Google Launches Flex Application - Searchmash
Fri, 2007-10-26 10:56 — mikepotter
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Google has launched a Flex version of their Searchmash website. The site includes image previews from Snap, similar to what I used to have on this site (I took them down because they were too annoying on the mouse over of links). Using them on the right hand side of the page is a nice touch.
There are a few interesting things about this Flex application. First of all, for video searches you can play the videos right in the search results, without having to visit the site. A nice touch, though the way they've implemented it it could be done in an HTML page as well (the videos play on the right side of the results - it would be neat to play the search results themselves).
The second interesting thing that they've done is embed Google Maps in their Flex application. I haven't had time to figure out how they've done this (are they overlaying the HTML over the Flex application, or have they built a Flex version of Google Maps), but either solution would be really cool.
In any event, nice to see a company like Google jumping on the Flex bandwagon, even while sites like TechCrunch question the use of Flash and Flex.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.
I'm attending, presenting or interested in the following conferences:
- Adobe MAX in San Francisco, Nov 16 - 19, 2008
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I presented at the following conferences:
- Toronto Flex Camp 2 - May 15, 2008 (Slides)
- Flex Camp in Toronto, Nov 15 (Slides)
- DC PHP Conference in Washington, Nov 7 - 9 (Slides, Sample Files)
- Adobe MAX Europe in Barcelona, Spain, Oct 15 - 18 (Sample Files)
- PHP Works Conference in Atlanta, Sep 13 - 14
- Online e-Seminar, PHP and Flex, July 28 (Slides, Sample Files)
- Online e-Seminar, June 28 (Slides, Sample Code)
- AjaxWorldExpo in New York, Mar 19 - 21 (Slides)
- PHP Conference in Montreal, Mar 14 - 16 (Slides)
- PHP Conference in Vancouver, Feb 12 - 13 (Slides)
Comments
by looking at the DOM, it
by looking at the DOM, it definately is their ajax map on top of the flex app.
Motivation for using Flex in SearchMash - my opinion
My Flash addiction became 1.5 points harder :) The news are great!
Why Goolgle have chosen the Flash Platform / Flex for playing with search mashup?
I think the good point here is the huge set of Flex components which means the ability of rapid prototyping, the approach so liked by Google along all its history. Another benefits of Flex is its great debugging, strict-typing, compile-time error checking capabilities. With new Flex Builder 3, it's profiler etc Flex became even better.
AS3 language's love to the latest ECMAScript standard is good here too. AS3 of today already has the features just planned for JS2 of tomorow, so even if Google will decide to convert this Flex project in Ajax application they will have a lot of job done already with AS3.
Regarding Google Maps in Flash, check out the free GMap component by AFComponents: it seems some developers have got the access the Google Maps from inside the Flash Player.