Wordpress Instamapper & Google Maps Plugin
By andy | August 17, 2008
Download Wordpress Instamapper & Google Maps v1.3 Plugin
Version 1.3 – 4 / October / 2008
Version 1.3 contains further features for debugging, this is again in response to a few people having issues while implementing the plugin / widget. This seems to be when API keys aren’t correct or when the InstaMapper data for your device isn’t shared.
There is now a control option, which allows users to browse through previous map location updates. A link back to this blog is also now included, this can be removed (in options) but would be very thankful if you leave the linkback active!
I welcome any bug reports, comments, or feature requests. Simply comment on this post!
Download Wordpress Instamapper & Google Maps v1.1 Plugin
Version 1.1 – 31 / September / 2008
Version 1.1 contains a “debug” feature, this is in response to a few people having issues while implementing the plugin / widget.
If you have had problems – please upload this new version and turn the debug setting on from within Design / Widgets. Once enabled if you require assistance, please comment this post or email me with your blog address and I will attempt to investigate.
Download Wordpress Instamapper & Google Maps v1.0 Plugin
After doing a lot of reading on Google Maps and other geo location services, I wanted to implement something on my blog. Unable to find a suitable plugin, I created a mashup of two services…
Instamapper – a service which you can send your current location to, using a mobile device (iPhone, Blackberry)
Google Maps – a service which allows you to show a map based on geo location data.
You will see a map on each page of this blog (bottom left). This map location is updated from my mobile device. This plugin gives you the following options…
- Map Size – Allows you to change both the width and height of the map to display
- Pin – This allows you to display your exact location with a pin
- Pin Colour – Change the colour of the pin
- Pin Letter – Change the letter of the pin
- Zoom Level – Change from street level to country level
Installation of the plugin is very simple, first you must have an API key for Instamapper.com and an API key for Google Maps. Once you have both API keys, you must complete the following…
- Upload `google_map_track.php` to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory.
- Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- Update your settings from `Design` and `Widgets`
- That’s it!
Once installed you can place the map in your sidebar / footer, adjust the settings to suit your blog (map size, pin colour, letter).
Hopefully there will be some more updates coming soon! Please comment for feature requests / bugs / general comments.
Topics: Development, Mobile Devices
Interact: Trackback Link
Tags: Exact Location, Feature Requests, google, Google Maps, iphone, Location Data, Location Services, Location Updates, Maps Download, Mashup, Mobile Device, wordpress
Very nice! can we make it more specific? i.e on the john…
Thanks for the tip about your plugin. I installed it, however its not working. Feel free to e-mail me to work through it. I also have google talk at the same address.
Cheers.
Chris
Very nice !
i suggest to not limit the plugin to a widget. It could be very nice to have the map in a dedicated page.
Is it possible ?
Sébastien from France
Sébastien thank you for your suggestion, I will look into this option! Check back for version updates!
This is a great initiative you’re taking on, however it’s not working on my site either. Feel free to shoot me an email so I can give you the link (it’s on my dev site) and you can see what it’s doing, which may hopefully help you fine-tune this plug-in.
Nice idea although i’m getting:
“An error occured while returning the latest map, please update your location”
Both APi’s are valid and Instamapper is currently tracking my iPhone ok. Any suggestions??
Many thanks for a potentially great app
Andy,
Thanks to your plugin, I created also a plugin for my personal use. It let Fickr pictures & InstaMapper position to be localized on a Google Map.
I created a blog if some other people are interested in : link
hi. Thanks for plugin
perfect.
Regards
Hi,
I can’t seem to get this to work in my sidebar. The widget returns this error, no matter how I adjust the variables. Looks OK when I use instamapper though – that is finding the device ok.
“An error occured while returning the latest map, please update your location”
Can you help?
Cheers
@metime, I’ve emailed you direct regarding the issue!
If you are getting this error:
“An error occured while returning the latest map, please update your location”
and the map is not showing up try going to your Instamapper settings and click on “Manage devices.” Then click on “Share” next to the device you want to show up on the map.
