Google Maps and Street View verses ProximityCast

The ProximityCast Advantage

Google's street view is an amazing and useful program, however ProximityCast has advantages over street view that will be exposed in this post.
Google's street view has recently gotten to Mountain Home, Arkansas. Colton's Steakhouse Restaurant has also recently opened in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

At the time of the creation of this post, if you type into Google Maps search maps: "Colton's Steakhouse Mountain Home, AR" you will be taken to an obviously wrong address. Using Street View will reveal no Colton's Steakhouse. Google Maps took me to these coordinates: 36.29030141495939, -92.32628524303436 and said it was this address: 2390 Highway 62 E, Mountain Home, AR‎
Pasting the street address into Google Maps took me to the same wrong coordinate location. A check of Colton's website shows the Mountain Home address as: 22370 Highway 62 E

Pasting in the correct street address (2370 instead of 2390) still produced the same wrong location.

ProximityCast.com requires the Latitude and Longitude coordinates of where the picture was taken to be placed on all establishment pictures submitted. The Mountain Home, Arkansas Colton's Steakhouse coordinates are: N 36°21.45'W 92°20.75' If these coordinates are pasted into Google Maps search maps box you will be taken to the correct location for Colton's Steakhouse Restaurant in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

Wrong coordinates can be placed on a photo or erroneously entered into the database, but ProximityCast.com allows users to flag inaccurate coordinates and photo submitters will be given an accuracy rating that alerts you to locations with inaccurate coordinates. Google Maps also has a means to correct inaccurate locations, so the bogus location for Colton's may be corrected by the time you are reading this. It is not hard to find wrong locations in Google Maps.

The placement of a location's coordinates on ProximityCast Establishment Images may seem unnecessary and a lot of trouble, BUT it is a photographer's means of certifying that the location is correct at the time the photo was taken. (Businesses do go out of business or move).

Now back to Street View comparisons... If you paste the coordinates from the ProximityCast Colton's Steakhouse image, N 36°21.45'W 92°20.75' into Google Maps search maps box you will arrive at the correct location. BUT, when you explore street view you will only find an empty lot with a Colton's construction sign indicating the restaurant will be built on this site.

Street view is a remarkable means of adding and showing a lot of visual data quickly. Its weakness three fold: 1) as in Colton's Steakhouse for the Mountain Home, AR location the restaurant actually exists now but did not exist at the time the street view camera rolled through the area. By contrast anyone can contribute a current picture of any place to ProximityCast.com at any time. You the user have control. For street view we have to wait for the Google car to cruise an area again. 2). Businesses go out of business or move. When will street view indicate that condition? ProximityCast once again provides the user with the control necessary to flag either condition. 3). The quality of the street view picture is sometimes found wanting. ProximityCast.com provides a photographer with the means to control the quality of an image. ProximityCast also allows multiple images of the same location showing different perspectives or night and day shots.

Okay, so I did a lot of trashing of Google Maps and Street View with this post. Actually I love their technology and think they are both a great product. I could point out some weaknesses with ProximityCast also. When the two are combined the total capabilities are simply amazing. You can get to Google Maps and Street View (when it exists) quite easily from ProximityCast.com. Google Maps difinitely complements and enhances ProximityCast.com. Likewise ProximityCast.com complements and enhances Google Maps and Street View giving all end users control over location data.

Now all we need is a little bit of traction and users to start utilizing and submitting ProximityCast Establishment photos so all of us will have a better location technology experience.

Big News

"Anything that relates to where a person is, saves a user time, and makes the web more relevant — especially geographically — is big news." source
Way to go ProximityCast!

Getting Coordinates of of Google Maps revisited

1. Open Google Maps


2. Right Click on the spot where you want to know the Latitude and Longitude coordinates.


3. Select "Directions to here" or "Directions from here"
   "What's here?" on the pop-up menu


4. The coordinates appear in the "Get Directions" box top left side of the map.

The coordinates are in "decimal degree" format. You can copy and past them into the Google Search Maps text box and click "Search Maps" to have a marker appear on that spot and also see the coordinates displayed in Degrees, Minutes, Seconds.

understanding of coordinate formats

The decimal degree format can be pasted directly into the ProximityCast Antipode Tool to see what is on the opposite side of the world.

One Picture with Multiple Establishments

ProximityCast.com continues to improve!

You don't need a GPS to contribute pictures!

Get coordinates off of Google Maps

Strip Mall with Six Establishments

One Picture with Multiple Establishments is now complete!
You can use Morrilton, AR as a cast initiation point to check out this strip mall with “6” establishments.
Now pictures with up to “9” establishments can be loaded with each individual Establishment uniquely identified.

