Create a Facebook app using Google Sites

Here is a really simple way to create a Facebook application using Google Sites.

Note: If you have your own web-page, you can use it instead of Google Sites. I am using Google Sites to host the page that will be shown as a Facebook app.

What you need:

1. Google Sites subscription: http://sites.google.com/
2. Facebook Developer app subscription: https://developers.facebook.com/apps
1. You need to verify your account before you can create your Facebook app.

Steps:

1. Create a Google site using the blank template:
1. Click the “Create New Site” button
   
2. Choose the blank template and leave all other options at their default values.
   Click create site.
   
3. Once the site has been created, you need to set the width of the page:
   Go to the Manage Site option (under More Actions).
   
4. Select “Site Layout”
   Click the “Change site layout” button
   Change the site width to 700px (this is what I found was the optimum width for the site without any side-bars)
   Uncheck the “Sidebar” checkbox
   
   Click Ok
   Click the Save Changes button.
5. Click on the “Return to site” link (top left)
6. Your home page should now display with the selected width. Add some content to this page.
   
   Take note of the page url. This is the URL you will use as the canvas url when you setup the facebook app later. The url is typically of the format: https://sites.google.com/site/SITE-NAME/ (where SITE-NAME is the name choosen in step 2).
7. Create a privacy information page (its required when you setup your Facebook App).
   Click the “Create Page” button
   
8. Name the page Privacy (or PrivacyInformation or something similar)
   Select the default options and click the Create Page button.
   
9. Add some basic privacy information on this page. (eg: No privacy information available).
10. That’s it. You are done with the Google Sites portion.
2. Create the Facebook app:
1. Go to the Facebook Developer app: https://developers.facebook.com/apps
2. Put in a name for your app
   
3. After a few seconds you will be taken to the Basic Info page.
4. Fill in the basic info section (setting the category).
   
   Fill in the contact info: (only email and privacy url’s are required. the Privacy URL is the url to the page created in step (1).(8) above.
   
5. Click the Save Changes button.
6. Select the “On Facebook” link on the left and then the “Canvas Settings” button.
   
7. You need to enter the Canvas and Tab urls.
   
   The Canvas and Tab url is the url to the Google sites home page you created in step (1).(6).
   For the Secure Canvas and Secure Tab url, just change the http to https (eg: http://sites.google.com/site/fbtestraj/ to https://sites.google.com/site/fbtestraj/)
   Also enter a name for the tab.
   Click on Save Changes.
8. Next click on the “View App Profile Page” in the side bar.
9. Add relevant information to your App’s Profile page.
10. Finally, click on the “Go to App” button and the app will be added to your profile.

Here is what my test Facebook test app looks like (its called: Raj’s Test App: https://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=211134738936140)

If you are a developer, then you can further customize this page using scripts (and if you are using your own website to host the page, then other web-application frameworks such as .Net). This done through the authorization mechanism.

Reference:
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/guides/canvas/

Denver Maps

I had friends visiting us and wanted to provide them maps of downtown Denver and other places to visit in Denver. Here are maps that I found:

 
Downtown Denver

 
Downtown Denver with Attractions

 
Metro Denver with Attractions

Denver Auto Show 2011–Coupon Code

Get $2 off on your Denver Auto Show ticker (Adult tix are normally $10).

Use code CAR11 when you purchase the tickets in advance on their website: http://www.paragonexpo.com/index.php/DE-General/ (use the “Buy Tix Now” button).

Compilation of Colorado fall drives information

Came across the following pages on Denver T.V. channel sites. They have great information on the best times as well as the best drives to view the changing colors of the fall season in Colorado’s mountain country. (The links to the original sites are included and they all have a ton of more information, as well as image galleries and updates to current conditions. So check them out. I have copied the information here just for archival purposes).

Best viewing timelines (according to 9News.com):

Best dates range from September 19th to October 16th.

