Had enough of the "Web2.0" moniker? Tim O'Reilly, who is often credited with its invention, has a new paradigm, "Web Squared". O'Reilly asks if the web is becoming more intelligent. His thesis is that it is becoming more of a platform for collective action, and that location information is a key integration of this new "intelligent" web. Web applications will be increasingly driven by mobile sensors connected to cloud databases. Mobile devices will have a sophisticated sense of place, and be able to tap into this cloud information, perhaps even providing augmented reality services.

These ideas were put forward in a webinar as a promotional item for the Fall Web 2.0 Summit. Here is a YouTube recording of the webinar:

 OpenLayers v2.8 has received its Final Release and is now the official stable release. New features introduced in v2.8 include:

• Support for multi-layer vector feature selection
• Support for drawing text in vector layers
• Support for 5 new layer types: OSM, ArcXML, pre-cached ka-Map, MapGuide "served tiles", XYZ layers.
  
• Support for the WFS protocol
• New controls: GetFeature, GetFeatureInfo, Split

The full set of release notes are here, and the release announcement can be found here.

The Associated Press are reporting that Dutch police arrested twin brothers on suspicion of robbery after the victim spotted a picture of them on Google's Street View. The victim, a 14 year old boy, reported to Dutch police last September that he had been robbed of €165 and his cell phone after two men dragged him off his bicycle in Groningen. As he was unable to identify the attackers, investigations did not proceed very far. That was until the boy found himself on Street View and two men who believed to be the attackers. The location was correct as well.

Faces are blurred in the Netherlands' version of Street View, so the police requested the unblurred images from Google. Google complied, and the Dutch police reportedly recognized one of the alleged attackers.

Dutch police report that the use of Street View as being unique for them.

The full AP report can be found on the CBS News site.

The Google Street View cameras are catching quite a few things which you would think might cause the car to stop. As well as imminent thefts, it has managed to capture house fires (with no fire engines in attendance) and photographed deer being run over by the Google car.