Tim Hibbard

South Carolina

My girlfriend, Chelsea and I are going on vacation tomorrow (depending on the hangover magnitude) for a week in South Carolina. Watch us get lost on Where's Tim.

posted @ Saturday, December 31, 2005 2:22 PM | Feedback (3) | Filed Under [ Where's Tim ]

*Gasp*...potential problem with Google Maps

In the PodcastStudio.net session the other night, I told Jeff and John that I have never had problems with Google Maps, or any Google API. Well, I think I might have found something.

I was redesigning the layout for Where's Tim, because, well, I'm an awful UI designer. And I was putting everything into a 2x4 table and I set the left column width at 25% and the right column width at 74%. The upper right hand cell contains the div tag that eventually becomes the Google Map and I set the width of that div tag at 100% so the map would increase with the size of the window (like real web developers do).

That all worked, but when I would increase the size of the window, the right tiles on the Google Map would not always display, sometimes they would though...very inconsistent, but it was tied to increasing the width of the window.
The second thing that went wrong is that the map thought that it's center point and the x/y bounds of the map were the same even though the window has maximized and the map had a new dimension. Like for example, when you click "Refresh location with AJAX" on Where's Tim, it will look to see if the new location is inside the bounds of the existing map using the map.getBoundsLatLng(); function...more code on this post. If my new location is outside the bounds that this function returns, then the map will recenter on the new location, if it is within the bounds of the map, it doesn't change anything and the icon just "moves" to the new location. This way the user gets more of a seamless smart client feel. Well, if you start Where's Tim with a normal sized window, and then maximize it. Then move the map so that my location is on the right hand side of the map (but still visible) and click "Refresh Location with AJAX", you will notice that the map recenters because it thinks that the new location is outside the bounds (even though I haven't actually moved and my current position is still visible on the map).

Now, having said all that, it is very possible that I have missed something obvious in the Google API or that I am just a bad web developer and do not know the proper way to accomplish this. I'm sure that many good web developers have created Google mashups with % width div tags in ASP.net...how did you guys make it work?

Technorati Tags: Google Maps

posted @ Saturday, December 31, 2005 2:16 PM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ .NET Mapping Where's Tim ]

PodcastStudio.net follow up

I had a great time talking with Jeff and John the other night. As I listened to the podcast, I noticed a few things that I should clarify.

Lat/Long = Latitude & Longitude, and x and y way of locating a geographic point on a map. For example, the Lat/Long of Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS is -95.25438, 38.954069.
We used the AJAX.net library by Michael Schwarz. It is very easy to use and had wanted to talk more about it, but we ran out of time. All you do is modify your web.config, register your class for AJAX, and give your function an Ajax.AjaxMethod() attribute. Create a function in Javascript that will talk to the AJAX.net function and another Javascript function that will listen for your .net function to complete. Then just call your first javascript function from an event of a control and it will take care of all the dirty work. You can even pass structures between .net and javascript using the library if you make your structures serializable. Everything you need to know is here.

Some websites/blogs that I talk about.

Where's Tim - find me on a Google Map
EnGraph - the company I work for.
Kyle Archer - my boss
Matt Strausz - my roommate that blogs about Kansas DUI laws.
Robert Scoble
ProgrammableWeb - good source for API's
Pete Cashmore - good source of Web 2.0 information
Diggnation - talked about Where's Tim here
Rick O'Shea - has radio show in Ireland and talked a bit about us.

We are working on some cool things at EnGraph and I look forward to talking with Jeff and John more as GPS gets bigger.

posted @ Saturday, December 31, 2005 1:49 PM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ EnGraph .NET GPS Mapping Where's Tim ]

Talking with PodcastStudio.net

I just finished talking with Jeff and John from PodcastStudio.net. We had a great talk about Where's Tim, GPS technology moving forward, consumer adaptation, the negative misconceptions of GPS, how the web is opening up with API's and web services, and good old fashioned geek stuff in general.

Jeff talked a little about it earlier. He might have it up tonight, so make sure to subscribe to their feed.

Technorati Tags: Google Maps, Where's Tim, ASMX, AJAX, Podcast

posted @ Thursday, December 29, 2005 4:47 PM | Feedback (1) | Filed Under [ EnGraph .NET GPS Mapping Where's Tim ]

Where's Tim on WLL soon

Last week, Scoble asked if we would port Where's Tim over to Windows Local Live. This morning, Chandu Thota (MapPoint all-star) sent me an email letting me know to contact him if I need any help working with WLL. Hey Chandu, I also have a ClickOnce version of Where's Tim in the works using MapPoint that I will probably need some help/guidance on too.

