New Years Fireworks, 2006

The New Years Fireworks, not something I often get to see live due to working most new years. This years were a bit of a dissapointment compared to last years, it seemed to me that they had spread themselves too thin, using the City skyline for the first time, and not a lot of attention on the bridge. Sure, there were big syncronised mortars along the length of the parramatta river, but only in ones and twos. The sustained onslaught of colour and size from last years show was definately missing.

Mon 01 Jan 2007 | /TheWell | permalink

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Google Maps

I finally got around to updating the way I collect satelite images that are linked to the images on TheWell. Previously I was using the TerraServer to obtain image data, but it was a bit slow and sometimes didn't work.

Google has been offering the use of its Google Maps API for some time now, the same data that is used in the GoogleEarth product can be embedded into a webpage very easily.

In addition to changing the mapping imaging, GoogleMaps also allowed me to plot track data onto the images, so you can see the path taken for a few hours either side of when an image was taken.

Take a look at an example.

Wed 08 Feb 2006 | /TheWell | permalink

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GPS Datacraft

I've been toying with the idea of linking GPS data to my images for ages now - I've finally managed to put something together that makes sense. I used to own a Magellan Meridian GPS and I'd taken it on just about every trip with me. I'd save the track data each day.

It occured to me that the timestamp recorded with each trackpoint and the timestamp recorded into each image by the camera combine to form an index of sorts. While there is unlikely to be a direct 1 to 1 relationship, at the scale we're talking about a matter of a couple of hours travel would hardly matter.

Combine that with the amazing power of the www.TerraServer.com on-line database of satelite imagery, and I can link GPS coordinates to every image, and get a top down view of the terrain it was taken in. The TerraServer used to be owned by Microsoft and generally only really had decent images of the US. Its now public domain and contains a vast amount more data.

The result is quite nice. Take a look at this image of Uluru, or Kata Tjuta, or The Twelve Apostles, or even Wilson's Promonotry. For some interesting Man-Made structures, check out Tidbinbilla, a deep space radio observatory near Canberra, the straight lines of the Sturt Highway in the Northern Territory, or park your camel in the streets of Alice Springs.

I don't know how useful it is, or how much it really shows - perhaps it just shows I've got way to much spare time on my hands.

Give me a yell if you want the technical details on how its done.

Wed 09 Mar 2005 | /TheWell | permalink

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