Category: Tools
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Geohashing
An activity dubbed “Geohashing” officially launched on May 21, 2008. This came courtesy of an algorithm published in xkcd webcomic #426. Additionally the author further refined it on the xkcd blog. The algorithm generates random coordinates around the world each day for people to explore on their own or to gather together as a group.…
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GeoBee Challenge
Cape Trafalgar is to Spain as Cape Comorin is to WHAT? (India) I think most people are probably familiar with the concept of a Spelling Bee. Of course it’s possible to extend the same format to geography. Appropriately enough, the National Geographic Society has done just that and not surprisingly they’ve called it the National…
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State of the Circle
It’s difficult for me to believe, but I just hit the six month point with Twelve Mile Circle. So I thought I would take a moment to look back at the site by reviewing some highlights. Maybe I’ll even reflecting briefly upon the path that lead to this point. I wasn’t sure I’d last even…
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My Favorite Travel Tip
I’ve been traveling recently and expect to go out on a few more trips this summer. Like many business travelers, I’ve developed a few tips for the road over the years. They’re little secrets that make life away from home more bearable. Geography topics on Twelve Mile Circle sometimes bleed into other topics that interest…
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Automatic Geolocation on a BlackBerry
This week I’m on the road once again, this time in southern California. I’ve had a great time with a Google Maps Mobile feature called “My Location” released in beta last November. I realize this is probably old news to many of you. However it’s the first opportunity I’ve had to test drive it in…
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Tracking my Travels
I have returned from my brief journey to the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coasts. So let’s wrap up this series of recent posts with a final entry. As I mentioned previously, the mapping tools provided with Google Analytics simply fascinate me. Now I’ve discovered yet another use for them: recording my travels. The Resulting Map…
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NACO County/City Search
In much of the United States, counties function as an arm of state government. They also play a decisive role in the delivery of basic services to people at a local level. Understanding that, sometimes a researcher knows the name of a town but not its associated county. As the National Association of Counties explains,…
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GPS and Genealogy
New technologies impact established disciplines in profound and pleasantly surprising ways. The Global Position System (GPS) provides obvious and well-known benefits for drivers and hikers alike. However, it has ready applications to many other activities too. As an example, handheld GPS devices continue to revolutionize field research conducted by personal historians and genealogists. The Power…
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Amateur Radio County Hunters
I never know what I might encounter while researching geographic oddities on the Internet. As a case in point, I came across an entire subculture of people as fascinated by counties as myself while I was putting together my recent series on the Smallest County in the United States. They call themselves the County Hunters.…
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Mapping Endangered Species
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species Program uses maps extensively. In turn, this helps website visitors conceptualize the imperilment of specific animals and plants within their area. The primary visual interface comes through their Threatened and Endangered Species System (TESS). It lets users sort data stored in the system by various criteria, including by…