I'm excited to work with their new API...I need to work on sending vehicle manifests and receiving messages from vehicles for Sean before I go on vacation next week though. I'm sure between all that and playing with our new puppy, I'll be able to at least get started this week.

posted @ Tuesday, December 27, 2005 9:39 AM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ EnGraph Mapping Where's Tim ]

Joey Allen

Chelsea and I got a new puppy Christmas Eve...Joey Allen. More pics here

posted @ Monday, December 26, 2005 8:01 AM | Feedback (1) |

Kansas ignores drinking and driving

Not tech related, but interesting.

Matt Strausz talks about how the state of Kansas ignores low compliance rates for drinking and driving offenders.

posted @ Thursday, December 22, 2005 8:09 AM | Feedback (0) |

Where's Tim gets Scobleized

Robert Scoble talks about Where's Tim. He suggests that I integrate with Local Live. I'd like to do that. I played with Virtual Earth a bit and the Google API was easier (and looked better). But I'll give it another try and see what they have improved.

posted @ Tuesday, December 20, 2005 1:11 PM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ EnGraph Where's Tim ]

Kyle goes to Jersey

Kyle was in Salem, New Jersey last week working with one of our clients. He talks about it here.

posted @ Tuesday, December 20, 2005 1:06 PM | Feedback (0) |

Feedblitz

Kyle thinks I should try Feedblitz (RSS to email). There are a few feeds that I would like to know right away when something is published. I usually have RSSBandit running, but I set up a few feeds anyway:

Kyle Archer
Jon Box
Jeff Julian
Ryan Gregg
Google Blog Search: "tim hibbard"

It's not as "on-demand" as I wish (updates only once a day), and even if you get the paid subscription, it only updates every 4 hours...not fast enough. I'll give it a try for a bit though.

posted @ Tuesday, December 20, 2005 9:07 AM | Feedback (0) |

Noodly testers wanted

Pete Cashmore is looking for testers on his new "aggregator of edge content" application.

posted @ Tuesday, December 20, 2005 7:48 AM | Feedback (0) |

More from the EnGraph Christmas party

Kyle talks about the EnGraph Christmas party.

posted @ Tuesday, December 20, 2005 6:36 AM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ EnGraph ]

EnGraph gets published

The Dakota Transit Association is featuring our paratransit management software, ParaPlan in their winter issue. Kyle talks about it here.

Technorati Tags:EnGraph, ParaPlan, paratransit

posted @ Tuesday, December 20, 2005 6:31 AM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ EnGraph ]

Where's Tim Web Service

You can now integrate my current location data into your own applications using the Where's Tim web service.

The GetTimsLocation function returns a GPSData structure:

GPSData
-Lat
-Lon
-Speed (in MPH)
-Since (last active reading - date format)
-Place (reverse geocoded location - string)

MsgBox(My.WebServices.EnGraphGPS.GetTimsLocation.Speed.ToString)

posted @ Sunday, December 18, 2005 8:30 PM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ EnGraph .NET GPS Where's Tim ]

Where's Tim shirt

Pictures of the t-shirts that Kyle made for the EnGraph christmas party.







Good stuff. Thanks, Kyle.

posted @ Sunday, December 18, 2005 5:31 PM | Feedback (1) | Filed Under [ EnGraph Where's Tim ]

Off to Iowa

Chelsea and I are going to fight the snow and head off to Iowa this morning to see my family. You can watch us on Where's Tim

posted @ Saturday, December 17, 2005 5:46 AM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ Where's Tim ]

Article about Where's Tim

Based on a request from one of my .NET heros, Jon Box, we put together an article about Where's Tim, the technologies that we used to create it, the various functions, some source code and the future of GPS.

The article is here.

Technorati Tags: GPS, Where'sTim, AVL, Google Maps

posted @ Friday, December 16, 2005 7:17 PM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ EnGraph .NET GPS Where's Tim ]

EnGraph Christmas party

Just got back from the EnGraph Christmas party. Kyle made some fantastic Where's Tim shirts. Pictures on the way. Paisano's was delicious, of course.

