A Route 66 app that takes you there … with limits January 25, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Maps, Photographs, Road trips, Web sites.add a comment
Italian photographer Carlo Pinasco recently launched an application, “Image Route 66,” for iPads, iTouches, and iPhones that contains more than 200 high-resolution images from a Route 66 road trip he took in May. With it, you can take a virtual trip down the Mother Road.
But the most intriguing part of the app is each photograph is geo-referenced with global positioning. That way, if you’re interested in traveling to that Route 66 attraction, the app’s Google Maps plug-in will give you precise directions from your location if you’re connected to the Internet.
The turn-by-turn directions won’t always be on Route 66. And but with GPS coordinates, those directions almost certainly will be accurate.
The app requires an iOS operating system of 3.2 or higher. It contains a hefty 48 megabytes, so older iPhones or iPod Touches might crash more while using it.
“Image Route 66″ goes for 99 cents.
Here are a few screen shots of the app in operation:
Each photo also contains a link to a website about the Route 66 attraction. Pinasco seems to defer to the Legends of America site for this information.
The biggest drawback of the app is the omissions. More than 200 photos sounds like a lot. But Pinasco left off large chunks of Missouri and Oklahoma in the app, including POPS, Wagon Wheel Motel, Munger Moss Motel, Rock Cafe, and the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum.
So “Image Route 66″ might be good in a pinch during your road trip or planning your journey, but don’t be surprised if you find out later that you missed something really good if you rely on it alone.
For now, the best Route 66 app for the iPhone and iTouch remains Kelly Ludwig’s “Road Trip 66,” which costs more at $3.99, but it’s much, much more inclusive of the Mother Road’s attractions. And Ludwig tells me she’s developing an app for the iPad as well.
We’re back January 18, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Web sites.2 comments
Route 66 News returned to cyberspace today after about a two-day outage. I apologize for that, but it was due to a problem that wasn’t foreseen.
The website was chewing through truckloads of bandwidth and taxing servers. In essence, we were too popular. So HostGator suspended the account until we took action to correct that.
A big chunk of the problem was the cache system was configured incorrectly. I was using W3 Total Cache, but this was a case where a plug-in is too clever by half. It was difficult and confusing to get it set up right.
Finally, HostGator advised us to scrap it and use WP Super Cache instead. HostGator’s tech adviser said Super Cache had performed better in testing. Plus it was easier to use — another bonus.
Once we got that straightened out, plus adding Minify to reduce bandwidth further, HostGator allowed us back on the air.
Guy Randall at GRandall Web Design, a longtime roadie who is a reseller for HostGator, patiently acted as a go-between with the host and me. So he deserves a big pat on the back for this.
We’re not out the woods yet, but what we’ve seen so far looks encouraging. Keep your fingers crossed.
Route 66 News now accepts your advertising January 10, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Web sites.add a comment
Here’s the big news I’ve been hinting at — Route 66 News is now equipped to take advertising from Route 66 businesses, authors, artists, or people who are plain enthusiastic about the Mother Road and/or this website.
Readers may have noticed subtle changes after Route 66 News migrated to a new host and became a WordPress.org site. The moves gives me more control over content, such as embedding more videos and other media.
Also, as a Google Adsense client, the new site allows me to run more of its ads on stories and pages.
As an Amazon Associate, I added a Shop page of books, DVDs, and music that I recommend for the budding roadie. I also advertised Route 66 guidebooks that are too important for the novice to be without.
But the big news is the advertising doesn’t have to come from just behemoth companies. On the right side of the page, you’ll see several types of animated ads. These are blank ads by Komoona, a relatively new advertising tool. These ad spots are devoted strictly to the Route 66 community.
Komoona allows you, the reader, to build your own ad and pay for it within minutes. If you have artwork on your computer, you can upload it and use it for the ad. If you don’t, several templates are available so you can build an ad with your own wording with varying colors. This video from Komoona shows what I’m talking about:
The ad sizes on the right side of the page are 125-by-125 pixels, 170-by-250 pixels, and 160-by-600 pixels. (The biggest ad is designed to stream other advertising for now, but you can buy that space and claim it as your own.) You can run an ad for as short as a week, or up to three months. Rates run as little as $6. You can’t see them all, but more than a dozen ad slots are available. One slots has already been bought by Laurel Kane at Afton Station.