---

9News

9 Best Fall Color Drives in Colorado

1. Poudre Canyon: Take I-25 north to Fort Collins, turn north on Colorado 14 and then head west out of town and into the mountains. Drive along the Cache la Poudre River all the way over Cameron Pass to Walden, then go south on Colorado 125 through the Routt and Arapaho National Forests back down to US 40 at Granby
2. Trail Ridge Road: Take US 34 through Rocky Mountain National Park
3. Peak to Peak Highway: Take Colorado 119, 72 and 7 between Black Hawk and Estes Park

4. Breckenridge: Take the long way by taking US 285 over Kenosha Pass and then down into South Park. At Fairplay, turn right on Colorado 9, which you will take over Hoosier Pass into Breckenridge
5. Boreas Pass: Between Como and Breckenridge
6. Independence Pass: Take I-70 to Copper Mountain, then take CO 91 south to Leadville; take US 24 south to CO 82 and head west on 82 to Aspen which will take you over the pass
7. Kenosha Pass: Take US 285 southwest out of Denver to South Park
8. Gold Camp Road: From the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek
9. Rampart Range Road: Between Sedalia and Woodland Park

---

Fall color drives from TheDenverChannel: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/weather/4955659/detail.html

SHORT DRIVES FROM THE METRO AREA

1. CO 103 from Evergreen Parkway west to Echo Lake. Take Evergreen Parkway to Squaw Pass Road, turn west. Follow Squaw Pass Road (Hwy 103) for about 18 miles to Echo Lake. The road will twist and turn through a mix of aspen and pine forests with several good locations to pull off and take photos. The scenery is spectacular accompanied by a variety of wildlife. Echo Lake Lodge offers a nice stop for refreshments. From there, turn west and continue to Idaho Springs. At Idaho Springs get on I-70-east to the El Rancho/Evergreen exit. This takes about 3 hours and is spectacular when the aspens change color. If some snow has fallen on the peaks, you will enjoy magnificent views of the aspen gold and snow capped mountains.
2. Guanella Pass between Grant and the top of the pass -- Take Highway 285 south from C470 through Conifer and Bailey. At the town of Grant, head north on the Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway to the top of the pass. Guanella Pass is closed on the north side of the pass and through travel is prohibited to Georgetown. The aspens are typically exceptional on the south side of Guanella Pass, which sits at 11,699 feet in elevation. This refreshing 23-mile road will take you through the Pike and Arapahoe National Forests. The road is gravel to the top f the pass, which i above timberline.
3. Trail Ridge Road (US 34) through Rocky Mountain National Park -- Take the Boulder Turnpike (US 36) west to Rocky Mountain National Park via Estes Park. Once in the park, drive Trail Ridge Road (the highest paved through highway in the US) and enjoy the breath-taking scenery. The weather can change quickly in the park so be sure and get the latest forecast from your 24/7 Weather Center. Trail Ridge Road peaks at 12,183 feet in elevation. Just west of the high point is Fall River Pass, elevation 11,796 feet, and the Alpine Visitor Center. Exit the west side of the park and continue on US 34 down into Grand Lake. From there, take US 40 east through Fraser and Winter Park, eventually meeting back up with I-70 at Empire.
4. Boreas Pass between Como and Breckenridge -- Take I-70 west and then Highway 9 south through Breckenridge. Make a left at the stoplight on the south side of Breck onto Boreas Pass Road. After 3.5 miles the pavement ends, but you can continue another 11 miles to the town of Como. From there, take Highway 285 back to Denver over Kenosha Pass. The Boreas Pass Road will take you above timberline where the weather can change quickly, so check with us for your forecast before making the trip. Boreas Pass Road follows an abandoned railroad grade which was the original route of the Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad. You will have incredible views of the Continental Divide as you pass the flank of Bald Mountain.
5. Colorado 14 through the Poudre Canyon west of Fort Collins -- Take I-25 north and exit onto Colorado 14 heading west. (Exit # 269) You will pass through the town of Laporte before entering the beautiful Poudre Canyon in the Roosevelt National Forest. The Pourde River Canyon was designated Colorado's First National Wild and Scenic River in 1986. Drive to Cameron Pass (10,276 feet) in the Medicine Bow Mountains for gorgeous views, and perhaps a picnic lunch.
6. Colorado 67 Between Divide and Cripple Creek -- Take I-25 south to Colorado Springs, exit onto US 24 west (exit 141) toward Woodland Park. At Divide head south on Highway 67 toward Cripple Creek and Victor. The scenic Golden Loop Historic Parkway between Cripple Creek and Victor will not only afford beautiful views of fall color, but a look back to the 1890s gold rush that made this area one of the most famous mining districts in the world. As an added bonus, you will cross Colorado's highest bridge on the state highway system. The bridge crosses Arequa Gulch just west of Victor, is 250 feet tall at it's highest point, and 1,218 feet long. Colorado has 8,479 bridges on it's highway system.
7. Tennessee Pass, US 24, From Leadville to Vail -- Take I-70 west to Vail and exit onto US 24 east to Leadville. On the way to Tennessee Pass you will see on of Colorado's fourteeners to the west. This route follows the Arkansas River and the Rio Grande Railroad. It was also the original Native American trail across the mountains. On the west side of the pass, the railroad follows the Eagle River down a 3% grade to the mining towns of Minturn and Belden. (Mount of the Holy Cross in the Sawatch Range).