The WordPress auto-update downloads a new version 1.2, but the file is empty… Any idea?
Version 1.3 should now be available, let me know if you have any issues!
I’ll download v1.3 and give it another try!
Nope – same problem – could you take a look? I’ve got debug mode switched on. Cheers.
OK – the upgrade to 1.3 from withing WP went smoothly. But now the widget says: “An error occured while returning the latest map, please update your location”.
I’ve updated my position, which shows up on InstaMapper, but not on my blog…
@metime: The return that the InstaMapper API is giving you seems to be “bad request”.
I believe your InstaMapper account isn’t set up for 3rd party applications to access. First; login to your http://www.instamapper.com account; click manage devices, click configure API access. Then click “enable API access” next to the device you wish you track.
Thank you for constantly updated, always a pleasure to read.
Hey thanks for the update.
Works a treat
Jon
Hey, I just can’t active and make working this widget. When I active plug in and go to design and widget. Add the widget to the sidebar 1, save changes, then the widget menu ends with %BEG_OF_TITLE%iPhone Map%END_OF_TITLE% and you can’t save or move or do anything with widget anymore. The same on blog page. Wordpres 2.6.5 using K2 Theme
Looks promising once it is not constricted to widget based installs. Anything is better than the iFrame method recommended on Instamapper.
Thanks for the hard work!
Your site updates correctly
map installs on my site
no pin
this is going to be aweseome thnx for your hard work
oops my bad i forgot to check box for show pin
i suck you rock
I seem to be getting a constant 404 error in my error log for requests for: wp-content/plugins/iPhone-Map/jquery.js which seems to correspond to line 257 in google_map_track.php
Great article! I’m loving your website;
Hi, i like your PlugIn but i hate google. Can’t I use openstreetmap APIs for a PlugIn?
I love your plugin. I got it working but I’m having trouble adjusting th eposition in the sidebar. It’s out of alignment witrh my template. I’ve spent about 5 hours tring to figure out how to reposition it and can’t seem to figure it out. I had a similar problem with the tweetable plugin but I was able to ajust position in it’s style sheet. Can’t do that here. Any direction for a solution would be appreciated.
I get this error after adding the widget:
Fatal error: Call to undefined function curl_init() in …\wp-content\plugins\google_map_track.php on line 47
using wordpress 2.7.1 with default theme.
How do I fix this?
BebopBlues: it suggests your server doesn’t have curl enabled, to test create a php file with the follow…
< ?php
phpinfo();
?>
Upload and run, see if there is and curl information.
Jo: The jquery error was an upgrade I’m still considering implementing – however jquery isn’t bundled with the current version. Hopefully on release of the next version this will be resolved. Sorry for junking up your error log!
Joe: I see your map position looks to be as required now, unsure if you’ve hacked the plugin or generated your own – don’t mind either way… hope you found the plugin of some use!
I put that code on a curl.php file, put it in root of wordpress, loaded it in the address which is myblog.com/curl.php, all I got was this on the page:
So how do I fix it?
Update, I fixed the curl problem by googling how to enable curl in php. Now the widget loads and I get this error on the side bar:
“An error occured while returning the latest map, please update your location”
I already enabled API Access and InstaMapper located my phone current position on its map.
What is the problem? Please help Andy.
Update 2. I figured it out. I mistakingly placed the device key into the widget instead of the API key from InstaMapper. With the correct key, it works now. Sorry, my dumb mistake.
Glad it’s sorted, hope you enjoy using the plugin!
I’m Use since today the plugin … but i miss the navigation elements vor zoom and the cardtype (street, hybrid, sattelit) like the “normal” google maps – of course – this is not the idea from staticmap – but i missed ther.
have anyther rebuild the plugin to an cardtype with zoom and cardtype elements and can me write it how i must change the plugin to have it?
sorry for my bad english
Fraenker: no plans to add these features at this point in time, however they are good suggestions and will consider them for future releases!