Google says Lasqueti Island doesn’t exist

Do a search for “Lasqueti Island” on Google Maps (maps.google.ca), and you will see that Google says that this island, between Vancouver Island and Texada Island, doesn’t exist. Only when you turn on satellite or hybrid views will Lasqueti Island actually be shown.

I wonder what the 350 residents of this approximately 8 km wide and 22 km long island have to say about this!

GPS to PostGIS data import pipeline

I have found an interesting OpenSource based system that should allow you to import GPS track/route/waypoint information from your GPS into the OpenSource spatial database PostGIS. Here are the steps and tools:

1. Convert your GPS data to the GPX format using GPSBabel
2. Use the GPX2SHP program to create a SHP (ESRI Shape File)
3. Import the SHP file into PostGIS using shp2pgsql

With your GPS data in PostGIS, you should be able to do all sorts of cool things.

For PostGIS data import, the following tools are interesting:

• DXF -> PostGIS
• E00 -> PostGIS

3D mouse

If anyone wants to purchase me a “Geek Tool”, you could buy me one of these cool a 3D mice.

This mouse is integrated with Google Earth, and allows you to seamlessly pan and zoom around the world. Check out this video demonstration of the output:

Mapping with WMS

Some quick map links:

To add your own WMS (Web Mapping Server) to Google Maps, check out the javascript here: http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOSDOC/Google+Maps. They talk about GeoServer (a Java Map engine), but the javascript doesn’t rely on any WMS server in-particular.

If you are using a standards compliant WMS, check out this SLD (Style Layer Discriptor) to style your maps like Google does (or very close).

Map Layers from All-Over

Creating maps that integrate data from all-over the place would be super-spiffy. You have corporate GIS data; you have beatiful Microsoft Virtual Earth imagery; you have functional google maps imagery.

OpenLayers is a Javascript API that is trying to bring all this stuff together. Unfortunately it has some pretty major usability issues to deal with.

This guy has a hack for adding your WMS imagery to a google map. See it in action here. An even better example is here (it brings together layers from TerraServer, Google, and a WMS). Or do it with Virtual Earth.

My short-term goal is simply to figure out how to join our corporate GIS data visually together with any WMS server. It may mean hacking, but hopefully not.

Microsoft Virtual Earth does 3D

Microsoft is trying to compete with Google Earth.

Local.Live.Com now has a “3D” version. It requires Internet Explorer, .Net 2.0 and other purely Microsoft tools. You’ll have to trust an ActiveX control to get this view also.

Too bad it’s only for Windows/IE; doing 3D in a webbrowser has so much potential.

Steve Ballmer Sells Windows

Steve Ballmer sells Windows 1.0.

Un-be-lievable! It comes with Write and Reversi and runns bla-zing-ly fast on a 286! And all that for only 99 Dollars!

Married!

As of August the 12th, I’m a married man!

Photos taken by Gaalen with our camera are here:

• the rehearsal dinner
• the ceremony
• picture time
• the reception

Official wedding photos and pictures of our honeymoon in Bali are soon to come!

Drive around Seattle using your webbrowser

Microsoft (through it’s live.com website) now has a way to drive around Seattle using your web browser.

Rather interesting technology, but how useful is it?

Geocoding Canadian Addresses

Looks like there’s finally a Canadian equivalent to www.geocoder.us – www.geocode.ca!

Now all I need to do is create my own cool zooming map of Port Moody with my own cool JavaScript viewer (so that I don’t have to worry about Google Maps’ Terms which allow for advertisements). Of course drawing circles and overlaying information on Google Maps looks very promising.

It looks like someone has been able to overlay their own tiles onto Google Maps – so that you can use Google’s interface to show your own graphics. This same technique is used for a subway map of NYC. Too cool.

More: a tutorial on making your own google map type, and even a photoshop script to make all the tiles.

The updating map of where the trains are *right now* in Dublin is really cool.