   LONG DRIVES FROM THE METRO AREA

8. Independence Pass, Colorado 82, Between Twin Lakes and Aspen -- Take I-70 to exit 171 just past Vail to pick up US 24 west. This will take you to Twin Lakes, where you pick up Highway 82 toward Aspen. This beautiful drive through the San Isabel National Forest will afford picturesque views of the Sawatch Range, which is home to several of Colorado's 14ers. From Aspen you can continue on Highway 82 to Glenwood Springs where you will meet back up with I-70. Heading back toward Denver, you will drive through the gorgeous Glenwood Canyon where a hike to Hanging Lake and Spouting Rock would make for a nice picnic.
9. Cottonwood Pass, Colorado 306 Between Buena Vista and Taylor Park -- Take Highway 285 south to Buena Vista where you will meet up with Highway 306. Head west over Cottonwood Pass (12,126 feet). Here you will be surrounded by several of Colorado's highest peaks, including Mt. Yale (14,194 feet), Mt. Princeton (14,197 feet), Mt. Antero (14,269 feet), and Mt. Harvard (14,420 feet). You will be right in the heart of the Sawatch Range. West of the pass you will pass through Taylor Park and by the Taylor Park Reservoir on your way to Almont. Once in Almont, take Highway 135 south to Gunnison where Highway 50 east will bring you back to Highway 285 Salida.
10. Monarch Pass, US 50 from Salida to Gunnison Take Highway 285 south to Salida down through the Arkansas River Valley. Head west on Highway 50 to Gunnison, which will take you over Monarch Pass (11,312 feet).
11. Cochetopa Pass Between Saguache and Gunnison -- Take Highway 285 south to Saguache where you will meet up with Highway 114. Head north toward Gunnison and enjoy incredible views of not only fall color, but the fascinating geology of this region. Several calderas are located in the part of the San Juan Mountains. Approaching Cochetopa Pass you will see some "columnar basalts" which formed in the same manner as Devil's Tower in Wyoming.
12. Platoro Reservoir, south of Del Norte and West of Conejos -- Take Highway 285 south to Monte Vista and then Colorado Highway 15 (Gunbarrel Road) south 12.0 miles. Take the Twelve Mile Road 12.0 miles west to the forest boundary where it becomes the Alamosa-Conejos River Road (Forest Road 250). Then follow Forest Road 250 17.0 miles up the Alamosa River and over Stunner Pass to Mix Lake. Platoro Reservoir is just west of Mix Lake on Forest Road 247.
13. Cucharas Pass, Colorado 12, from Trinidad to Walsenburg -- Take I-25 south to Trinidad and then Colorado 12 west. You will drive through the San Isabel National Forest and over Cucharas Pass (9,941 feet) back to Walsenburg and I-25. As a side trip on your way back toward Denver, you can take exit 74 on I-25 which is Colorado City. Highway 165 will take you on a beautiful drive up the spine of the Wet Mountains. You will intersect Highway 96 which you can take west to the delightful town of Westcliffe for a little shopping, or east to Pueblo and I-25.
14. Steamboat Springs, Elk River country north and Buffalo Pass east -- Take I-70 west to Empire and exit onto US 40 west. This will take you through a scenic drive over many passes on your way to Steamboat Springs, including Berthoud Pass, Muddy Pass, and Rabbit Ears Pass. North of Steamboat out of Strawberry Pass you will find Forest Road 60 (Buffalo Pass Road). This scenic drive will take you across the Continental Divide into North Park where you will meet up with Highway 14. You can take Highway 14 east to Fort Collins or go west back to Muddy Pass on US 40 east to meet back up with I-70.
15. Maroon Bells Near Aspen -- Take I-70 west to Glenwood Springs to Highway 82 east. Follow 82 to the Aspen Roundabout where you will pick up the Maroon Creek Road exit. A parking lot off the roundabout offers shuttle service to Maroon Bells Road. Nestled in the Gunnison and White River National Forests, this area varies from 7,500 to over 14,000 feet! The Maroon Bells is one of Colorado's most photographed landmarks. The mirror-like reflective Maroon Lake will afford incredible views of the surrounding terrain and vegetation, which happens to be full of our lovely Colorado Aspen.
