Up until now there hasn't been an easy way to record and embed a Google Maps animation that would showcase a specific area, neighborhood or nearby tour path. A user would have to use a screen capture tool, and then upload to a video site for the proper embed code.
This is where geoAnim comes into play. It's a tool that facilitates the creation of animated Google Maps tours across multiple locations which can then be shared via its own unique URL.
The interface is definitely a bit clunky while still providing the means to capture short animations. You drag the Google StreetView Pegman and place him on the map, and then start recording as you move around the area that you want to record. You can zoom in and out as per the usual interface. It can be a tad challenging to create and save your own tour, so it just takes some finesse.
In order to create a new animation, click the blue "Create" button and then hit "Delete" on all of the previous waypoints. Move the map to the desired location, and place the Pegman accordingly. Then move through the animation, and it will create the "number 2" in the numbered waypoints. Delete the previous, unrelated location, and then you can save your animation for sharing.
What could really be useful is a field to enter a location so you don't have to roll through the entire world to find the starting spot of the animation. If anyone wants to oblige — or perhaps integrate into their site — the code is opensource and available on GitHub.
Here's an animation of the hills above San Francisco. I also did one for my restaurant, Booty's Street Food, which shows how geoAnim could be used to illustrate common routes for directions to and from hospitality businesses.