Flash Files (.swf) Now Searchable!
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 | Adobe, Business, News, SEM, Yahoo, google | No Comments
Adobe has just announced that they have teamed up with Google and Yahoo! to help improve the way in which search engines catalogue .swf files.
According to their press release:
Adobe is working with Google and Yahoo! to enable one of the largest fundamental improvements in web search results by making the Flash file format (SWF) a first-class citizen in searchable web content. This will increase the accuracy of web search results by enabling top search engines to understand what’s inside of RIAs and other rich web content created with Adobe Flash technology and add that relevance back to the HTML page.
Improved search of SWF content will provide immediate benefits to companies leveraging Adobe Flash software. Without additional changes to content, developers can continue to provide experiences that are possible only with Adobe Flash technology without the trade-off of a loss in search indexing. It will also positively affect the Search Engine Optimization community, which will develop best practices for building content and RIAs utilizing Adobe Flash technologies, and enhance the ability to find and monetize SWF content.
This is BIG news to put it lightly. Flash files have always been partially searchable via Google, but now there is no doubt as to what content is picked up by the spider. This was a great move on Adobe’s part, most likely fueled by growing competition in the form of Microsoft’s Silverlight. See, working in an open-market does have it’s benefits!
Atlanta Now Included In Google Maps Street View!
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 | Mashup, News, google, photo-manipulation | No Comments
You read that correctly, apparently Atlanta has been added to Google Maps street view in celebration of their service turning one year old! The above picture is the street-view of The World Of Coke (located downtown) but it has worked well with every other location i’ve thrown at it so far. Go check it out by going to http://maps.google.com and search for an address in Atlanta. Clicking on the street will bring up the box you see above, or select the “street view” link. Live traffic is also up and running so you can also use google maps to check how bad I-20 is before heading out to work.
If you’ve ever wondered about the technology behind Google Maps Street View, here’s a quick diagram taken from Popular Mechanics:
That’s about as basic as it gets, so if the above info-graphic seems like common sense to you and you’d like to know more behind the actual specifications behind the process, checkout this great article on their website. It even includes a ride-along with the google street view truck in action.
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