Undocumented Google map trick

An article on Ogle Earth alerts us to a neat trick to get a location from Google Maps to Google Earth. Simply add ‘&output=kml’ to the URL of the map you are viewing, (be sure to click the ‘Link to this page’ on the map first!). I created this simple javascript gMaps2kml bookmarklet, that seems to do the trick, so drag it to your bookmark bar and enjoy*.

Unfortunately, I have problems with getting this to work in Firefox (1.5) whether I use the bookmarklet or manually paste the parameter. It always generates the same kml file of a location in New York. Safari, Opera and Camino don’t have this problem! I’ll have to keep you posted of this one. A friend with a similar setup doesn’t have the same problem – might be a firefox extension issue.

* Note: that the resulting kml files are simply called ‘maps’ with no extension, so this may cause you grief, but it’s easily fixed by adding the extension.

Update: Barry Hunter over at nearby.org.uk, who originally documented the hack, has improved on my bookmarklet, by searching the DOM for the ‘link’, so you don’t have to click ‘Link to this Page’ anymore. He’s posted it in a comment below, but I’ll put it here as well. gMaps2kml2. Isn’t that neat?

the party is definitely over…

A fish eye or a vegetable steamer?One of the most public icons of the Commonwealth Games were the fish on the Yarra. Each night of the games they were lit up and squirted water in a spectacular display. A bit kitsch, but a real crowd pleaser – hundreds of thousands must have watched it. There’s now a bit of a debate as to whether the fish should be saved from the trash, perhaps mounted on a wall as public artwork somewhere like a swimming pool.

Well, I can tell you, it’s probably not going to happen. Just by chance yesterday, I was wandering past some warehouses and I spotted a familiar shape in the shadows – a fish tail. Yes, I had found the fish, in storage, away from the glamour, lights and colour, demounted from their pontoons and support frames (which were being broken up outside). I asked, and was granted permission to have a look around and take some photos. They are truly magical – really excellent, accurate representations of the species, but they are made of the lightest, most temporary material – several had eyes made of vegetable steamers! brilliant!!

They were designed for a good time, not a long time – the party is over, it’s time to let go!

Google gets organised…

Piece by clever piece, Google are putting together the bits I need to manage my life online. The latest addition is google calendar.

Nothing earth shattering here, just stuff that works the way you want it to. I exported my Oracle calendar appointments as an iCal file, it imported seamlessly into google and straight away alerted me about an appointment I should have been heading off to.

What else? Easy to add events – all the options you need. Great looking agenda tool. Lots of Ajax usability, drag and drop events – for a web app this is to calendars what gmail was for webmail – better than a desktop app! I see from the options screen that they are planning to provide SMS alerts, but it was disabled on my account at least.

With the usual Google API, it won’t be long before people with much more programming skill than I will be writing ‘synch’ tools for iSync and maybe even the corporate tools like Exchange and Oracle. I can’t wait!

Yahoo! Maps – a rival for Google?

Since Google released their maps/local product on the world, they have really ‘owned’ the space. The Ajax word has become common parlance, and we’ve all learned to expect a lot more from our browsers.

Microsoft brought out their Live Local product in an attempt to rival Google. It is good – slicker than google, but somehow misses on so many levels – I haven’t seen the stats, but I suspect it’s bombing badly – Google still get all the press.

I was prepared for another disappointment from Yahoo! Maps Continue reading “Yahoo! Maps – a rival for Google?”

confirmed – Ballmer is a nut!

As if we needed confirmation – last week we had a blogger from inside M$’s Vista testing team saying that it was a complete load of garbage and that Ballmer should be fired. We’ve all heard about him chucking chairs in a google inspired tantrum, but this latest piece “Microsoft chief forbids his kids from iPods“, really made me chuckle.

His kids are banned from using iPods and Google!

…but there is more – he goes on to talk about an ‘innovative proposition’ – rolling music and communication devices into one – whoah! that one came from left field! Way to go Stevie!

m2006 Mashup

As inflatable Koalas bounced around the MCG, I was putting the finishing touches to my first Google Maps mashup – The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Most of the features from the Melbourne 2006 KMZ have been incorporated, and though I still prefer the stand alone app, I’m quite proud that my mashup uses decent css layout and goes within a single warning of validating strict xhtml, (these are things that matter to a nerd!).

Oh, and thanks to Google Maps Mania, who blogged about it even before I did!

Melbourne 2006 on Google Earth

It’s my first attempt at a Google Earth file, so I’m ready for criticism. All the same, I think it’s OK. Along the way, I learned how to make a network link, and how to draw a path, I’m sure that’ll be useful one day!

I’ve tried to cover as much as possible of the venues to be used in the Commonwealth Games starting here in Melbourne in just over a week. I’m also keen to hear any suggestions, and there are a few details I’d love to fill in, such as exactly where the Mountain Bike Trail is – even though the satellite image is only low res. So if you do download it – refresh it from time to time – there will hopefully be updates and I hope to add a few more flickr links to it.

Download The (unofficial) Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games kmz file now!

Oh, boy! I’ve been picked up by the Google Earth Blog!

another rant!

As a long time BigPond Cable subscriber, I’m used to receiving their self promotional emails. Usually shopping specials I’m not interested in and promotional guff about their content.

You see, they have quite a bit of video and music content, but I’ve never used any of that either. Not that I wouldn’t like to, some of the sport video I would love to see. No, the reason I haven’t used any of their content is because I have a Mac, and their system is only compatible with Windows, that’s it. Continue reading “another rant!”

VICROADS’ wasted opportunity

This morning, I visited VICROADS new real time traffic information map, hoping to see something half way useful. I was disappointed! So, I sent them some feedback:

Congratulations on the release of your new traffic info service. What an utterly wasted opportunity it represents!

Why didn’t you develop a tool using Google’s Map API? Then you wouldn’t have excluded Mac users or the growing percentage of Windows users who have discarded the buggy, fault-ridden, default browser.

Through the Google maps interface, you could have accepted user submissions that hilighted local traffic problems instead of just concentrating on the freeways.

I have no doubt you could also have cut your development times dramatically – not having to develop a navigational interface, but that’s alright – you’ve got my taxes and fees to pay for all that!

It’s good enough for dozens of government and semi government organisations to use in the US and UK for traffic information, so why not here?

And what is it with this pathetic 2 line comments box! You want to discourage people from saying too much?

Was that too ranty?

If you wonder what I’m going on about – check out these examples:

Toronto must have some nice data for people to play with. Here’s another excellent Toronto traffic mashup.

opening pandora’s box

Do you like music? Then you will love Pandora.

Visit the Pandora website – type something in: an artist name or song title and this site uses the collected wisdom of the Music Genome Project to serve up a stream of music related to your selection by an array of musical attributes – “genes”. The genes might be melody, rhythm, harmony, arrangment, you don’t have to worry about that. All that is important is that it quite unerringly serves up the ‘right’ music.

Your selection automatically creates a ‘station’ that you can edit, send to a friend – whatever. Here are a couple I’ve already tried: Hallelujah , Manu Chao and Nick Cave.

A great way to find new music that you’ve probably never heard before, but will almost certainly like!