04/19/05 04:38 - ID#31858

Paul's Savable Google Maps

So I decided to design up the google map capture program while I was at it. This is the new interface found at



Here is the largest map I have downloaded so far. It is most of Western New York at 2560 pixels by 2560 pixels big. I want to get all of america. I was thinking it would be really easy to systematically download every tile from google maps so that you could have them for the future if something ever happend to google.



This reminds me of that one time I downloaded 80,000 corporate logos in vector format. I never did anything with them yet, but it was fun collecting.

Permalink: Paul_s_Savable_Google_Maps.html
Words: 118
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/19/05 03:06 - ID#31857

Public Transphere New Look

You can visit the new version here. Don't forget to stop out on saturday or sunday for the big event.



Well, it all started out when I saw (e:ajay) 's site about google and I just couldn't stop after that. The softwar n ow let's you pick an arbitrary google map at zoom 2 and then works. I have to say he is all around inspirational because he is also the guy that got me hooked on xmlHTTP. I remember when I was visiting him for some linux help one day and he mentioned it. I sersiously had no idea how great it was. Soon enough I will totally redo this site to be way cooler. With networked live user interaction.



How does it work?
Basically, a cell-phone sends data from a GPS in the moving vehicle to a MySQL database. A PHP file reads from that database and makes it available to the world. The same PHP file, disguised as a tiny xml file calculates the current latitude and longitude in pixel location values. The xml file is then read into the browser DOM using xmlHTTP, a javascript technology. With the live location data, the van icon is moved on the map accordingly via javascript. The site continues to poll the database every 5 seconds for smooth real-time mapping yet maintains very low bandwidth data requirements as the page never has to reload.

The site is also capable of extreme error handling so that the end user does not notice an glitches with missing or innacurate data. The site even has a debug mode, that is avaiable by hitting the "d" key on the keyboard. Furthermore, the user can surf the history of the van's movement by using the left and right arrow keys.

There is are also some shortcuts.
Left and right arrow - go back in time and return to the present time
T = tracking mode
D = debug mode
s = satellite image
r = show and hide route

Permalink: Public_Transphere_New_Look.html
Words: 339
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/18/05 02:57 - ID#31856

Proof that the software works!!

We drove the car around the public transphere zone.


Here is a picture captured looking out the window.


Here is a picture of the screen. Look at the locations, they match!!!

Permalink: Proof_that_the_software_works_.html
Words: 34
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/18/05 04:39 - ID#31855

MicroRevolt

Here is an awesome project for all you kniters out there.The site also has software that lets you translate any digital image into a knitting pattern.

mission
microRevolt projects investigate the dawn of sweatshops in early industrial capitalism to inform the current crisis of global expansion and the feminization of labor.

microRevolt developed web application knitPro, a protest tool that generates knit patterns of sweatshop offenders.Quoted from: // mission

Permalink: MicroRevolt.html
Words: 80
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/18/05 12:07 - ID#31854

The graphic design world will end

Permalink: The_graphic_design_world_will_end.html
Words: 150
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/18/05 02:06 - ID#31853

Well it's done!

I have finally completed my part of the public transphere project. It turned out incredible and I think that it is commercially viable. I mean I know other companies put out similar technology but jesse and I are able to do it cheaper. The site actually maps in real-time now thanks to Mickelson's Law.



Tomorrow I have to finish my poetry project and begin finishing the clothing project. Then its time to work on the site and the thesis.

Permalink: Well_it_s_done_.html
Words: 82
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/17/05 02:55 - ID#31852

Map Grid

I am so sick of this mapping stuff. I guess I learned a lot.

Permalink: Map_Grid.html
Words: 15
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/17/05 04:52 - ID#31851

Public Transphere

Take 600 - Despite all the drama with the address and latitude/longitude mixups I have managed to get something up and working. Both the streaming server and the map that can get readings from the database. Right now it just loads up random stop values, but it works!!!! Should be done tomorrow. That gives me one day to work on my own project.



You can check out the beta version here . I may do some redesigning too. I just depends how long I have to work on it.

Permalink: Public_Transphere.html
Words: 95
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/16/05 10:50 - ID#31850

The world is flat

Permalink: The_world_is_flat.html
Words: 78
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/16/05 03:34 - ID#31849

Google Map Hack

I was trying to figure out a way to easily save out my google maps without screen shots and was using the firefox page info to try and figure out the tile names but then I decided someone must have already figured this out. I decided to search google for google map hack (GOOGLE - google map hack) and guess what came up on the first page. A link to our very own (e:ajay) and his site about the formula used to get the tile names. Thanks for the formula (e:ajay) .

I decided to adapt his formula to a PHP tool that runs off of gd in a similar way to the way he was using imagemagick with perl. I created a class called google_maps that takes some information and returns a map.

I added a little user interface and it seems to work pretty good. I will be adding a way to add waypoints and info in the near future.

The number of tiles is how big the map is. The latitude and longitude you specificy is represented by the second tile to the left from the top. I will add a you picked here spot or something when I get a chance. First I have to go finish working on (e:rzoo) 's project. It is making me mad because I don't have all the data I want and really don't feel like collecting it as I am supposed to be doing my clothing project right now instead.

[size=m]The link[/size]
Well, if you want to save out your own maps, even gigantic ones, simply visit my page until they take me away in handcuffs.

Permalink: Google_Map_Hack.html
Words: 290
Location: Buffalo, NY