The reason I’m doing this is partly because of the additional expenses incurred with the move to a hosted site. But another reason I’m accepting advertising is because of requests for it. Until now, I didn’t have the ability to accept ads from individuals or mom-and-pop businesses. Now, Komoona gives Route 66ers the opportunity to advertise on a website that averages well over 30,000 page views a month.
And don’t worry about adults-only or get-rich-quick advertising polluting that side of the page. I hold veto power over any ad that I deem inappropriate for the site.
So … if you have Route 66 products you’d like to sell, or if you’re a restaurant, motel, or business along the Mother Road that wants more visibility, or you’re simply a person who wants to support Route 66 News, you can buy an ad. It’s your space to use.
As usual, I’ll try to keep up with the news and events along the world’s most famous road. Thank you for reading and showing your support of this site.
Looks like we’re up January 5, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Web sites.3 comments
It appears the migration to a self-hosted site was mostly successful. You’re looking at it now.
The custom Route 66 News banner didn’t make it over. But I’ve contacted WordPress.com and asked the folks there to retrieve it. I suspect everything will look 100% normal within a day or so.
I’ll be tinkering with a few things over the weekend, so you will see subtle changes — and an announcement — once everything with that effort is complete.
In the meantime, thanks for sticking with me.
Big move is imminent January 4, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Web sites.1 comment so far
I’ve been informed by the good folks at WordPress.com that Route 66 News will be migrated to a self-hosted site starting at 5 a.m. Central on Thursday.
WordPress advised me not to count on posting anything for about 24 hours after that (although the down time probably won’t be that long).
In the interim, if any big news on Route 66 is happening, I’ll be posting on my Twitter account and at the Route 66 News Facebook page.
Just giving you fair warning.
Shimmering in the night January 2, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Books, Motels, Signs, Web sites.add a comment
Here’s a short-but-sweet new video of the great neon sign at the Supai Motel, along Route 66 in Seligman, Ariz.
The video was created by Andrew Wood, a professor at San Jose State University and a longtime roadie. He owns the Motel Americana website, and published “City Ubiquitous,” in which Route 66 played a prominent role. My review of his book is here.
On the road with a stuffed doll December 4, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Gas stations, Photographs, Road trips, Toys, Web sites.3 comments
Today, I received an email from a Spaniard taking in Route 66 with Stabri, a stuffed doll that travels “hand to hand” around the globe, documented by photos and video posted on the Internet.
As of Sunday, Stabri and his companions were in Joplin, Mo. Here’s another photo of Stabri at Ambler’s Texaco Station in Dwight, Ill. You can see a few more photos from Route 66 on Stabri’s Flickr account.
An explanation of Stabri from one of its creators, via email:
Two European computer specialists, Mariano Munuera and Angel Téllez, decided to try how far the Internet links could reach. Then, to manage this idea, they invented the global doll Stabri, who travels all around the world from hand to hand. On the web site www.stabri.com, they organize his trips. So, his present bearer receives the proposals so that Stabri continues travelling. Besides, Stabri is in the social network where he talks with friends and fans in Facebook, Twitter, Tuenti, etc…
Stabri is more than a travelling doll, because wherever he goes he has a great impact on the Internet. The bearer takes Stabri to the most famous places of the country where they are and Stabri participates in bearer’s hobbies. In this way, the doll has lived experiences like playing instruments, visiting museums, practising sports, singing at Karaokes…even going paragliding!
According to Stabri’s website, the doll has reached more than 20 countries and 100 cities. Stabri even boasts its own YouTube channel.
This isn’t a new thing. The traveling gnome, which started as a prank with lawn gnomes, has been going for more than 25 years, to the point where Travelocity created its own Roaming Gnome mascot to get travelers involved and publicize its website on Twitter and Facebook.
And tons of variations exist out there. The Ace Jackalope blog contains hundreds of photos of a jackalope mascot photographed with landmarks and celebrities. Flat Stanley is another variation of the traveling figure, with him even having his own app. Over the years, I’ve seen a few Route 66 travelers adopt a figurine — a plastic Jesus, a stuffed animal, etc. — to include with their photographs.
The traveling mascot serves as a more whimsical and memorable way for travelers to document their journeys. It’s fun, and another small way to publicize Route 66′s attractions. But Stabri isn’t a fad. It’s most like a new variation on an old trend.
(Photos courtesy of Angel Teilez)