Archive for February, 2010
Michael Rawlins • 27th Feb 2010 • Internet, Social Media • Google, GPS, hyperlocal, Local, Search, Social Media, Talk About Local
Released with little in the way of a fanfare Google seems to have rolled out ‘Local’ to it’s search results, according to the Google Blog location has become more important in the way we search. I guess this is due to the fact that more and more of us are using smart phones with GPS built in to them.
You may or may not have noticed the local results in your Google searches, they are there but not at the top of the search list they are just there in the middle. Another reason why you may not have noticed them is because by default the local results will be based on where your IP address is based. Mine is for some inexplicable reason in Chesterfield, so my search for Computer Shops returned.
Google Local results based on my IP address
Computer shops in Chesterfield is not a lot of use to me so I need to tell Google that I am actually in Stoke-on-Trent, to do this is quite simple, but interestingly not part of the the normal Google settings. If you notice next to the title about Local Business Results there is a hyperlink to Change Location click on here and set your default location (don’t worry you can always repeat this and select another location)
Set your location here
Change this to your town, city or postcode, make sure the remember me box is checked and press search.
Hey presto…
New results with the changed location
A new search is completed based on the new location information I have given Google.
Local search is probably more useful on your smart phone of choice. If you go to Google using your smart phone you will see an new option on the menu.
Google Local on the iPhone
Clicking on this will allow you to give permission to Google Local to use your location data from the GPS in your phone to provide you with local search results. I tried this on the train last night and found a whole raft of Chinese Takeaways in Tewkesbury.
I’m sure the tinfoil hat brigade will have something to say about privacy and big brother but to be quite honest I quite like the idea that I can find a local Chinese takeaway even if I don’t know where I am.
Michael Rawlins • 23rd Feb 2010 • Social Media • Calendar, Google, Hints, Social Media, Tips
In Gmail or Google Aps, click on the Calendar link top left of the screen to display your calendar. Then if you look to the right you will see a link for settings, click on this then click on the calendar tab.
Next click on the calendar name in the window and the page will refresh and it will have some options for you to fill in. Ignore all these and look for the section that is titled Embed This Calendar. In here if you look next to the picture of the calendar to the right you will see some code, copy this code and paste it in to your page.
When you post the code in to the page make sure you are in HTML mode (click the HTML tab), click save and your calendar should appear like this
If you find that the calendar is not quite the right shape for your theme, just go back in to the page to edit it and look for the bit in the code that says width=”400″ height=”300″ and alter these to suit. The defaults are 800 x 600 so try and keep the ratio the same so it looks nice
Michael Rawlins • 23rd Feb 2010 • Humour? • Goldfish, Joke?
My mate took his goldfish to the vet complaining it suffers from epilepsy.
The vet says, “It looks calm enough to me.”
My mate replies, “you haven’t taken it out of the fucking bowl yet”!
Michael Rawlins • 9th Feb 2010 • Photography • Photographs, Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Staffordshire Hoard, Stoke-on-Trent
This morning I was in the privileged position to see the Staffordshire Hoard being unpacked at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery and photograph it.
For those of you who may have been living in a cave for the past 6 months you can read about the Staffordshire Hoard here. I’m just working through the photographs now, I have stuck a couple on posterous for you to look at (click on home and then click on the Posterous link). Don’t expect glossy brochure type images, these were taken in a small basement room in the museum as they were being un-packed after being transported from London.
Michael Rawlins • 5th Feb 2010 • General Rambling
They’re not happy they are evil..
My Evil Happy Face Project has been around in various guises for years but now it has it’s own home at http://evilhappyfaces.wordpress.com/
If you have pictures of any EHF that you have come across during your tea break contact me and I’ll add them to the rouges gallery.
Michael Rawlins • 3rd Feb 2010 • General Rambling • Commuting, Random thoughts, Trains, Twitter
Taken from my Twitter feed and tidied up a bit.
Look if you dither about in the doorway as we are getting on the train I’ll walk past you. Don’t whinge to your friend about me being rude. It’s a rush hour train and standing half on and half off the train saying to your friend ‘i’m going to make sure we get a seat’ isn’t helping is it? Anyway isn’t Tuesday pension day or something?
This guy sitting next to me on the train trying to make conversation with me ‘what you listening to?
Me ‘You Fat Bastard’
pause while he let’s it sink in
Me ‘the anthology by Carter USM’