Dual Establishments Under One Roof

It is common to find dual establishments coexisting like this Taco Bell and KFC all under one roof but clearly two separate establishments.
Now the multiple establishment routine makes it easy.

Baskin Robbins inside an Exxon Station

This Baskin Robbins inside an Exxon is not as clearly divided as the Taco Bell and KFC, but still lends itself to One Picture with Multiple Establishments to help users find just what they need. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions use the contact form to pass them along.

Now: check your data after upload

Also, there is now a page that lets you check the database coordinates against the coordinates on the picture after upload. There is a button that will also allow you to check the location on the map. If you find you have an error use the contact form to let me know. Eventually I’ll enable an editing routine where you will be able to fix them yourselves.

Till next time my friends, thanks for all your photo submissions!

ciao

Google Street View

Wow! Google does so many things well. Street View is such an awesome application that it is almost enough to cause me to see ProximityCast as unnecessary, however I think the two applications are quite complementary in many ways.
In this blog entry I'll show how easy it is to go to street view from ProximityCast when desired or necessary.

On the CastNet page shown in the image:
1. Copy the establishments coordinates for pasting into Google Maps.
2. Click on MAP VIEW for easy access to Google Maps.
3. Click on the Google Map logo found on the lower left of the Map View to go to Google's full map services.
4. Paste the coordinates copied from step one into Google's Search the map box and select Street View for a better look around!

For the user's convenience ProximityCast displays the database coordinates in all three commonly used formats:
Decimal Degrees: D 34.75098 -92.30665
Degrees Minutes: DM N 34°45.06' W 92°18.40'
Degrees Minutes Seconds: DMS N 34°45'3.6" W 92°18'24"
Any of the three formats should work great in Google Maps. Copy the one of your choice. The coordinates shown will take you to a street view covered area and let you see the Oyster Bar restaurant which had a great oyster Po Boy on the day we ate there. Use your left or right arrow keys to rotate the view around until you see the Oyster Bar.

Contact Page added

Thanks to a nudge from a good friend I got busy and added a Contact page to ProximityCast.com
Feed back is useful, motivating, and appreciated.
As a solo act things don't always go as fast as I might like, but I take all constructive criticism seriously and try to get to things as fast as I can. There is still a lot to do to make ProximityCast all it can be. I still need a means to encourage users to submit their "Location Pictures". If everyone contributes just a little the site will become a whole lot more useful for all of us.
I'd be happy simply taking and contributing pictures, but there is so much to do and I can't capture the world by myself.
It is fun though doing what I can as I can.

Till next time my friends,

ciao

Embracing Rejection

yCombinator for ProximityCast.com was a fluke and a long shot, however so was it a good exercise. How do they say, “learn to embrace the rejection?” This whole journey into entrepreneurship has been quite an experience. Only conjecture and speculation can presume as to why yCombinator chose to reject ProximityCast.com. There were some hard hurdles I anticipated: solo founder, old founder more than twice as old as the average chosen. Location; Although I wasn't born nor raised here, I’ve been enjoying my camp in the Ozarks for a long time now. Good for family and good for me. Good for my business? Well, as long as I could keep my camp and the pieces came together where my wife could understand and it was workable, a move is not impossible. Then there is an already launched web app with no traction… Yeah, how do you achieve that mystical traction?

"It has no God-given right to succeed if...
... it does not give customers what they want."
Roger Holmes~British Business Executive.

But then, do customers really know what they want or need. Then again, it could be presumptuous to decide for them. However the power of a vision is truly an amazing force. There are some who really get it, then others who don’t even come close to venturing below the surface. yCombinator was one that didn’t look deep as evidenced by the tracking logs, but I reckon their hands were full and it is easy to see on the surface if an application fits a mold they prefer. We all have our preferences and yCombinator was good enough to state some of theirs. So be it. You play the cards you’re dealt.

Is that it? Or is there something else at work? I’ve found launching a start-up is very much like raising a new born baby. An acorn doesn’t turn into a full grown oak overnight, even if we want it too. But then there are the auctomatics of the world. If it wasn’t overnight, it sure was quick. Must be nice, hey boys? Then when you are a parent you sure hope your children will grow up, amount to something worthwhile, and have a good life.

