Seriously, if you use JavaScript for anything and haven’t been trying out jQuery you’re on crack. Now that it’s got its own AJAX library you should be able to stop using Prototype as a whole if you wanted to (and oh do I want to).

AJAX new FX and more!

The new AJAX plugin for jQuery is ready - and if you’re running off of the latest code, it’s already rolled in. Along with that, there are a few new effects to be enjoyed: fadeIn, fadeOut, and center.

New Yahoo! maps action! available in AJAX and flash versions and with a developer API in place too. Let the fight begin.

One point in Yahoo’s favor over Google for me? They have their own Geocoding API as part of their stuff already. As opposed to Google where you need to geocode your own locations (hint: Geocoder.us).

More over at the Yahoo! search blog: Yahoo! Maps: drag ‘em, search ‘em, hack ‘em.

Hat tip to Chris.

Update: Plate of Shrimp: Pete just posted almost exactly the same thing. Which I didn’t notice until after I posted this.

Web Development Trends for 2006 from Anil Dash has some interesting little bits for everyone to mull over when thinking about the coming year.

Curious about what technologies and techniques are going to be popular in the coming months and into the next year? Well, our crack team of editors here at dashes.com (that is to say, me) have assembled a list of up-and-coming trends that you should keep an eye on. Call it vocational education for people building Web 2.0.

The New Orleans Flood Map is a Google Maps application (API reference and developer key registration is over here) that lets you click around and find out how much water is over each part of New Orleans.

Also of potential interest: Google Maps of New Orleans (as well as the New Orleans Flood Map) now give you an extra viewing option that loads the satellite imagery of the city from August 31st.

Hat tip to Ernie the Attorney

• Best Practices: Implementing javascript for rich internet applications
• Best Practices for AJAX Development

Came across this while surfing the popular del.icio.us links and thought it was worth remembering.

AJAX from Devmo

AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is not a technology in itself, but is a term that describes a “new” approach to using a number of existing technologies together, including: HTML or XHTML, Cascading Style Sheets, JavaScript, The Document Object Model, XML, XSLT, and the XMLHttpRequest object. When these technologies are combined in the AJAX model, web applications are able to make quick, incremental updates to the user interface without reloading the entire browser page.

Came across this while surfing about and wanted to make sure I could find it again (as well as share it with whoever might not have seen it).

“Behaviour lets you use CSS selectors to specify elements to add javascript events to.”