The Application
The Balloon Browser recognizes and highlights geo-coordinates in web pages. Hovering over a recognized location advises another application to show a map of the corresponding area. For now the only program Balloow Browser can interact with is Google Earth.
Instead of waiting for the one true geo-notation and markup standard, Balloon Browser tries to parse a variety of common coordinate notations. Ambiguous information like a missing hemisphere identifier are reconciled by looking at the context or the probability of a certain location.
Thanks to the GPS system and low-cost devices that can be used by everybody, the number of websites tagging their content with geo-coordinates (using latitude and longitude) is increasing rapidly.
If you know great web sites not mentioned here that can already be used or should be supported in Balloon Browser please let me know.
Suggestions about other programs beside Google Earth that should be supported are also welcome.
Introduction
To get to know to program, you should start Balloon Browser, go to this webpage and click on the thumbnails in the 'Tour of Websites' section. Move the mouse over a highlighted link or text and Google Earth starts moving towards this location.
To run Google Earth and Balloon Browser side by side, a dual monitor setup is useful. In case you have a notebook we can make good use of this also. Install and run Balloon Browser on your notebook and your desktop PC. Both must be connected by a network. Run Google Earth on the desktop PC and click the 'Autoconfigure'-button in Balloon Browser on your notebook. It should find your desktop PC right away. If you use Balloon Browser on your notebook now, the display commands are forwarded to your desktop PC where you can run the Google Earth window maximized.
Good luck!
PS: Balloon Browser uses the Internet Explorer, which is inherently insecure, so try to apply Microsofts latest security recommendations. If you already use Internet Explorer as your browser of choice you probably don't care. Anyway, you have been warned.
PPS: The program is an early beta release as of now and free for use. It runs on Windows 2000/XP.
Tour of Websites
The following websites offer useful services or interesting information. All of them contain coordinates or addresses that can be recognized and highlighted by the Balloon Browser.California Coastal Records Project -- Aerial Photographs of the California Coastline
local copy
Kenneth Adelman photographed the California coast. The picture shown is a small preview, if you want to look closer, really huge pictures (as in 3008x1960, ˜7MB) can be downloaded as well.
In case you wonder if he covered your favorite beach resort, yes he did. The work is seamless and complete (except military areas forbidden from public view).
MapQuest - Business Category
local copy
Search for any business and hover over one of the result links. The address will be automatically entered in Google Earth and you fly to the location.
GPS Waypoint Registry
local copy
The International GPS Global Positioning System Waypoint Registry.
Tons of interesting waypoints and still growing permanently.
In case the Balloon Browser hangs while visiting one of their pages, please be patient. There are pages containing thousands of locations which take some minutes to be processed.
Degree Confluence Project
“The goal of the project is to visit each of the latitude and longitude integer degree intersections in the world, and to take pictures at each location. The pictures and stories will then be posted here.”
As the photos are densely packed, you can press a shift key in Balloon Browser to suspend interaction with Google Earth temporarily and safely move the mouse out of the window for view adjustments in Google Earth.
David Manthey prepared an easily accessible world map of confluences. Hovering over one of the miniature photos gives you a bigger popup version of the photo.