I didn’t want to tackle this project solo and even made overtures to a very small select few. M y failure to procure a co-founder could reflect on my leadership abilities or my unwillingness to be pushy. ProximityCast® has been a dream for long time that was once released and then brought back to life. There have been good parts to running solo. I’ve had to do things that I probably would have loved to pass off to others, but have grown by having to do them myself.

yCombinator’s rejection doesn’t hurt near as much as the knowledge of what I’m missing out on. I’ve tasted in another life what I can imagine yCombinator is able to supply to young, enthusiastic, and energetic entrepreneurs: a support network that are all gunning for your success! My other life was spent flying helicopters. I consider myself a talented and excellent pilot with the hours and experience to back that up. But, I know that is all a result of the support network that helped me to become a success. High School to Army Flight School followed by two years in South Korea where the man in the next seat was more often than not an experienced and talented Vietnam Vet. Hey kid, have you seen this? Let me show you how it is done. Yes I believe I truly love coding as much as I love flying, but I miss having that experienced next seat showing me the ropes before I have to take something on, on my own. To try to land a helicopter on the top of a five thousand foot pinnacle without someone ever showing you how is crazy. So does it seem trying to tackle the many aspects of entrepreneurship. But then I guess you go until you either crash, run out of gas or succeed especially if they let you hop in that baby and fly. We all gotta die someday; it is just a matter of when and how. Even so, it would be nice to have a pair of steady hands already familiar with the territory to help guide a young entrepreneur along. (Ok, so I’m an old codger, but a very young entrepreneur.) Having missed out on that is the painful part.

However, stumbling on yCombinator has definitely been my gain. My wife really related to Paul’s musing on the traits of a hacker. I wish I would have saved the link to that speech. Maybe someone will be good enough to post it. It was the one talking about having a work area with a couch to take a nap when you felt the need instead of a cubical where you have to continue to sit and gaze at the screen like you’re accomplishing something although in reality just a zombie. So much info and so little time… I pick up pieces I can really identify with and then there are the warning sign posts that say, “You’ve got a long haul up hill boy!” The 18 Mistakes That Kill Startups But they are balanced against the sage advice that might make a difference: How Not to Die Paul, where do you find all that energy? Where ever it comes from it is appreciated. It is almost as good as having that next seat of talented ability.

The vision continues to drive me on. Sometimes I wish I could move faster than I’m able, but a quote I got out of “The Essence of Leadership” by Mac Anderson continues to carry me forward: “By the yard life is hard, but by the inch it’s a cinch!” And so has been the development of my project: ProximityCast.com I always look forward to coding and adding parts. I found I enjoy the coding more than the promoting. Both are important, and both show me the wisdom of Paul’s preference for more than one founder. This is a cool journey entrepreneurs are on; even cooler than flying in my book. I wish I could have stumbled on it at a more youthful age. You can have an enjoyable life flying and earning a paycheck, but if you’re successful as an entrepreneur you can buy your own helicopter and hire a talented CFI that can give you dual when necessity causes you to have to fly. If you’re successful as an entrepreneur, you are definitely on the better side of the fence.

The best of hacking to all you guys!

David B Robert
Founder of ProximityCast.com

Authorized Social Sharing

Click Picture to see Larger Image

Photo contributors are now able to select whether or not they want to authorize their photos to be used on Social Networking sites. Whenever their photos are viewed on the "Establishment Details Page" an "Authorized for Social Sharing" button will appear at the top of the "Alternate Images" column to the right of the Image in question whenever the contributor has authorized the sharing of their images by others on Social Networking sites.
Clicking the "Authorized for Social Sharing" button produces a popup from which coping the link to share is easy.
Although there are other ways to acquire a link to an image on ProximityCast.com the only authorized means is by using this button. Users should familiarize themselves with the privacy policy and terms of service before arbitrarily using images from ProximityCast.com. Contributors of pictures own and control the copyrights to their images. Posting unauthorized images may subject you to any legal recourse the copyright holder may wish to pursue.

Till next time,
ciao my friends!

Site Promotion with a Benefit

I've been busy coding and still have much to do, but if a site is ever to go anywhere promotion is a necessary component also. The big question: "How to stimulate interest and traffic in the site?" Promotion can be as much of a full time job as coding. It has sadly been neglected up to this point. Picking what to work on is sometimes a love/hate relationship. Anyhow here is the Facebook component of the promotion puzzel:

I have not tried this in MySpace or Bebo, but the concept should still work. If you want to meet a friend at a particular place, ask a date to go to dinner, or whatnot: CONSIDER POSTING A PROXIMITYCAST PICTURE of the place of interest in a message to your friend, date, etc. Sorry for shouting... smile.
Here is the nice things about using ProximityCast for this:

1. ProximityCast pictures or location oriented!


2. It is easy to get the link of a desired picture location!


3. If you can't find the place you want, it is easy to submit your own picture of the place!

NOTE: See Authorized Social Sharing post for the new approved method for getting a link to share in a social networking site.

