ProjectX Blog

The ZoomIn Mapping System in Australia has been shutdown as of this morning (16/07/07).

We’ve shutdown the API, as its not viable for us to continue to run the API when there’s no level playfield for map data licensing.

We’d like to thank our customers for their business over the last 12 months.

If you’re looking for an alternative mapping system, please refer to either:

• Terrapages
• Google Maps

We’re moving the main ProjectX website to our production environment, away from our office network. This should help speed up the site, so it doesn’t get hammered by our office trafiic.

The DNS should have propagated, so everything should be fine.

We’ve been a bit quiet on what we’ve been doing, so here’s a run down on what we’ve been working on over the last few months.

• US Maps: We been building and rendering maps for North America (USA and Canada) for one of our clients. We’ve designed and rendered a large part of the US using mapserver and Teleatlas data. After maxing out 8 machines and some serious RAID kit, we’ve clocked over 10K CPU hours on the project so far and got a way to go yet.
• NZ maps: We been working on updates and upgrades to the NZ maps.
• New API: We’ve just in the final testing for a new API to compliment our mapping and geocoding API’s.
• Demo websites: We’ve been working on a new map concept with a couple of Wellington companies.
• New tools: We have a bunch of tools exiting the R&D phase entering production development. More info on those later.
• Oh yeah, and we’ve been planning Summer of Code 2.0.

So what’s with all the secrecy???? We want to get a bit of a headstart before Wises and et start copying us again! 🙂

We’d like to welcome Paul Gold, who has joined ProjectX as part-time CTO.

Paul has recently began consulting after finishing at Trade Me as their resident database and infrastructure guru. Paul also was a part of last year’s summer of code.

Paul, will post more about himself shortly.

If you like to learn cool new technologies, if you like to work at a place where you can feel comfortable and above all if you like to design and build application that people actually want to use then we’re interested to hear from you.

We are now hiring for the position of a Software Developer. See details in the jobs section on our web site.

Yesterday was a blur of cardboard boxes, packing tape and miles of cable, as we moved offices from Creative HQ at 25a Marion St to Agriculture House. Despite the rather bucolic name, it’s actually right in the middle of the suity end of town, with the entrance at 12 Johnston St just around the corner from Featherston St.

We’re still in the process of getting everything unpacked and back to normal (and sorting out minor things like phones), but we’ll update our website and ZoomIn pages very soon with our new details.

Wellington-based international on-line mapping company ProjectX Technology
(www.projectx.co.nz) has been recognised for its bold ambition, technological
success and contribution to the community by being selected as one of four
finalists in the Cyber Gold category at this year’s Wellington Gold Awards.

Founder and CEO John Clegg say ProjectX is thrilled to be recognised in this way.

“We are proud to have been recognised and placed amongst Wellington region’s
best and brightest. To be one of four finalists is a huge boost for us as a young
start-up company and it’s a great incentive for us to do even greater things. Next
year we’re going for gold.”

The company, which is part of Wellington business incubator CreativeHQ, has
fingers in several pies. It specialises in developing online mapping tools for the
everyday person in the street.

Their flagship product is the free map website – zoomin.co.nz – which is about more
than just finding something on a map. Users can view or add photos and video,
read other people’s comments and reviews and add information of their own.

The company also created TradeMe’s Smaps product, which became the most
used mapping site in New Zealand within just three weeks of being launched.

ProjectX has already won two TUANZ awards (Telecommunications Users
Association of New Zealand) for craft and inspiration in 2006.

For all those not going to the gold awards tonight here is the ProjectX’s video by Aston Fiacé, renowned Wellington video and music producer.

Enjoy!

<object height=”350″ width=”425″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/TIbxW_YH9RQ”></param><embed type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/TIbxW_YH9RQ” height=”350″ width=”425″></embed></object>

</p

<center></center>

We’ve been busy in the last couple of days working on our Gold Awards promotional video. We’ve managed to secure Aston Fiacé, renowned Wellington socialite and media promotions expert to direct our promotional film.

For our film, we decided to make the clip in the form of a movie trailer (even with our own ratings screen.) We have drawn influences from a number of great movies, Rocky, Reservoir Dogs, and the Matrix. Within 24 hours we were able to come up with some remarkable ideas. We’ll be releasing the video out on youtube closer to the event. In the mean time I’ll leave you with a quote from our director.

“…Making a movie using iMovie is like building a beautifully designed house but with mud, a spoon and a rusty pitchfork!” – Aston Fiacé

<center></center>