PinDrop is a new WordPress plugin I have written to mesh my addiction to my iPhone, GPS, Photography and WordPress. The idea came to me after Scott ask if I could post photos to a map based on my current location from my iPhone. PinDrop is what I came up with. PinDrop combines three things: The iPhone’s 3G GPS, WordPress, and a Google Mashup.
Using all three pieces together allows me to post my location (lat & lon) from my iPhone to my blog along with a short message and a photo I attach. Using the built in functionality of WordPress’s mobile posting functionality the blog posts my email message for me. PinDrop then recognize that I have made a blog post from my phone and filters the post before the visitors sees the original posting. PinDrop parses out the information (lat, lon, message, photo) and inserts the data into a database table for me.
The frosting on the cake is the Google Mashup that I have written. With a little JavaScript and PHP the mashup loads all the “pin drops” from the database (that I posted from my iPhone) on the Google map with each pin based on the lat and lon position. The latest “pin drop” is displayed with a red pin and the the rest are blue pins. The map also centers on the latest pin dropped. Each pin can then be clicked to reveal a photo thumbnail and my message. Finally clicking on the thumbnail photo will show you the full size photo using slimbox (a lightbox knockoff.)
I am beta testing PinDrop over the next week or so. I need to build up as many locations as I can to make sure everything is working as expected. So you should start to see posts on the blog that tell you a new Pin has been dropped. You will then be given a link to the map to check out my message and photo.
I need your help testing. I would appreciate any comments if you view the pin drop posts. If something is not working like you think it should just let me know. If you have any suggestions after playing with the map just post a comment here or on any of the “New PinDrop” posts that will follow of the next few weeks.
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Twitter It!9 Responses to “iPhone + Photo + GPS + WordPress = PinDrop”
First, I like the new look, very cool. Second, pindrop is the plugin that would ruin me if I had an iPhone. Seriously, it would consume me.
I will fill the map up this weekend so check back or watch the RSS feed. People might get sick of the pindrop hitting the blog.
I am traveling out to CO and CA in Nov. It will be pretty cool to post send photos back and have them show up on the map right away.
Weekend update on Pindrop:
- Photo now displayed in the post.
- Lat and lon now displayed in the post.
- Photo message now displayed in the post.
- Each post is now linked to the photo/marker for that post and not the most current marker.
- If someone hits the map page without selecting a post/marker they get the last pin sent to the map.
What’s Next:
- Dedicated page to match the theme, no more popup window.
- Dedicated page with sidebar will show text links for the past 10 pins dropped. Click link and map will jump to that pin and open.
- Dedicated page sidebar will display slide show or thumbs in a grid of last 10 photos sent to the map. Click the photo and map will jump and open that marker.
Randomly stumbled onto your site via Google… This sounds really awesome! I just got a 3G and would love to try out something like this. I’ll be bookmarking your site now…
wowww great plugin found one finally, but cant download it?!
Kind regards,
Ivan
Hello Ivan. The Pindrop plugin is not available as a public plugin. I have switched gears on the development and been focusing to taking Pindrop out of any WordPress dependencies. So I may never really have a WordPress version released unfortunately.
pity pity pity, its the only one in his kind as far as i know of (searching for a few years, probably could find out how to make one my own hahahaha),
Regards,
Ivan
Ivan, I have something else for you coming very soon. Pindrop is opening up to anyone that wants to add photos to the map. Keep an eye on the blog for more details very soon!
wowww Ed, that’s great!!! anxiously waiting for it
I’ll keep an eye on your blog!!
Ivan