16. Colorado 135 Between Crested Butte and Gunnison -- Take Highway 285 south to Salida down through the Arkansas River Valley. Head west on Highway 50 to Gunnison, which will take you over Monarch Pass (11,312 feet). Once in Gunnison pick up Highway 135 north to Crested Butte and enjoy the beautiful views of surrounding forest. Once in Crested Butte, you can contiue west over Kebler Pass (9,980 feet) or north to Schofield Pass (10,707 feet).
17. Slumgullion Pass, Colorado 149, Between Lake City, Creede, and South Fork -- Head south on Highway 285 to Salida, then west on Highway 50 to just past Gunnison. Pick up Highway 149 south and prepare for a breath-taking drive through the Gunnison, Rio Grande, and Uncompahgre National Forests. Slumgullion Pass is at 11,361 feet followed by Spring Creek Pass at 10,901 feet. Once on Slumgullion Pass, look west for a beautiful view of Uncompahgre Peak, with an elevation of 14,309 feet, Sheep Mountain at 13,1368 feet, and Redcloud Peak at 14,034 feet. Once in South Fork, take Highway 112 east to Highway 285 near Center.
18. US 160, Navajo Trail, Between Pagosa Springs and Cortez -- Take Highway 285 south to Monte Vista in the San Luis Valley where you will pick up Highway 160 west. Once over Wolf Creek Pass (10,850 feet) in the San Juans, you will descend into the beautiful town of Pagosa Springs. Stop and take a look at the tranquil San Juan River that runs through the heart of town before continuing on your leaf viewing drive to Cortez.
19. Lizard Head Pass, Colorado 145 Between Dolores and Telluride -- Take Highway 285 south to Salida, then Highway 50 west to Montrose. From there take Highway 550 to Ridgway where you will find Highway 62. Heading west you will go over Dallas Divide on your way through the Uncompahgre National Forest. Once you intersect Highway 145, go south toward Telluride, Lizard Head Pass, and Dolores.
20. Grand Mesa, Colorado 65 East of Grand Junction and North of Delta -- Take I-70 west to Exit 49 just before Clifton. Head south on Highway 65 (Grand Mesa Scenic Byway) to Delta. This scenic drive on the western slope of the Rockies will take you over 60 miles and up as high as 11,000 feet with incredible views. Many lakes line the byway, including Sunset Lake. One really cool aspect of this drive is how the scenery changes. From a desert canyon to aspen foothills, lakes, alpine forests, lily ponds and rolling meadows. If you have time for a hike, the Land-O-Lakes is a trail that you can take for an awesome view of the many surrounding lakes. The West Elk Mountains will also be visible to your east. Another fun thing to do is drive up to the top of the mesa on Land's End road. From the top you will be looking 6,000 feet to the bottom of the canyon.
21. Flat Tops Country Between Buford and New Castle -- Take I-70 west to New Castle (Exit 105) where you will pick up Highway 13 toward Meeker. You have two routes depending on how much time you have. One is to take Highway 325 to Buford which will afford some beautiful views of the Flat Tops. The second option is to stay on Highway 13 to Meeker and take the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway. This 82-mile trek will take you through the White River National Forest to Yampa. From Yampa, take Highway 131 south to Wolcott where you will meet back with I-70. The Flat Tops Wilderness is defined by basalt lava flows of the White River Plateau, and underlain by thick limestone formation in which water has carved numerous caves.
22. McClure Pass -- From Glenwood Springs, take Highway 82 south to the junction of Highway 133, and follow this toward Carbondale. South of Carbondale, Highway 133 parallels the Crystal River and makes for some scenic photography. You will soon come to the town of Redstone, and the historic Redstone Inn. As you continue south to McClure Pass, elevation of 8,755 feet, you will see fantastic views of the Elk Mountains and Muddy Creek above Paonia State Park. While you are in the area, be sure to stop by the town of Marble. Marble is a legendary town where marble was quarried and finished for the Lincoln Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and hundreds of other buildings. Once you are back onto Highway 133, a quick jaunt to the south will bring you to Paonia Reservoir and Paonia State Park.