See... As easy as 1,2,3. Impress your date or friend by showing them exactly what you have in mind.
Okay, so how do I get the link to a desired location to post in my message?

• Cast for the desired category in the area of interest.


• Click MAP VIEW when cast completes.

• In the SideBar click the desired establishment to make the Info Popup appear.

Till next time,
ciao my friends!

Improved Category Selector

I have known an improved category selector was necessary for a long time. As the category list grew longer it was simply too tedious to wade through all the possibilities. Once again thanks and appreciation to my friend Peter for inspiring me to get busy and tackle this item.

The new improved category is now composed of two parts:

1. A top textbox where you can simply start typing in whatever it is you want to find. The textbox uses auto suggest to help you rapidly arrive at the desired category.


2. The old drop down list box. Sometimes we might not really know what we are interested in, so this allows users to browse all the available categories.

If the dropdown is utilized, it will automatically populate the textbox above.
If after using the dropdown you use the textbox before clicking "Perform ProximityCast" the textbox will show a different category than the dropdown. The textbox entry will be the category utilized to perform the search.

Minor Bug

There is a minor bug with the auto suggest tool. If you type very fast, such as "fo" ford will appear twice and the other fo???? possibilities will not be shown. Sorry for this hopefully minor inconvenience.

Credits

A three part article by Nicholas C. Zakas helped me get over the hump to create the autosuggest textbox. Much appreciation Nicholas! I looked high and low for a reference I liked. Your's proved to be straight forward, clear and easy to implement. Thank you!
By the way, take a look at Nicholas's website and it is easy to tell that he is high energy and very talented!

Till next time,
ciao my friends!

Coordinates from Google Maps the easy way

Much thanks to my friend Peter for telling me about an easier way to get Latitude and Longitude coordinates from Google Maps. This reminds me of the time I was a guest IP (instructor pilot) for a couple of students teaching instrument flight for the Army. We were to cover holding procedures this day. I started going over the textbook method I had been taught and continued to teach. The students interrupted me and asked about the method their instructor had taught them. It was new to me, but highly superior to the way I had been doing and teaching the procedure.
That's what happens sometimes when we work in a box without adequate outside interaction. Anyhow if you need to or just want to find the coordinates for a spot on Google Maps here is all you need to do:

Steps to get Coordinates

1. Move the cursor showing a small hand to the spot on the map for which you want coordinates.


2. When over the desired spot, right click to make the popup menu appear.


3. Click "Directions to here". The coords will appear in the "End address" box above the map.


4. You can copy the coordinates and paste them into the "Search Maps" box and then click "Search Maps" to confirm they mark the desired location.

ps
I was going to use some more screen shots to demonstrate the technique as I had done previously. Before doing so I once again reviewed Google's Terms of Use. I not sure what clicked different this time, but I felt as if I had been in error for my previous usage. I subsequently blocked the previous images showing screen shots and did not make one for this. If I get a lot of requests for more clarity I can request permission from Google and if received re-incorporate the screen shot images. Until then I will try to explain things in a manner that does not require the demonstrative instructional images that use screen shots of their maps.
Google is very fair and very talented in all that they do. What they allow is quite appreciated for its ability to enhance the ProximityCast product.
It's no excuse, but sometimes we run a little too hard and too fast especially when we're flying solo. I hope no harm was done and apologies are accepted if necessary.

Till next time,
ciao my friends!

Inside Establishments

Definition: Inside Establishment
A unique establishment contained within a Mall, Large Store Complex, Underground Location e.g. "Atlanta Underground"

Inside establishments present a unique challenge for the ProximityCast Establishment photo contributor. GPS only works outside, but some of these inside places could be useful submissions users may also like to be able to find.

---

An acceptable compromise would be to combine an identifiable outside shot of the entrance with coordinates juxtaposed with the inside establishment.

The example photo shows a McDonalds FastFood Restaurant contained within a Wal-Mart Store. The top part of the picture shows the coordinates along with the above recognizable entrance into the Wal-mart store also showing the McDonald's trademark "Golden Arches" The lower part of the picture shows the McDonalds establishment inside the store.
This would allow a GPS user to identify the entrance to the Wal-Mart that contains the McDonalds.
Well enough for tonight.
ciao my friends,

David

Using Google Maps instead of GPS to Get Latitude and Longitude for Photo Labeling

The ideal method to obtain Latitude and Longitude for labeling ProximityCast pictures is with a GPS. That is not always practical for some since we are in a time of transition and change. Therefore this blog entry will detail how to obtain coordinates from Google Maps for labeling your ProximityCast picture contributions. Hopefully this will allow those of you who don't have a GPS to still contribute your "Establishment" photographs to ProximityCast.com when you want too.

