Month: October 2007

Creating a KMZ Polyline using Google Earth Pro

Brief: To download a GPS Track from a Garmin E-Trex GPS unit and create a Google Earth Polyline/Encoded Polyline KMZ.

Equipment:
Garmin EtreX GPS unit.
Serial port adapter.
Google Earth Pro.

  • Download Google Earth Pro – 7 Day free trial
  • Install/boot

  • TOOLS/GPS – Select your unit; In my case the GPS GARMIN.

  • IMPORT options. In my case I’m only interested in the polyline or TRACK information. You have options to import each placemark, also to annul altitude readings etc.

  • Plug in the GPS and turn it on.

  • A message appears – Importing data from COM1. When you’re done, a message appears 207 Active logs imported.

  • TRACK is displayed in the Temporary Places folder.

  • In the top left corner there’s a little marker with a CLOCK alongside.
    In the CLOCK, select the timerange you’re interested in presenting data from. In my case 1st Sept to 21st Sept.

  • Once the CLOCK is set the software will begin displaying the TRACK that lies within that timeframe.

  • This next part is manual. Select TRACK parts, (google calls them ACTIVE LOGS), which are not part of your timeframe and DELETE them.

  • When you’ve pared off the bogus ACTIVE LOG points and you’re happy with your track, you’re ready to save: TRACK/SAVE AS/KMZ.

IF YOU DON’T DELETE bogus active logs the software becomes confused when you try to do any kind of visualisation. So be sure to do that smartening up yourself.

Welcome to my world..
This is now your very own track you can open in any Google Earth pro, Google Maps or otherwise.
You can view it save it to your places and e-mail it to your friends.

Lonely Planet announces deal with Google


or was it the BBC?

Anyway, Lonelyplanet’s founders the Wheeler’s let go a 40% stake in the company after fellow shareholder Singleton released his shareholding of 30%.

That means the beeb have majority holding of 75% and the Lonely Planers will be dancing to their tune.

You’ve got mail..
Does this mean I will be receiving more nasty legal letters in the near future?
Probably.

Answers- Where in the world is…

Google LatLong: Where in the world is…
1) I don’t mean to “flatter,” but this remote Northwestern cape is very beautiful.
Cape May, NJ
2) You can now explore the ruins of this ancient Mayan city, first discovered in 1934.
Becan, Mexico
3) This small Peruvian village attracts many tourists each year for the Incan ruins atop nearby hills.
Aguas Calientes, Peru
4) This city claims to be the southernmost city in the world, with approximately 64,000 residents.
Ushuaia, Argentina
5) Home of the Russian Pacific Fleet, this city is also Russia’s largest Pacific coast harbor.
Vladivostok, Russian Federation
6) Named after Saint Irene, though sometimes referred to as Thera, this island is a popular Greek tourist destination.
Santorini, Greece
7) The Trojan horse from the 2004 movie Troy is visible in this city.
Gozo, Malta
8) This city is the second most populated metropolitan area in Africa, second to Cairo.
Alexandria, Egypt
9) For better or for worse, the testing done at this site changed the world forever. In 1965 it was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark.
Arco, US
10) Odessos was the original name of this large city, then a trading colony.
Varna, Bulgaria
11) This was the first port on the Shandong peninsula to be opened to the west in the 1800s.
Yen-t’ai, PRC

EOE