---

Cbs4Denver.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park From Denver take highway 36 through Boulder, Estes Park and straight into the park, using Trail Ridge Road. Enter Rocky mountain National Park and follow the road to Bear Lake. One of the best places for viewing the aspens is the area around Glacier Gorge Junction. If you're lucky you may see a few bugling elk welcoming in the new season.
• Guanella Pass From Denver take I-70 west and exit at historic Georgetown. Follow county road 381 over Guanella Pass to the town of Grant for some spectacular aspen viewing. The road is mostly unpaved, so a truck or 4 wheel drive might be a good idea. This is also a great time to ride on the Georgetown Loop Railroad. A steam locomotive will take you on a scenic ride to Silver Plume.
• Peak to Peak Highway This drive will take you on the peak to peak highway. On U.S. 6 through Clear Creek Canyon, take highway 119 past Blackhawk and Central City up to the mountain town of Nederland. Look for highway 72 heading to Ward and Allenspark. You should see thousands of acres of golden aspen with the Continental Divide as the backdrop.
• Poudre Canyon From Denver take I-25 north to exit 269. Take Colorado 14 west through Laporte and into Poudre Canyon. You will be driving through Roosevelt National Forest. On this drive you will go over Cameron Pass and have a good look at the Medicine Bow Mountains.
• Aspen From Denver, take I-70 west to Copper Mountain, where you will follow highway 91 through Leadville to highway 82. the aspen should big and bold as you travel from Twin Lakes over Independence Pass and down into the town of Aspen. While your there you can take a little detour to the Maroon Bells, one of the most photographed areas in Colorado. Check out the John Denver Sanctuary while you are in Aspen.
• The I-70 Corridor There are no complicated directions for this one. Drive from Denver west on I-70 all the way to Avon. The viewing is awesome as you travel from Vail Pass to Avon. The aspens will highlight the slopes on both sides of the interstate.
• Hoosier Pass Go west along I-70 to the Frisco exit and head toward Breckenridge on highway 9. Continue over Hoosier Pass down into the towns of Alma and Fairplay.
• Boreas Pass Again go west along I-70 to the Frisco exit and head south through Breckenridge on highway 9. Look for Boreas Pass Road on the south side of Breckenridge. Follow the road around 14.5 miles to the town of Como. Most of this road is unpaved, so don't take the Cadillac. The view of the Blue River Valley is great. And the waves of aspen groves are quite impressive.
• West Elk Loop From Denver, take I-70 west to Glenwood Springs where you will follow highway 82 south to Carbondale. Take highway 133 through Carbondale and continue over McClure Pass, there you will find one of the largest expanses of aspen in Colorado. The loop will take you through Paonia, where you'll head east on highway 92 to Gunnison. The loop back takes you on highway 135 to the ski town of Crested Butte where you'll drive a gravel road over Kebler Pass and then back to Carbondale on highway 133. This is a longer trip but, well worth it.
• San Juan Skyway The San Juan Skyway starts in Durango and travels north on U.S. 550 to Silverton where you'll follow the "Million Dollar Highway" over Red Mountain Pass down through Ouray(Colorado's little Switzerland) and into Ridgeway. Take Highway 62 over Dallas Divide on your way to Placerville where you'll want to turn south on highway 145 and head toward Telluride. Continue over Lizard Head Pass down to Cortez. Heading east on U.S. 160 will return you to Durango. This is considered one of the most scenic drives in America. I might also, add this is a great drive in the summer when all the wild flowers are blooming.
• Cottonwood Lake Take U.S. 285 south from Denver to Buena Vista. Drive about seven miles west of Buena Vista on Main Street, and turn left on county road 344. You'll find Cottonwood Lake about four miles down the road surrounded by beautiful groves of Aspen.
• Poncha Pass Take U.S. 285 south from Denver, or from Pueblo take U.S. 50 to Poncha Springs. Continue south on us 285 over Poncha Pass where you'll find stands of aspens along San Luis Creek.

