KML is a file format used to display geographic data in an Earth browser, such as Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Maps for mobile. KML uses a tag-based structure with nested elements and attributes and is based on the XML standard. Brian McClendon and Lars Rasmussen of Google give both a history and update on the format. They also review the latest enhancements to Google's lineup of map making and map data sharing tools.
Brian first discusses some background of KML, calling it the PDF of GIS. The goal is to allow users to show their data on Google Earth. Lars gives some more specific information on this process, demonstrating that KML is much easier to use than previous methods used to share map data. He also reviews the company's progress and future plans.
Brian McClendon has eighteen years of technical development experience, focusing on product execution and delivery in the context of complex graphics software and hardware. He was formerly Director of Set-top Engineering with @Home and before that managed system simulation/verification for Infinite Reality at SGI. Brian received a BS/EE. from the University of Kansas in 1986.
Lars Rasmussen is a member of Google's technical staff and a lead engineer of the team that created Google Maps. He currently manages Google's nascent Sydney engineering office and is actively working to expand Google's engineering presence in Australia. Rasmussen holds a Ph.D. in theoretical computer science from the University of California at Berkeley, which nominated his thesis on approximate counting for the ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award.
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