Google has announced some big news for Ajax developers at Google Developer Day. The announcement is Google Gears, an open source runtime to allow you to build Offline Web applications.

Google Gears (BETA) is an open source browser extension that enables web applications to provide offline functionality using following JavaScript APIs:

• LocalServer: Store and serve application resources locally
• Database: Store data locally in a fully-searchable relational database
• WorkerPool: Run asynchronous Javascript to improve application responsiveness

Google is launching a new feature that will further enhance your ability to understand the world through images — Google Maps Street View. With Street View, you can virtually explore city neighborhoods by viewing and navigating within 360-degree scenes of street-level imagery. It feels as if you’re walking down the street!

Here’s a video showing Street View in action.

They’re launching with imagery in San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, and Denver.
For starters, check out this panorama. Happy travels!