---

Other Links:

Autumn Colors in Colorado (9 News)

U.S Forest Service – Fall Colors Update for Colorado

U.S Forest Service – Fall Colors information for the entire country

MyColorado.com - http://mycolorado.org/fall_drives.html

Google Search - http://www.google.com/search?aq=f&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=fall+colors+in+Colorado

---

Links to other drives (from 9News.com):

NORTHERN/CENTRAL COLORADO DRIVES
- 125
- 135
- Breckenridge
- Boreas
- Castlewood
- Chaffee County
- Cottonwood Pass
- Colorado 67
- Colorado 76
- Deckers
- Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park
- Gold Camp Road
- Golden and Golden Gate Canyon State Park
- Flat Tops Country
- Grand Mesa
- Guanella Pass
- Independence Pass
- Kenosha Pass
- Maroon Bells
- Monarch Pass
- Morrison and Evergreen
- Peak to Peak Highway
- Poudre Canyon
- Rampart Range Road
- Steamboat Springs
- Tennessee Pass/Vail
- Trail Ridge Road

SOUTHERN COLORADO DRIVES
- Cochetopa
- Cucharas Pass
- Kebler Pass
- Lizard Head Pass
- National Scenic Byway
- Platoro Reservoir
- Slumgullion Pass

Denver – Movies in the park

More info: http://www.denvergov.org/parksandrecreation/Home/NewsReleases/tabid/435937/newsid488211/4008/Enjoy-movie-blockbusters-in-the-parks/Default.aspx

Comcast - Speedtest

DenDNN – Do you know about the Denver DNN User Group?

The Denver DotNetNuke group meets about once every two months and the next meeting should be around mid May.

For more information: http://denver.dnnug.com/

David Ferreira is the current organizer of this group.

Colorado .Net Devs Twitter Stream by Ely Lucas

Ely Lucas has created a Twitter list of .Net developers in Colorado. Follow the list to stay tuned to the local .Net chatter: http://twitter.com/elylucas/colorado-dotnet-devs

More info about the group: http://www.tweetdeck.com/list/elylucas/colorado-dotnet-devs/1810003/#directory

DenverGov.org 1999 – 2009 – An evolutionary tale

Yesterday, we released a new version of the City and County of Denver’s website. It is mainly a skinning change authored by our web-master (Chani Goering). (The site is also undergoing changes related to hardware as well as the technologies used by some of the applications hosted on the site).

At this point I thought it would be good to take a look at how DenverGov has evolved since 1999 (the earliest that I could find a historical archive for the website). It is a telling tale and clearly shows the major leap that yesterday’s update to the site made in to the Web2.0 age.

Here is a video of the presentation taking you on a tour from 1999 to 2009.

And here is the presentation as a GoogleDoc

Case-Shiller Home Price Indices

Seasonally Adjusted Single Family Home Price Values
June 2009 (published August 25)

Seasonally Adjusted Condominium Values
June 2009 (published August 25)

Photosynth of Coors Field

My latest PhotoSynth – of Coors Field in Denver. Turned out to be a 100% photo-synth.

Interesting things that I found while making this latest photosynth:

1. There is a brand new interface to the website.

2. You can select images to highlight as well as add descriptions to individual images.

3. There is a new viewer – a silverlight viewer – which allows you to do a lot more, and a direct 3d viewer – which runs very fast and the way I like viewing the synths.