It's nice to sit down with everybody and talk about all the things we have accomplished over the year. As a developer, it's easy to get stuck in the daily grind. We work really hard and create some cool products and it is very nice to work for a company that appreciates all that we do.

posted @ Friday, December 16, 2005 7:02 PM | Feedback (3) | Filed Under [ EnGraph Where's Tim ]

Lawrence needs recycling

For such a progressive town, Lawrence, Kansas does not have a public recycling program. We can pay $15 a month for these guys, or $16 a month for these guys, or haul our tin and aluminum to Walmart (which finally reopened).

I think it's crap that we don' t have this service provided to us for free. The town of 10,000 that I grew up in has provided it for over 10 years. Kansas City has it too.

I love Lawrence, but we really need this. It makes me ill how much paper and cans we throw away. Katie talks about all the wasted papers we get on our doorstep too.

lawrence, recycling

posted @ Thursday, December 15, 2005 6:41 AM | Feedback (0) |

Where's Tim gets podcasted

Diggnation, a podcast that dicusses items dug on digg.com, talked about Where's Tim on their latest podcast.

The .mp3 can be downloaded here.

Thanks for the plug :)

posted @ Tuesday, December 06, 2005 2:10 PM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ Where's Tim ]

Where's Tim hits the airwaves in Ireland

I'm listening right now to Rick OShea's radio show in Ireland.

He just talked about Where's Tim on the air and also mentioned it in his blog.

You can listen along on radio station's real player stream

Hey Rick, thanks for the plug.  And to answer your question of  “Why would anybody ever want to do that”...
I'm working on an article that might explain that.  Stay tuned.

posted @ Tuesday, December 06, 2005 1:56 PM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ Where's Tim ]

RSS Feeds for U.S. Congress Votes

Adrian Holovaty (formally of Lawrence Journal World) reports that washingtonpost.com has released RSS feeds for every vote in the U.S. Congress since 1991. Very cool.

I can't wait to see the mashups that come out of this.

posted @ Monday, December 05, 2005 5:34 PM | Feedback (0) |

Where's Tim issues fixed on Safari

The messaging and get directions to Tim on Where's Tim now works properly on Safari thanks to some javascript changes I made here and here.

posted @ Monday, December 05, 2005 9:09 AM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ Where's Tim ]

Browser Stats

According to Blogflux mapstats, here is my browser breakdown:

This blog:
Internet Explorer = 73%
FireFox = 20%

Where's Tim:
Internet Explorer = 44%
FireFox = 34%
Safari = 6%

Interesting how much lower IE's share is on Where's Tim.

posted @ Sunday, December 04, 2005 9:12 AM | Feedback (0) |

Biggest tech industry lies

Sahil Malik talks about the biggest lies in the tech industry

My favorite:

.NET is better than Java/Java is better than .NET/We should switch to <XX> to make our development better.

Okay, I don't care who you are - you don't know enough to make that call. I've been a hardcore MS Developer for about 10 years now (not counting paid college and school work), I have worked with MS technologies from Borland Turbo C, to .NET, and whenever I read a book I discover something new about MS Technology. There is SO MUCH even in MS Technology that I don't kniow, how the heck can I make that call of .NET being bettert han Java? And I spend probably 15 hours a day in front of a PC - so I find it hard to believe that there is anyone who can make that claim definitively. However, I do "like" .NET better than Java :), Java and it's hacky nature is just icky - but hey whatever turns your knob.

posted @ Sunday, December 04, 2005 7:53 AM | Feedback (0) | Filed Under [ .NET ]

document.getElementById(id).getAttribute("value") on FireFox

The messaging feature of Where's Tim was not working in FireFox and Safari.

I changed my javascript code from:

var msg = document.getElementById(”txtMessage”).getAttribute(”value”);
var frm = document.getElementById(”txtFrom”).getAttribute(”value”);

To:

var msg = document.getElementById(”txtMessage”).value;
var frm = document.getElementById(”txtFrom”).value;

That seemed to be the fix for Firefox.  I admire you web developers, this is much less intuitive than fat client development :)

posted @ Saturday, December 03, 2005 1:16 PM | Feedback (24) | Filed Under [ Where's Tim ]

Window.Navigate on FireFox

The get directions to Tim feature on Where's Tim wasn't working quite right in Firefox and Safari.

I changed my javascript code from:

Window.Navigate(url);

To:

Window.Location=url;

And that fixed it in Firefox, I haven't had a chance to test on Safari yet.

posted @ Saturday, December 03, 2005 11:26 AM | Feedback (2) | Filed Under [ Where's Tim ]