For this demonstration we will use Landry's Seafood House in Branson Missouri.

Before attempting this method you should have already been to and taken the picture at the establishment location so you will have some familiarity with the location as you attempt to find the building on Google Maps.
BLOCKED_IMAGE-LandrysInBransonA
You can type what information you have into the search box: e.g. Landry's Seafood House Branson, MO Then click "Search Maps" to hopefully get you into the ballpark. You will then want to zoom in and switch to Satellite view if not already there.

Zoomed In Satellite view

BLOCKED_IMAGE-LandrysInBransonB
Once zoomed in you want to try to positively identify the the establishment building and the point from which you took the picture.

Three Potential Establishment Candidates

BLOCKED_IMAGE-LandrysInBransonC
I used Google Maps to get me in the ballpark prior to taking my trip to this establishment. I had no idea whether the restaurant was on the right or left side of the rode. I had no idea if the location was accurate on Google Maps, but it was a place to start. I identified three possible buildings that could have been Landry's Seafood House. After arriving on site and getting my picture I had the advantage of freshly obtained familiarity with the area to make a POSITIVE ID on Google Maps. So was it location 1, 2, or 3?

BLOCKED_IMAGE-LandrysInBransonD
Besides now knowing what side of the rode the building was on, I was also able to make a POSITIVE ID by the signature marquee Landry's seems to have standard on their seafood house restaurants. So, it was now easily obvious that building #2 was the location I needed to identify.

How to Determine Coordinates: Info found here!

BLOCKED_IMAGE-LandrysInBransonE Once you have the green arrow pointing to the spot where you stood to take the photo you can highlight the Latitude and Longitude and paste them directly onto the picture in your Post Processing software.
BLOCKED_IMAGE-LandrysInBransonF Then you can edit the pasted coordinates as desired. Here I replaced the + with a "N" for northern hemisphere for the latitude, and I replaced the - with a "W" for the western hemisphere for the longitude portion. I also removed the comma then simply resize the image for uploading and we are good to go with the use of a GPS.

I hope this entry will be found useful and I look forward to seeing the places you contribute!


Till next time,
ciao my friends!

Easy as 123: Performing a ProximityCast

step #1. Enter your Cast Initiation Point (CIP).
a. The CIP is the anchor point from which the cast net is tossed to find the closest establishments that meet your desired category.
b. The CIP is ideally entered as a Latitude and Longitude, however ProximityCast now accepts street address for your convenience.

step #2. Select your desired search category. e.g. Sushi will search for all restaurants that offer Sushi. Restaurant will search for all restaurants not considered fast food: e.g. steak, seafood, mexican, chinese, etc. Making no category selection will search for the closest establishments to your CIP regardless of category.

step #3. Click the "Perform Proximity Cast" button causes the search to commence. NOTE: you may skip steps #1 and #2 by simply doing step #3 to cause the featured location to be used as the CIP and shown in the Cast Results.

Doing a ProximityCast is as easy as 123. Please consider contributing images of your favorite establishments to make ProximityCast more useful for its users, including you!

Location Technology the ProximityCast Way!

Blocked Image

The left half of the image shows a partial screen shot after performing a ProximityCast.
The closest establishment is initially displayed as the large cynosure image with the thumbnail images, closest to farthest stacked on the right.
Clicking on any thumbnail image makes it the cynosure image.
Clicking on the current cynosure image opens an "Establishment Details" page where alternative images, reviews, and outside links to the establishment can be found if they exist.

On top of the thumbnail stack is a "MAP VIEW" button that opens a google map mashup with the returned establishment thumbnails stacked on the right.
Clicking any thumbnail opens an info box point to the corresponding location marker on the map. Each establishment info window has a "Directions" link that opens a google map with driving directions from the "Cast Initiation Point" to the selected establishment.

Swiss Chalet Restuarant

It has been awhile since I've last submitted to the blog. I've been staying quite busy. I've committed myself to putting in a solid 8 hours of coding during the week days. There is so much to do, but by the inch it is a cinch. I completed Another method for extracting coordinates from Google Maps on Friday. I thought it was pretty cool and hopefully helpful. Check it out!

19263 E US Highway 24, Woodland Park, CO
or
38.97800 -105.04117
Which is the superior address and why? Both will work in Google Maps.
Do you own a GPS? If so which one?

Till next time,
ciao my friends!

The Inevitability of Change

The old~
Street Address: 101 Front St, Boardman, OR
or the new~ Latitude and Longitude: N45°50.23' W119°42.08'
Both work if you copy and paste them into Google Maps.
Which do you prefer?
A picture is worth a thousand Words!
Accurate GPS coordinates TRUMP all street addresses!
One day the street address will go the way of the old covered wagon shown in the foreground.





