Mobile map inspiration
So, I’ve been itching to do something really cool with Python on Symbian Series 60. The first thought was a way to upload images directly from the phone to Gallery. Well, it still needs some polishing, but I wrote most of that at the last SVLUG hackfest. Right now it takes a picture with the phone’s camera, saves it locally, then beams it off directly to a Gallery server over GPRS, via an HTTP proxy and the gallery-remote protocol. Unfortunately, the Python module for the camera doesn’t give you a lot of control. A much more practical (hah!) solution would be to have the script send everything it finds in an ‘outbox’ directory- so you just save images there with any camera app, then upload them at your convenience by running a simple script.
Anyway, while that was kinda fun to write, it wasn’t really as interesting as I’d hoped. This might just be due to the extreme suckiness of phone cameras. Yesterday I found something much cooler. For a while now I’ve been interested in getting maps on my mobile devices. Google maps, of course, seem the obvious solution. Mobile web browsers aren’t fancy enough yet to support the latest AJAX applications, but I’d want a small-screen-tweaked UI anyway.
Well, MGmaps to the rescue right? It’s a pretty spiffy app. Unfortunately, being in Java it’s kinda sluggish and not readily hackable. I’d like to have it make use of my phone’s 512MB MMC card to keep a disk cache of map tiles. Doing all the browsing over a slow GPRS link with very little cache is hardly fun or useful.
Yesterday I stumbled across a Nokia forum post with a literally 100-line Python app to browse Google Maps online. It has a lot of rough edges- drawing artifacts while it’s loading, I had to hack it a bit to support HTTP proxies, and it has a ‘cache’ which will use an unbounded amount of RAM. But, it makes a great proof-of-concept and a great inspiration. I’d love to write a similar app with better cache management, a more extensible and maintainable architecture, and better responsiveness while downloading images.
If I do go through with writing such an app, I’ll finally be using Python to bring a keyhole-like system to devices you always have handy. I shall call it “pyhole”.
hey you! *pounce* how are you getting to Boulder on friday? (don’t say plane or I’ll throw a cookie at you…yes, now…why not now…so you are saying you think I can’t throw a cookie 1500 miles. well ha! *goes to get cookie*..*throws cookie* let me know when it gets there ok?)
anyways, I can come pick you up, but evan has thing pumpkin cutting thing planned, and chris howard is joining us, so I prodded him and am trying to convince him he wants to pick you up (since he has to come north anyways…makes logical sense), but if that falls through, i’ll let you know…mostly by showing up ^_^ that said, are you checking bag widgets? also, what were your thoughts on kendar’s email?
/me retrieves cookie from cat and disposes of it.
I don’t doubt you can throw a cookie 1500 miles, but I’ll have to open my window if I want any hope of catching it. At least my window faces the right direction!
Anyway… no checked bags, just my usual carry-on. If picking my up is a problem I can always take the bus or accept the ride offers my parents always seem to give.
I didn’t notice that Kendra’s email was sent to you also until after I replied, or I would have done a reply all. Really I don’t care too much where we end up going, as long as we have a week together. I’m itching to go overseas, but I think we could have plenty of fun closer to home as well.
Well, I’ll see you and Kendra quite soon! Just one short week… actually the next few days should be fairly eventful. Epoxies concert this Wednesday, flying out Friday afternoon, having lots of fun doing randomness with friends this weekend, then TMBG next week. This time I can actually go to both nights of the show, yay.
Ok. No rambling for me. I’ve been neglecting my email and my sleep patterns.
sleep is for the weak!
“who needs sleep? well you’re never gonna get it! who needs sleep? tell me what’s that for? who needs sleep? well you might as well forget it, this guy’s been awake since the second world war!”
MGMaps: great concept, but just plain doesnt work in some cases…
Even with the png converter and all the happiness set up for my phone, it still gives me 20 pages (on my phone screen) of java death throes to read through and debug…
Good seeing you Sat, maybe I’ll catch the next SVLUG hackfest.
./scott