Street Sweeping Reminders for Denver

Get street sweeping reminders for the City & County of Denver - http://bit.ly/WuOjA

Denver housing market poised for a rebound

Came across this video recommended by The Mortgage Design (blog), that talks about the top 5 cities poised to make a recovery in the housing market. Denver is number 1. (aired may 19,2009 on the NBC Today Show)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

ASP.Net – A Data driven Google Map example

In a recent post, I had written about my data driven Virtual Earth map mashup example. In that example, I used the ASP.Net Virtual Earth server control, to display traffic camera locations that are stored in SQL Server database.

The VE ASP.Net control makes it extremely easy to take data from a database table and display it on a map. And all of it can be done using server side code. The ASP.Net control allowed me to rapidly prototype the application.

The one problem with the Virtual Earth ASP.Net control is that it cannot be used in a government website free of cost. On the other hand, Google Maps can be used in a public facing government website free of coast.

This prompted me to look for a method for displaying data from a database in GoogleMaps.

There are some ASP.Net controls available for working with GoogleMaps, but nothing that seems to be stable and free. In addition, I wanted to test out calling web-services using the AJAX toolkit from client java-script code. The idea is simple, the data is made available via a web-service. The web-service is consumed by calling it from client java-script. The data is then added to the Google Map layer and displayed. ASP.Net AJAX makes it extremely easy to call web-services from java-script, in addition, the data is made available as an object, allowing you to call properties and fields that were made available in the corresponding C# object in the server side code. After that using the data and adding it to Google Maps is normal java-script code.

Here is the Denver traffic cameras map mashup created using Google Maps: http://www.aggregatedintelligence.com/Samples/GMapsInASP/default.aspx

I will post the code after cleaning it up some.

Using Google Earth took me much more time than using the Virtual Earth ASP.Net control. This was mainly because I had to learn 3 new technologies to get the whole thing working (Web-services, Google Maps API and Javascript invocation of web-services). The next time I have to create such a mash-up, I am sure I will take much less time, but compared to using the VE ASP.Net control, using Google Maps in an ASP.Net data-driven web-page will definitely take more time.

Update (03.25.2009): I have posted code for how to make a website like this as part of another post "Using Virtual Earth control with a Web-Service". The ideas used in that example are very similar to what I did for this Google based map-example. JavaScript on the client's machine calls a web-service, which returns map data in JSON format. The JavaScript then takes the data and adds the points to the map. If you look at the sample in that post, you should find it fairly easy to create a Google Map version of it.

My latest mashup – Denver Traffic Camera Map

My latest mashup “Denver Traffic Camera Map”, is online.

The mashup grew out of a curiosity to take the new ASP.Net Virtual Earth control for a spin. The DenverGov traffic camera web-page is currently a static map and I wanted to see what it would take to use the VE control to display the same data. And it turned out to be pretty easy to create a prototype – approximately 2 hours.

Most of the time spent in creating the prototype was spent in collecting the data: manually clicking through each link on the traffic camera page and saving it to a text file. For this prototype, I wanted to test out the SQL Server database that came with my website hosted on Verio (http://www.revertoself.com/). So, I created a table in the database provided to me. This was done in SQL Server Management Studio 2008 (SMS2008). The data was loaded into the table using insert statements in SMS2008 (check out this post if you have problems opening the Verio SQL Server database in SMS 2008).

Once the data was loaded into SQL Server, I was able to create a data-set in Visual Studio. Visual Studio’s data-set creation wizard had no problems creating the data-set. Once the data-set was created, all I had to was create push-pins for each row in the table and load them into Virtual Earth.

foreach(SamplesTrafficCams.dnvr_traffic_camsRow dr in dt)
{
    LatLongWithAltitude latLong = new LatLongWithAltitude(Convert.ToDouble(dr.l_lat), Convert.ToDouble(dr.l_long));
    Shape shape = new Shape(ShapeType.Pushpin, latLong);
    shape.Description = "<b>" + dr.st_location + "</b>" + "<br/>" + 
        "<a href=\"" + dr.web_page + "\">" + 
        "<img src=\"" + dr.thmb_nail + "\" height=95 width=150/>";
    shape.CustomIcon = "image/cam.png";
    trafficMap.AddShape(shape);
}

dt is a typed DataTable that is retrieved using the table-adapter created using Visual Studio. The code then enumerates over the tables data, creating the pushpins from each field in the table. Once the push-pins are created, you simply add each one to the VE map (trafficMap in the above code).