"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living."
by: Gail Sheehy (b. 1937)
U.S. journalist and author.

Reason for Lat & Long coordinates on an image

I am attempting a paradigm shift in how the world locates places. This is not necessarily an easy matter since most of us are not given to change too easily, and we are typically map and street address oriented when it comes to finding places. With the increasing popularity of GPS systems I am of the opinion that some pictures are complimented by their coordinate address being placed on the picture. My “Mystery Destination” lounge is just one of millions existing somewhere in our world without the coordinates. But, with the coordinates on the image someone with a GPS can say, “I can find that place! And, it’s close or it’s too far to bother.”
I believe a picture is worth a thousand words and accurate GPS coordinates trump all street address.

Not all pictures lend themselves to be complimented by their coordinate location, a portrait for instance or a rainbow with coordinates would be meaningless. If I go to the location the portrait or rainbow was taken I can’t expect to find them there when I arrive. Also pictures that are an exceptional work of art like your ‘Estuary Reflections VI’ don’t need to be tarnished by the added text. However a shot like my ‘Pawn Shop’ are not particularly artistic and I feel the added coordinates provide extra usefulness for those in need of locating a pawn shop.

I broke the mold slightly with my ‘Mystery Destination’ and ‘Sail Away’ submissions but I did these two with coordinates to bring attention to the coordinates, and if my response makes sense then it was a great opportunity to explain myself. Tomorrow I will show what we enjoyed at this establishment and that picture will be coordinate free, but the day after I will post the entry to the establishment which in my mind is the quintessential reason for matching coordinates with a picture.

Your suggestion for an added border with the text work contained in that is a good idea and the kind of feedback I was looking for when I decided to start posting on treklens. I believe that would be a perfect way to handle a work of art like your ‘Estuary Reflections VI’ shot where coordinates could compliment the picture. I think other shots can have the coordinates blended artfully with the picture, ‘Sail Away’ and others like ‘Pawn Shop’ make no difference regardless of how you slice it.

I like the coordinates on the picture as opposed to only being in a database, because by being placed on the picture it is like a stamp of accuracy by the photography stating these are where this picture was taken. And, if a database entry typo was made the coords on the picture provide a cross check.

Thank you, David, for your critique and inquiry. Both are most appreciated.

Best regards,

David
Founder of ProximityCast.com
A project in its infancy.

Till next time,
ciao my friends!



Original Source of Post

Super Bowl Commercial

A lot of Super Bowl excitement involves watching the million plus dollar commercials that are featured each year. Today I share my commercial to help make ProximityCast a household word. Watch for it! If not this year, maybe next. TTT...Things Take Time...;-)

A young technically savvy Chelsea Clinton is driving her father Bill somewhere in an exotic location in a far corner of our world.
Bill has a conniption fit when a “Big Mac Attack” hits him.
Chelsea tells her dad to calm down because she has ProximityCast on her blackberry and will have her dad in the nearest McDonald's in the quickest possible time.
As Bill calms down a cast net is seen going out over the entire world pulling in the six closest McDonald’s Restaurants as the catch.
The commercial transitions to a very content Bill, just lovin’ it, in the nearest McDonald’s Restaurant.

Till next time,
ciao my friends!

Another non-coding day

I plan on coding tomorrow. I will try to create the regular expression I need.
So, How did I like the book: "Mastering Regular Expressions"?
The author had my captive attention through the 1st chapter and much of chapter 2. He highly recommends that a you read through chapter 6 before trying to use the book as a reference. Somewhere in chapter 3,4,5,&6 I started asking myself: "just how far down the rabbit hole to I really want to go?" "Just how far down the rabbit hole do I really need to go?" Well I did not read the latter chapters with the same enthusiasm as the 1st and most of the 2nd. If I'm successful creating and implementing my regular expression tomorrow, I'll be happy.
Mexican food anyone?
Till next time,
ciao my friends!

