TangoGPS is a wonderful tool to navigate using OpenStreetMap data. Currently though, it does not yet support the loading of track files. However, here is a little hack to insert track points from a GPX file into the tangoGPS POI database. This may be useful for rudimentary routing and for geocaching. As seen on the screenshot, a route is displayed as a series of unconnected track points.

The small script is written in python. It requires pysqlite2. It reads a gpx file, and inserts track points directly into the file poi.db which you can find in your .tangogps directory. It works for me and files generated by the Open Route Service. Your mileage may vary, and you might have to edit the regular expression which identifies the track points (Refer to the comments for using it with gpsbabel) . Don’t forget your backup.

Download here: gpx2tango.py

More tools:

• loc2tango.py for those geocaching.com loc files.
• pocket2tango.py for those geocaching.com pocket query GPX files. Includes basic information (and, optionally, hints) into waypoint information. Writes full html cache description to separate html file.

I am currently writing an open source network multiplayer 3d foosball simulator: NetKickern. It will use the Panda3d graphics engine and the open dynamics engine for physics simulation. Development versions have been successfully tested on GNU/Linux and Windows.

Update: The game is already playable and fun in a two-player server/client variant. The Pyode physics simulation provides realistic friction and drag effects to simulate a professional (rough, but rather bouncy) soccer ball. You are able to tap-stop the ball (if only with a slight workaround) and make realistic push and pull shots after some training. What we can’t provide for is the force-feedback of a real table. As we have got a Leonhart Original table at work, the graphics and feeling will probably most resemble this table. Other planned and not-yet-implemented features include different game modes such as four-player games, tournament or pub style scoring. As of August 2008, we’re still at an early stage, and you’re very welcome to contribute with ideas, wishes, graphics, code, pyode gurudom and feedback.

Find the latest svn downloads in my trac farm at:

http://relet.net/trac/netkickern

Freimap, the topology and traffic analyzer I am working on in not so regular intervals has moved here. It used to be located at freimap.berlios.de. But since that latter service is showing more and more irregularities and little maintenance, I decided to set up my own little trac farm. Given the experience I have with my own server projects, there may be more downtimes, but at least I can fix it if it breaks.

Here’s a screenshot from the latest svn version, to keep you entertained. It shows flow data visualization from the freifunk network at the 24c3 in the bcc berlin.

Since I couldn’t find a library that implements the Schulze Method for Condorcet Voting in Java, I wrote one. Click here for the source code. It’s not extensively tested, but should work. Comments are welcome.

Having just returned from the twenty-fourth chaos communication congress, I am now preparing to make a relaxed transition to the next release of time 2.0. We’ve collected quite a bunch of measurements in the freifunk network set up at the congress, and I will parse through these during the next days.

The congress itself was great, as usual, and I sincerely suggest that you parse through the schedule and recordings of the talks if you haven’t done so already.

I am as always impressed by the sheer number of intelligent, creative people gathering in such a small place and the things that just emerge.

KMLbag is a small PHP script which allows you to aggregate multiple KML files into one single file, via a web interface. For example, you and your friends may each create your own Google “My Map”. KMLbag will show the combination of all Placemarks in a single map.

Download KMLbag version 0.2 alpha. (+KMZ support)
(Older versions: KMLbag version 0.1 alpha.)

I will be heading west to Hamburg for the easterhegg during the weekend, where I was promised a place for my hammock. And I am hoping to abuse of the incredible synergies of a horde of caffeine-intoxicated code-monkeys to yak about Some Things Measurement[tm] in the freifunk network.

The above is a screenshot of freimap, a small visualization and analysis tool for olsr networks I wrote during the last weeks.

..will not make it easier to read or compile, but entertain a simple mind like mine for hours.

wenn [ # $$DIR>- # eq “” ]; hallen Sie dann wider - n
“Verzeichnis zum zu unterstützen: “lesen Sie DIR FI

In case you discovered the wizards in my sketchbook, you may have wondered what they will be used for. The answer is, that I am currently coding a little game which is both my initiation into the SDL library and incredibly innovative.

It will feature a realtime battle between two (or more) wizards, connected via the magickal channels of the Internet. The motions of the user’s magic wand* will be recognized by the computer, and translated into magickal runes. These runes will then form spells which may be cast upon your foes, or strengthen your own body in combat. All graphics are rendered exclusively in the SVG vector format, which allows for the smoothest rotations and scaling on all screen sizes.

So much for now, and news at eleven. I wonder whether this might be at last one software project that I manage to bring to a stable state.

* or, if such device is lacking, any other means of pointing.