The KML Handbook

I just noticed the "The KML Handbook: Geographic Visualization for the Web" by Josie Wernecke is out on Safari Rough Cuts. It looks like it has some interesting tips, not really a programming book per se, more of an expanded version of Google's documentation.  The subtitle is interesting to me- "for the Web".  A couple of years ago it would have just been for Google Earth, but KML is on its way to becoming the new shapefile.  Next I want JSON.

SpatialKey - Flash Mapping...

A colleague sent me a link to a beta Flash based mapping tool called SpatialKey from Universal Mind. It's pretty slick with timelines, heatmaps, animation, filters, and easy data loading from CSV. They have an enterprise angle as well with a Java server side application. It reminds me a little bit of the tools that could build something like Trulia Hindsight or the London Transit slider maps which were built by Stamen. Now if I could just find a way to create deep links into it...or is that called Flex?