Google Maps Flash API Update

Missed this update while I was attending 360|Flex, but the map team at Google has released another update to their Maps API. I haven’t installed it yet, but from the change log here are some of the major items of note:

• driving directions
• custom info windows
• custom overlays

And of course bug fixes. Pamela Fox on the Maps team has created several demos.

360Flex Videos Available

Adobe has posted 15 1 hour sessions to the AMP channel below. Simply click the badge to install Adobe Media Player and subscribe to 360Flex Channel. This is part of a larger effort in distributing information and content for the developer community. WordPress won’t let me include the install badge, so click on the 360|Flex logo to go to Ted Patrick’s post on this.

If you encounter issues with AMP feed subscription via the badge. Here is how to do it manually:

1. Install AMP
2. Click “My Favorites” menu at the top.
3. Click “Add RSS Feed” at the bottom.
4. Paste: http://sessions.onflex.org/1733261879.xml

You will then be subscribed to the AMP feed and all videos will show up in "My Favorites ".

All the videos posted are under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Feel free to embed the videos directly into your blog.

360Flex keynote

The keynote for the 360Flex conference just ended. Mark Anders from Adobe gave most of it. Thermo was demo’ed. You start to see how FXG will play into all of this effort. Can’t wait for this tool! In line with FXG, degrafa will now be working in tandem with Adobe on bringing graphic ‘MXML’ into Flex 4 (aka GUMBO).

We also got a nice set of demos from Justin Everett-Church on Flash Player 10. I’ll be attending his session on Weds.

I’ll be at 360|Flex

For those not going to FlashFoward, you can find me hanging out at the 360|Flex conference in San Jose. Really looking forward to the conference. I was at the first one, so this will be a homecoming for me as well.

Mapping Talk from August San Diego Flash User Group Meeting

At the August San Diego Flash User’s Group meeting, I gave a presentation on mapping solutions that are available for use in the Flash Platform. I want to say thanks to Zach Graves at Yahoo! who helped with some of the finer points of the Yahoo! solution. The slides are very visual, but there is some sample code tucked away in the deck. The main take away, was there are several great solutions available to Flash developers.

Some of the key points are: what is the map coverage of the interested area. This is an area of concern of an app I am developing. Adobe AIR support is also something to be aware of in picking your map solution.

One nice surprise was learning about the globe feature in the Mapquest 5.3 api.

Usability and the Olympics

So the Olympics are starting today ( or was it yesterday. That darn date line), so I decided to visit the http://www.nbcolympics.coml to find out when various events are on since I am going to be out of town for a few days. So I head to the Olympic site and easily find the TV Listing section.

Ok, so you need my zip code. That’s expected. Nice touch in not making the Cancel button the same weight as the Next button.

Next I am presented with a list of cable options. Why a scrolling list? Unless someone can show me a huge list, why? why? Cable, Cable-Ready, Digital? What to do if I don’t know?

So on to the next screen: Here is the instructions

You’re eligible to receive programming from more than one NBC station in your area. Please indicate the station on which you plan to watch the Olympics:

However, there is only one choice listed below. Opps.

Now on to my main issue, the actual TV listing page.

NBC Olympic TV listing

Ok, being a kayaker, I want to see when the paddling events are. I see the nice listing of the sports on the left, and click the canoe/kayak link. Instead of the TV listing being filtered to this event, I am taken to the Canoe/Kayak event page. What?!?!

So, I navigate back to the previous page and try again. Now I see the menu option to filter by sports, and select Canoe/Kayak. Ok, no events today. Now how to locate when they are paddling? I finally notice that the date bar across the top has changed slightly. Days that do have some coverage are now clickable. You noticed that the background image had changed right?

Now, I am thinking that I am going to have to click through each date to locate what sort of coverage I might have. In talking this over with a colleague, we noticed that there is a item on this bar, labeled “All Days”. Ah, perfect. This is page that I need.

To me it would have been a lot easier to query the user at the beginning if they are interested in the schedule for the day, or are they trying to plan out their recording schedule for their DVR?

Just some thoughts.

Visual Design Patterns

I spend most of my time working with various visual and interaction designers, and often refer to various visual design patterns. I say this post on Ethan Eismann’s blog about the site Pattern Tap. This is nice reference site for the entire team.

Adobe AMF Support in Zend Framework

For those who use the Zend framework, you might be interested in the proposal. Andi Gutmans of Zend said

This ZF component will allow for client-side applications built with Flex and Adobe AIR to communicate easily and efficiently with PHP on the server-side.

The best part was I didn’t have to suggest this to my brother-in-law at Zend.