want to see something interesting?  how about the growth of the area where you live.  or las vegas. or anywhere.

take a look at trulia hindsight, which shows growth over time using presumably census data or something.  the map is virtual earth presented in a flash application (rumor has it they are working on a silverlight port).

fun stuff: http://hindsight.trulia.com

UPDATE: if it wasn't obvious i'll state it here...silverlight supports a specific matrix of browser and platforms (current released versions of Firefox/Safari on Mac; current released versions of Firefox/IE on Windows).  microsoft is continuing accepting feedback on platforms and take that feedback into consideration when adding new platforms/browser to that supported matrix.  the description below and others are workarounds that may result in other issues.

since the immediate release of safari (beta) on windows, people are noticing (and asking) about silverlight support.

well, you may notice that you'll see the default install image for silverlight when using safari for windows and browsing to a silverlight application.  yes, even if you have silverlight installed.

why is this tim? you ask.  well simple.  safari on windows is a new browser.  the same experience would happen if i released my superfunk 1.0 browser...silverlight just doesn't know about the type of browser it is.  (let's save the arguments of how browser detection is happening for another day.).

well, if you need to get it to work, you'll have to dig into silverlight.js and make some modifications.  for me, the simple modification was in my own createSilverlight function.  i changed the properties parameter to use version: "0.8" (note: safari on windows for me was registering that silverlight version 0.8.5.0 was installed, so the properties setting for "0.9" was showing that i needed an update).  once i made that change i no longer got the install image, but instead a blank screen.  huh.  well, it turns out that safari on windows acts a bit like opera on windows (which is on the roadmap and the silverlight team is working on it).  if you resize your browser you should now see the silverlight plugin render fine (as mine did).

yeah, it's weird, but it is beta...and safari was just released today...give 'em all a break would ya ;-).

well, apparently there is a new browser in town for windows ;-).  if you haven't heard (then shame on you if this is your only source of information!), apple released a beta of safari for the windows platform.

my initial reaction was..."hmmm"

like any card-carrying geek member, i downloaded and installed.  yep, looks like safari.  so what.  on my mac i don't even use safari.  i'm not a fan of it.  people don't extend it very often.  (extend means different things to different people, what does it mean in the context of your situation tim? -- good point, i'm talking here in the sense of consumer-based plugins; i'm fully aware of safari extensibility other places.)

hanselman posted some first impressions and asked "what's the point? was this browser needed?"  it is a good question.  (note: i did not see the amazing speed that scott posted about in my simple, completely unscientific test, but my human sniff test didn't notice anything that made me say "holy crap!?"

so, what about it?  was this needed?  i don't think so.  now i've seen people all over criticize (and have been in rooms full of these people as well) internet explorer/microsoft and make suggestions that the world just love firefox.  so, what gives here...where are all the rants of yet another browser to apple?  i just find that interesting in my little conspiracy theory minded brain.  after all, is the mother-in-law focus audience going to go out and install this?  i doubt it.  (but if they do, rest assured apple succeeded in getting bonjour and other defaults installed as that audience will not pay attention to those options.)  but perhaps it isn't the browser that is important here.

with the release of the iphone weeks away, apple has made it clear that safari will be the programming platform there.  their taglines even state 'Safari makes the web work on iPhone.'  this is where i think their move was important to them.  they recognize that there is a huge developer base on windows.  they need those developers.  get the tools in front of them.  is safari important?  i don't think so as a browser...but look what safari brings to windows once installed...the base of webkit, apple's html rendering engine.  i think that is the key play here.

anyhow, i've already stated i'm not a safari user on mac...why would i be one on windows...it just isn't a great browser to me.  but to each his own...

scottgu recently posted about his june travels.  if he's anything like me, he's sick of bischoff cookies.  at any rate, one of those stops is in my 'hood, in phoenix, arizona.  we call it "the valley" but not like "the valley" of mountain view/san jose in california...ours is the "valley of the sun" and when i came home yesterday my thermometer was reading 111 degrees farenheit.  blech.

where was i, oh yeah, ScottGu is coming.  it's a free event.  stefan schackow is coming too.  it's the same event.  it should be fun.  when? june 27th.  want more details?  go to the AZGroups site to find them and to register (so we can make sure we don't hit capacity).

seriously, go register now.

i saw this post on techcrunch and read these comments:

I’m on Apple’s side on this one. CrunchGear is simply spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt about this revolutionary new product.

huh? when i look on the footer of CrunchGear i see:

© 2007 TechCrunch

wtf?