Non coding day

Well my new born baby: ProximityCast.com has been kicking for 1 month and 10 days now. And, still has lots of growing and improving to do. I hope I can enjoy the journey and stop wanting the new born to be full grown over night. I have enjoyed all phrases with my human children, although my oldest made me wonder if I would survive the teen years.
I'd rather be coding, but I spent the day reading (and I enjoyed it). Then I reluctantly helped my daughter with her car. I wanted to still be reading.
I'm working through the first six chapters of "Mastering Regular Expressions" by Jeffrey E.F. Friedl So far I am really enjoying it. I'm motivated. I need a regular expression to properly handle my new Latitude and Longitude input box combination street address input.
Geocoding will accept the Lat and Long and regurgitate it, but that is unnecessary usage of the geocoding service, and they give you a limit as to how many can be done in a day.
Boy, right now I'll be amazed and happy if ProximityCast ever starts using their daily quota. I feel like and Edsel Is that good or bad?
Anyhow, I have an inch I have to take care of but I have this yard I have to dig through to get where I can handle the inch properly. Fortunately I enjoy coding as much as I enjoyed flying. I just hope I can get to where I can make some money at it someday and provide something the world likes. Tall order...
ciao my friends!

a Favorite Restaurant ~entry #5

Gaston's Trout Fishing Resort on the White River below the Bull Shoals Dam has a world class fine dining restaurant that is definitely worth experiencing.
Gaston's has a small grass airstrip and many pilots fly in to experience the amazing ambiance of Gaston's.
Depending on your stature in life, the menu may be considered a slight bit expensive, however Gaston's offers a Sunday Brunch that is awesome!
It is a buffet style offering that has fried trout, broiled trout, smoked trout, eggs Benedict, custom omelets cooked while you watch, and much much more.
The dessert selection is always huge. This is an all you can eat buffet you won't want to miss if you're ever in this area.
Gaston's restaurant has huge glass windows that offer scenic views of the river and Ozarks. The ceiling and walls are filled with antiques from yesteryear.
If someone is not satisfied after a Sunday brunch at Gaston's deal, I'd have to wonder if it is possible to satisfy them.
Gaston's is high on my list as a favorite.
So, where is your favorite restaurant?
Perhaps you'd consider uploading it to ProximityCast.com

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Today I will continue to work on implementing geocoding. There is so much to do.
Dream big Dreams, but never forget that realistic short-term goals are the keys to your success. Mac Anderson - Founder of Successories from his book: The Essence of Leadership
I have big dreams for ProximityCast. I'm hoping that someday it will meet all of your expectations and provide just what you want and need. Oh yes: I wish it were all here already, however it is happening one step at a time. In The Essence of Leadership Mac says, "Remember, it's a cinch by the inch." That saying has helped me to stay the course I'm on. Mac said his grandmother originally told him the saying. She phrased it like this: "Inch by inch life's a cinch, yard by yard life is hard."

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Like I said, today the inch I am pursuing is geocoding. Here is a peek at the yard ahead. Things I need to get too.

1. Improve my Google Map feature. It does not work that well in Internet Explorer's browser.


2. My category selector needs lots of work.


3. I need to implement the ability of users to write reviews.


4. ...and much, much more.

Amazon.com just delivered two new computer science reference books: Mastering Regular Expressions, and Regular Expression pocket reference. So, I guess I need to get busy with some coding...
ciao my friends!

Short Day ~entry#4

Today was a leisurely day. I had a nice mountain bike ride and didn't do any coding.
I did want to share this link to a gps forum.
gpsreview.net
And here is a ProximityCast picture:

It looks like some of the javascript code I posted yesterday got truncated. I'll try to correct that tomorrow. (Corrected as promised! I set the font for the code at 80%)
Well, nuff said for entry #3. I'm tired. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be ready for some hot coding.
ciao my friends!

Extracting Lat & Long coords from Google Maps

Well it has been a long day. I've worked on adding geocoding ability and it is almost ready.
Geocoding involves entering a street address, town, or zip code into the textbox and a geocoding service determines the Latitude and Longitude of that spot.
Geocoding has a high overhead. Many geocoding services limit how many can be done in a specific time frame.
ProximityCast.com is primarily designed to be used with GPS coordinates and makes street addresses unnecessary. However the world's citizens are so use to street addresses that a transition period is necessary. And you do need the means to acquire the coordinates of a location if you are not on site with a GPS.

Here is a method I use to extract coordinates from Google Maps. You can copy and paste the extracted coordinates into ProximityCast.com with the parenthesis intact to use as a cast initiation point.

1. I open Google Maps to the vicinity of where I would like coordinates.
   
2. I use my right click mouse button and select "center map here" from the drop down button.
   
3. I past this javascript code that I keep saved somewhere convenient on my computer into my browser's URL address window.
   
   Here's the code:

   
   javascript:void(prompt('',gApplication.getMap().getCenter()));
   
   
   
4. I click the "go to the address in the location bar" button usually to the right of the address.
   
5. A popup appears showing the coordinates of the center of the map like this: (43.60336, -110.7362)
   
6. I right click on the coordinates the copy and click either "OK" or "Cancel"
   
7. I then paste the coordinates into google's "search maps" text box, remove the parenthesis and click "Search Maps"
   
8. A popup appears with a marker for the centered spot. The popup has the coordinates in both Decimal Degrees and Degrees, Minutes, Seconds.
   
