First look at the iHotTonight.com Android cell phone application. The iHotTonight.com Android cell phone application is being readied for BETA testing. I expect that BETA testing will begin this weekend. We are leaving out a couple of features for BETA testing, even though the code is complete.

Feature list:

• Map Search is faster than ever
• Many, many categories to filter results with (over 100)
• Help button on almost every screen
• Many setup options
• Find, join and leave groups with one button click (sometimes a confirmation button click also :).
• Businesses that have iHot Messages are flagged with Gold markers on the map
• iHot Messages are VERY visible in the detail screens
• Most Map options can be changed from the map using the map menu

 

Here are some screen shots:

 

 

 

Country Province/State City Functions and Code

We are beginning the release our Country, Province/State and city functions and code. Our goal is to eventually have functions, arrays and code for every programming language, but because we use PHP, Delphi, and Java most of the time in our work, we will be focusing on them.

Below is a PHP function that returns an array of ISO 3166-3 Country Codes and the normal English name of the Country. Please register to see most of the code. Don't worry... it's free, and we won't spam you. Note also that this is a work in progress, and we will add many more functions as time permits.

Note that you can reorder the array below if you don't want Canada and the U.S. to be first. Just put them back into alphabetical order. We use this array with another function to populate Country Select boxes on websites.

The "Google Maps Restaurant Local Search" Joomla 1.5 extension uses the Google Maps API (v2) and Google Local Search API's to make searching for a good restaurant close to you (or anywhere in the world) very easy and fairly intuitive. You can view it in action at here. This component is not publicly available yet, but we will slightly rewrite it to make it more generic so it can be used by any Joomla 1.5 web master to integrate Google Maps, Google Local Search, and their own content and categories and release it when we have time.

 

The version of it running on the Bistro Blurb website is not written as an extension, but the same code was used to create the extension. We have also completed the Joomla 1.6 version of this extension, but don't have a public website to run it on yet..... still waiting for the Joomla 1.6 BETA version to be released.

 

Our "Google Maps Restaurant Local Search" component works by using the Google Maps API. We hide the Google Local Search box in favour of our own search setup, and feed the Google Local Search API using a combination of JavaScript and AJAX. The search is fed to our server, which makes up to 4 calls to the Google Local Search API, consolidates the results, adds a few fields from our own database, and passes it back to the web browser where our JavaScript code inserts it into the web page. This approach makes the page very responsive to the user, as they don't have to wait for page reloads when trying different searches to find the restaurant they want. You can also view our "Business Reviews" extension if you use this page, and click in the View Details link for one of the restaurants.

Hey.... I know... website designers should have cool websites..... but I'm busy working on cool stuff for other people.... besides... I'm waiting anxiously for Joomla 1.6.... and it's something like... mechanics drive the worst cars... because they know they CAN fix them... they just never finish!

I've designed a couple of 1.6 extensions already.... but don't have anywhere to show them off yet. 

As soon as Joomla 1.6 BETA comes out, this site will become a priority, and hopefully I will have time to do it the way it should be done.