thattommyhall.com » OpenStreetMap http://www.thattommyhall.com A Random Walk Through Idea Space Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:13:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 OpenStreetMap vs Google Maps http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/16/openstreetmap-vs-google-maps/ http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/16/openstreetmap-vs-google-maps/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 13:31:24 +0000 tom http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/16/openstreetmap-vs-google-maps/ Near where I currently live in Otley is very well mapped by OSM, here is a screenshot.

OSM - Otley

Compare this to google maps (Only when I did this comparison did I notice how much screen space is wasted on the left of the google maps).

Google - Otley

My first experience with the OSM online editor was a bit frustrating, not as intuitive as I would have liked but it will get better I am sure. I am looking forward to contributing something more substantial at the weekend. I am going to take some traces near my Mums on Sat and then the WYLUG mapping meet on Sun after a party on Sat night in Chester. It’s good to be busy.

]]> http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/16/openstreetmap-vs-google-maps/feed/ 0 OpenStreetMap, My Cool New Phone http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/16/openstreetmap-my-cool-new-phone/ http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/16/openstreetmap-my-cool-new-phone/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:13:16 +0000 tom http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/16/openstreetmap-my-cool-new-phone/ I have decided to get involved in OpenStreetMap.

When asked a little while ago by someone at WYLUG I poo-pooed it, thinking that it was too big a task and seeing the little progress they had made. I am glad to say I was wrong, it is taking shape nicely now. I guess Wikipedia, GNU and Linux all must have looked like quixotic endeavors in the early days; though the people with the vision, that seemed to be tilting at windmills, were proved right. I thought it a shame that we would have the skill to put together sat-nav software but no free access to map data. These slides helped convince me as well as a recent WYLUG talk.

The Leeds mapping is OK now, but some folk from WYLUG are going to get together and plug a few gaps next weekend. So obviously I need a GPS…
… in a smartphone. Regardless of what some people claim, a GPS enabled S60 nokia is totally essential for the enterprise. Seriously though, I had been considering a new phone with a half decent camera and saw the N95 8G with its built in GPS and nice big screen. I went for the N82 though as it was slightly lighter, cheaper, has better GPS reception, has a xenon flash and had a lens cover (I cannot stand the thought of the lens not being covered when not in use). I think convergence has basically happened, that will give me better pics than the 2.8Mpixel camera I carried round for 3 years and will be an OK sat-nav device in the car, a phone and a reasonable mp3 player (with a normal size headphone socket on the phone). The downside is a smaller screen. S60 has a Python implementation too so I will be able to play with that a bit.

N82 vs N95

I have some friends that did 120,000 KM in a round the world trip , I hope they kept traces on the way as they may be incredibly useful.

In other good news, I am the 4th Tom Hall on google. I think I can get to 2nd as I should be able to beat a county and western singer from Texas.

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