Google Adds Place Pages to Google Earth

Google has started including Place Pages in Google Earth. Place Pages are the pages that Google sets up for places and businesses that have been accessible via Google Maps for a little while. They incorporate photos, videos, reviews and other content about that particular business or place, into one spot.

Google Earth users who browse the world in 3D will now be able to bring these Place Pages up when clicking on a business or a place, and clicking "view more information."

In addition, users can expand individual sections to see more content:

"If you're a business owner, you can update your details in our Local Business Center, to ensure we're showing the most accurate information to people searching for your business in both Google Maps and Google Earth," says Google Earth Associate Product Manager Matt Holden.

It's interesting to see Google include Place Pages in Google Earth, not long after the discovery of Google showing AdSense ads in it. That topic is of particular interest, as Google's policy on AdSense prohibits people from including ads places that are not web-based, Google Earth being a desktop application. 

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Google Ignoring Its Own Policy on Desktop AdSense?

It has been discovered that Google is now showing AdSense ads inside Google Earth. While it is not that surprising to see Google putting ads on another one of its properties, it has raised a few eyebrows, given that Google Earth is a desktop application.

Google actually states in its policy that it doesn't allow developers to use AdSense ads in their desktop apps, but it appears that Google is bending the rules for its own product. The company is certainly free to do so, given that it owns the product, but some are beginning to wonder if this could lead to Google changing that policy.

Currently that section of Google's policy reads:

"Currently, we don't permit Google ads or AdSense for search boxes to be distributed through software applications including, but not limited to toolbars, browser extensions, and desktop applications. In order to comply with AdSense program policies, please note that Google AdSense code may only be implemented on web-based pages."

Blogger Amit Agarwal at Digital Inspiration appears to be the first to point out the ads in Google Earth, and he provides a couple of screenshots here. In one, you can see AdSense ads when you search for a location or business, and the ads can be found in the search results. In the other screenshot, you can see the ad in the window that pops up when you click a placemark (the red pins on the maps).

The interesting part of this find is not so much that Google is placing ads in Google Earth, but what it could mean if the company were to in fact change its policy.

"If that policy changes, we could see more and more of Office 2010 Starter or FeedDemon like applications that are completely free to the end-user but supported by web advertising," says Agarwal.

Joseph Tartakoff at PaidContent adds that "arch rival" Microsoft has already promised to introduce the ad-supported version of Office to come pre-loaded on PCs.

It is possible that there is being too much read into Google's decision to include AdSense ads in Google Earth. It does make for an interesting conversation though. What do you think?


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More Feature Interaction Within Facebook Apps

Last week, Facebook announced an update to the Open Stream API, which allows integration of Page streams with applications. Now, Facebook has opened up the new Mailbox and Notification APIs, which allow developers to provide users with more ways to interact with core Facebook features within their apps.

"For example, a desktop application geared toward small business owners could enable users to check their company's Page stream, as well as read messages and receive notifications, all from their desktop," explains Facebook's Ben Hiller.

In addition, Facebook has announced a new stream attachment for apps, which lets developers create attachments that users can share with friends via Facebook messages.

"The new Inbox incorporates the same Publisher used to publish to the streams on the home page and profiles," says Hiller. "We've enhanced the Publisher so it no longer requires you to create template bundles -- you can now use the simplified attachment model that stream.publish uses. As we roll out the new Inbox over the next few weeks, we'll deprecate the old message attachment process."

To integrate your apps into the new inbox, Facebook provides the following instructions:

1. Create a Publisher endpoint and enter its URL as the Attachment v2 Callback URL you specify on the Advanced tab in your application settings.

2. In your Publisher integration, specify "attachment" for the content parameter, instead of "feed".

3. Test your attachments today with your test accounts on www.beta.facebook.com.

Facebook is still supporting existing Publisher integrations that use the "feed" content type, but they say the flexibility of stream attachments is easier to use, and are more universal throughout Facebook.

For more on the new APIs, check out this blog post from Hiller.

Facebook Updates Open Stream APIs

Facebook has just announced some updates to the Open API Stream. Among these are simpler JavaScript methods for publishing, Facebook Pages support, and attribution. A spokesperson for Facebook tells WebProNews:

- Developers can now build deep experiences for Page admins to allow them to consume and update their Page stream from applications, such as those on the desktop.

- Application names will now appear in the stream for stories published with the Open Stream API. This feature will help users better identify from where stories are published, and more easily discover the applications their friends use.

- Publishing to the stream is now as simple as share – just a couple lines of JavaScript.

Developers can now access the full stream from Faecbook Pages that publish posts to their streams. Facebook has also created a way for apps to publish to the stream on behalf of a page.

"Once a Page admin grants permission to the application for that Page, your application can request the publish_stream permission for the Page by passing a new special parameter when you prompt for the permission," explains Facebook's Yariv Sadan. "This enables a profile selector in the permission dialog. Your application can now post stories on behalf of the Page using any of the stream.publish calls just like it would for a user. You can do this through any the methods described for extended permissions including JavaScript (showPermissionDialog) or directly targeting the prompt_permissions.php URL; we'll describe the new parameters in these documents."

More details about the updates to the Open Stream APIs can be found here.