9. I refine as and if necessary and I have my way point for inserting into my GPS or pasting into ProximityCast for a cast initiation point.

Here is a destination for you. You can find a link to their online menu here.
If you are ever traveling along I40 through central Arkansas this is a worthwhile and pleasant eating stop. My favorite is the "Louisiana Hot Shrimp Plump Shrimp, Sautéed in a Very Spicy Cajun Sauce" for 9.99 or 14.99 depending on whether or not you get it as an appetizer or a meal.
If you are a chocolate lover, you won't want to miss having "A Chocolate Mess
The Messiest Chocolate Sundae You Have Ever Eaten! 6.99 " for dessert."
Enjoy!

Well, nuff said for entry #3. Time to go to bed shortly so I'll be ready for a new day.
ciao my friends!

A Day's Work ~entry #2

I've opened an account with treklens to try and create some visibility for ProximityCast among photographers around the world. "TTT" Things Take Time. Many Americans like their cake and want to eat it too. Usually today is not soon enough, yesterday would have been just fine. So, patience is the order of the day. This quote: "It takes years to make an overnight success." was made by a U.S. entertainer: Eddie Cantor(1892-1964) I think it may apply for some businesses too. Time will tell if it was time well spent... My submission to treklens was for today was an image of a Dutch Bros. Coffee franchise in Monmouth, OR. Participating in sites like this take time, as does doing this blog so hopefully if I sow, so shall I reap, and it will all be time well spent.

I'll start coding after I complete my blog entry and deal with some e-mail. I'm working on an improved coordinate input method and pages that validate. You can try it here: new2u If you use Internet Explorer the castNet page has problems even though it validates. I'll probably try to resolve that issue before making it the active solution. On my faq page you can find a link to download Mozilla's FireFox. It is currently my browser of choice, and so far I've been very satisfied with it.

Anyhow here is a peek at what is on the horizon:

In the OLD you had to select your hemisphere by clicking one of the four corners. This could also be set in preferences if you are primarily always in the same corner of the world. Then you had to tab between Degrees, Minutes, Seconds, and Latitude and Longitude. With the NEW you can simply write your whole coordinate, Latitude and Longitude, with appropriate hemisphere indicators in one text box. It is quicker and easier once you understand the nuances. I'll probably create an educational page for those who need it once I make this the primary method of coordinate input.

I also plan on adding Geocoding capability for those who don't yet know or have access to their Latitude and Longitude, but once people are thoroughly acquainted with Latitude and Longitude I'd bet street addresses will become obsolete.
Well, nuff said for entry #2. Time to see if the coding fires are hot.
ciao my friends!

Raison d'être ~entry #1

Hello World!

This is not the beginning of my journey, but I am still in the early stages although I've climbed a major mountain and have dug out of a deep dark tunnel.
The dénouement is yet to be revealed and there is much to share.

Familiar with "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert T. Kiyosaki? So where was that mind expanding work in my youth? I guess you could say I've arrived at the party late.
Robert splits income production into 4 quadrants: "E" which is for employees, "S" which is for the self employed, "B" which is for businesses able to continue to function with or without you, and "I" is for investors.

I have been in the "E" quadrant the majority of my life with some minor excursions into the "S" quadrant. I've never had enough marbles in my bag to play in the "I" quadrant, and I am currently interested in transitioning into the "B" quadrant. I'm finding that it is easier said than done. The amount of tenacity necessary to stay the course is huge. The one thing all the business books I have read so far have been spot on the mark with is anyone desiring to start a business needs to find that which they have a passion for. Without a passion for what I am attempting, I would have been dead in the water long ago.

This is what I've learned so far. In my previous occupation where I was in the "E" quadrant. I feel like all of my screws were nice and tight and in place.



Now as I attempt to transition to the "B" quadrant, I find that many of my screws are either loose or missing. So, I guess that means my work is cut out for me. Well it is a blessing to have something to put my hand to, and quite a gift for that something to imbue me with passion. Sometimes I wish the ground I have to travel was easier. Sometimes I wish my way was clearer. Sometimes I wish my burden was shared.
Most of all I hope that when all is said and done the world will have received a cherished gift from my hand. It doesn't have to be the biggest and brightest diamond on the block, but to be recognized as a gem of value that is appreciated will make my journey all worth while.


If you are ever in Little Rock and you have a craving for Sushi, you might try: KOBE Steakhouse and Sushi. For those who are GPS savvy now you have the waypoint you need and a picture to allow you to experience déjà vu on arrival!
Well, nuff said for entry #1.
ciao my friends!