice bit of semi-viral

Check out this site from Hasbro on Global Monopoly. Basically you vote for the top spot on the board and get 10 votes. Even better you get 10 votes - per day. This brings you and friends back to the site to achieve the top spot. Brilliant and simple. Also note the clear call to action at the end of the registration process telling you to come back and where to find more information on Monopoly.
See it here: http://www.monopolyworldvote.com/en_GB/world/leaders

Nice technology integration

Check out this recent post on a BBC blog.

BBC Blog

I think it is a really good example of 'do as you say'. All of us in technology are quick to tout the benefits yet often have few examples. This blog (linked to from the BBC homepage no-less) has the speed of content and immediacy of a blog coupled with a interview taken on a smartphone and embedded via YouTube. Blog, SmartPhone, Video Capture, Video Upload, YouTube all come together in a rather seamless way to produce quite a compelling and informative piece of content with very little effort. I also admire the way BBC are willing to try new technologies and embed content with different qualities and in new ways on their site. Nice!