The ASP.Net Virtual Earth control is very easy to use and allows you to create simple mash-ups very quickly.

One problem I had was in trying to display the latitude and longitude values when one clicks on the map within the client (browser). This is very easy using server-side events, but I wanted to do this in the browser and eliminate the round-trip caused by using a server side event on the ASP.Net control. To do this, I needed access to the VirtualEarth map control in JavaScript. (The reason I needed access to the VE control is that I needed to call PixelToLatLong to get the Lat/Long location of the point at which the user clicked). The control that you get in sender, does not give you access to the PixelToLatLong method. Instead I found that if you used $find method on the VE ASP.Net control, it gives you access to VE control inside it. You can then call any VE method available on the control.

The following snippet shows how I did it:

function OnMapClick(sender, args) 
{
    var map = $find("trafficMap");
    var loc = args.get_MapEvent();
    var ll = map.PixelToLatLong(new VEPixel(loc.mapX, loc.mapY));
    var lbl = document.getElementById("textMapInfo");
    lbl.value = roundNumber(ll.Latitude, 5) + "," + roundNumber(ll.Longitude, 5);
}

Links:

http://www.verio.com/about/newsroom/pr/index.cfm?fuseaction=press&Year=07&id=118067678025721

http://www.revertoself.com/

Virtual Earth SDK

Denver makes it to the top 10 most wired U.S. cities list

Forbes.com

Denver lists at no. 8 after Minneapolis and before New York on the most wired American cities list for 2009.

Denver Neighborhoods Map

(updated 1/16/2008) The Denver Neighborhoods Map now has a permanent home at : http://www.aggregatedintelligence.com/googlemaps/DenverNeighborhood.html

I could not find a map of Denver Neighborhoods on Google Maps, so I created one. The neighborhood boundaries were downloaded from Zillow.

The shpfile was converted to a KML file using SHP2KML.

Best New Denver Restaurants (2008)

Based on the 5280 magazine’s best new Denver restaurants list, I have created a Google map containing the locations and some basic information about these restaurants (address, phone number, web URL, what to try).

Read the entire 5280 article from their website: http://www.5280.com/issues/2008/0812/feature.php?pageID=1461

 

View Larger Map

 

BatchGeoCode’s version of the map: http://www.batchgeocode.com/map/?i=3b82624767960921ead4b0afa0c820bf

The map was made by first creating an excel sheet with all the information in separate columns. The information was then copied and pasted into BatchGeoCode.com’s batch geo-coding tool. BatchGeoCode then took my data and created a KML file. The KML file was downloaded to my computer and then loaded into GoogleEarth. Then GoogleEarth was used to export the kml file as a KMZ file. The KMZ file was then imported into a new Google MyMap. (the step of going from KML to GE to KMZ was needed because there seems to be something wrong with BatchGeoCode’s KML file and it was not getting imported into MyMaps. Using GE to export the file seemed to do the trick for me).

Boulder Needs More Kickass Developers

Want a FREE trip to beautiful Boulder, Colorado? The Boulder tech scene is growing like crazy. Twenty of our top tech startups have banded together to fly in one hundred top software developers, programmers and engineers from across the country, all expenses paid. You can apply to be one of the hundred.

Boulder Colorado Job Fair » Boulder Needs More Kickass Developers

City of Chennai Park

One of the sister cities of Denver is Chennai, the city I was born in. I found out that Denver has also dedicated a park to her sister city and today I found it and took this picture of it.

It is located at the intersection of S.Quebec st and Iowa Ave.

View Larger Map

And here is more information about the Sister Cities program and about the park itself.

http://www.denversistercities.org/chennai.php

http://denvergov.com/CityofMadrasPark/tabid/394452/Default.aspx