Cloudmade Geocoding API country codes - geocoding

I'm coding an application that needs to geocode the centroid of ZIP codes. I'm using Cloudmade's geocoding API, but can't figure out what the country code for the United States is. All of their examples use Germany (http://cloudmade.com/documentation/geocoding).
I've tried all of the following, but the returned JSON says the search failed.
http://beta.geocoding.cloudmade.com/v3/{API KEY}/api/geo.location.search.2?format=json&source=OSM&enc=UTF-8&limit=1&q=[country=us][zip=44130]
http://beta.geocoding.cloudmade.com/v3/{API KEY}/api/geo.location.search.2?format=json&source=OSM&enc=UTF-8&limit=1&q=[country=usa][zip=44130]
http://beta.geocoding.cloudmade.com/v3/{API KEY}/api/geo.location.search.2?format=json&source=OSM&enc=UTF-8&limit=1&q=[country=unitedstates][zip=44130]
I can't use ZIP code alone, because often the results return something with a similar postal code from another country (Ukraine, for example). Does anyone know how to restrict such a search to the United States?

Cloudmade no longer offers a free geocoding/routing api...you must be a paying enterprise customer.

If you want to geocode places in USA, please use the geocoding API v2:
http://cloudmade.com/misc/geocoding_v2.pdf

Related

Insufficient geocoding precision in Brazil

I've been working with a logistics company and using Here services for Geocoding, Routing, and Telematics. We've been facing a couple of issues regarding the precision of the geocoding API when compared to Google results.
Here are some examples:
1) Returning wrong address even though the information is complete
That's a use case from Florianopolis (capital of SC), in a very well-known street.
If I try to geocode the following address:
Rua João Pio Duarte Silva, 526
It's gonna return an address that is almost 500m far away from the original street number. It happens in the API, but also in the Here Maps, which led me to think the precision in Brazil is not trustable. That's just one scenario, but we've faced similar situations like that.
Here comes my first question, what's the expected precision of the Here Geocoding API in South Brazil?
2) Effect of trailing zeros in the address
Some of the services we use to grab the address return trailing zeros in the house number. We thought it wouldn't be an issue until we faced the following scenario:
The only thing that changed in the request is the number from 59 to 00059.
Here's the difference when displaying the coordinates returned by the Here Geocoding API for the cases above on Google Maps:
SUMMARY
I've been using the Here Geocoding API for a while and I feel it's not meeting our expectations, as we require a very precise service so our drivers can be more productive and less exposed to errors. Is there a known issue for Geocoding in Brazil, especially in the South? What's the relevance of the results compared to Google? Anything we could do to overcome those issues above (especially #1)?
Thanks in advance.
Can you please try by using mapview if you are specifically in Brazil. Attaching one example reference -
developer.here.com/documentation/examples/rest/geocoder/latitude-longitude-by-mapview-parameter
For coverage details, refer :
developer.here.com/documentation/geocoder/dev_guide/topics/coverage-geocoder.html
Thanks for reporting the discrepancy. The map however gets loaded with refresh data. Please use
1) Map creator (locate the poi and make the change, Here team will review and approve it)
2) Use Map Feedback API :
developer.here.com/documentation/map-feedback/dev_guide/topics/what-is.html

Free geocoding service with non-restrictive license

I am looking for a geocoding service where I can make a request with an address or intersection, not necessarily separated into separate fields (street, city, state, etc.) and get the latitude and longitude, along with suggestions and corrections for misspelled or ambiguous queries.
I really like the Google Geocoding API, but the terms of use say that I am not allowed to store the responses or use the service for any purpose other than showing the result on one of their maps. I am planning to use it for a lightweight, mobile-friendly website that may have the option of displaying results with text only, so this would not work, assuming I am interpreting their terms correctly.
The Yahoo PlaceFinder API looks nice but it comes with similar restrictions.
I am trying to decide what would be a good choice. The Bing API looks good. I don't see any sort of restriction in their terms but am I missing something?
Does anyone know what would be a good choice? I have very limited funding, so I would prefer something that is free or cheap, at least for the near future.
You could try Nominatim, it's a tool to search OpenStreetMap data by name and address.
MapQuest provide a free API as long as you give the appropriate credit
I'm not sure how well it handles misspellings or ambiguous queries though!

Geocode Area Names of a City to get Lat and Long

I have a list of areas names in my City and i need the Lat and Long of the same.
Is there any service which i can use the get the Data ?
I dont wanna use any map. I would like to make simple api calls and get the lat long via json or xml.
Though the question is already answered I would like to add that google is not the only service which provides geo coding support, few main providers are listed below
Available Solutions for the Address / ZipCode to (latitude, longitude) mapping...
Google API, http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/geocoding/ )
The most popular due to Google’s name.
Extensive support available on internet (less development time).
Alas! not available freely for non-commercial usage.
The free version has 2500 queries/day limitations. ( http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/geocoding/ )
Their is one clause in “Usage Terms” which says the result must be displayed in google maps, reference http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/geocoding/#GeocodingRequests terms and conditions are mentioned here. http://code.google.com/apis/maps/terms.html#section_10_12
Nominatium, (http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Nominatim )
A less common organization which provides an open source, free ware solution for the address to (latitude, longitude) mapping.
Can be also used in commercial projects.
Their are no restrictions for number of queries per day and no hidden clauses in “usage terms”.
Since the organization itself is not much popular, very less support is available.
Yahoo API, http://developer.yahoo.com/geo/placefinder/
Another popular API like google’s but some what more available.
supports upto 50000 requests per day.
Like google extensive support is available.
Yahoo encourages us to use the “powered by yahoo logo” but doesn’t force us for that. ( http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/api/api-2140.html )
Can be used for non-commercial purposes (I have read Yahoo Terms and doesnt find any clause which restricts us in doing that, reference http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/maps/mapsapi/mapsapi-2141.html ).
YQL (Yahoo Query language see:- http://developer.yahoo.com/yql/ )
A SQl based query language which queries yahoo web service. for example if we have a zip code “382025” we can write a YQL as [ select centroid from geo.places where text="Enter some pin code here"].
Yahoo encourages us to use YQL in commercial applications. (http://developer.yahoo.com/yql/faq/ )
Most number of allowed queries as compared to all other options. (see http://developer.yahoo.com/yql/faq/ ).
Support (?).
You can use the Google Geocoding service:
REST format:
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/geocoding/index.html
JavaScript:
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/javascript/services.html#Geocoding
EDIT: For those too lazy to read, here's the REST format example..
xml response:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=Bangalore&sensor=false
json response:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?address=Bangalore&sensor=false

API to look up business name, given a specific location?

I'm really hoping there's an existing service for something like this. I have a location (could be GPS coordinates or a street address, I can use geocoding or reverse geocoding services to switch between them) and I want to find a business that's listed as being approximately at that place.
If this service doesn't already exist, I'm thinking the best way to do what I want is to get a list of businesses close to a location, go through those and single out the closest one to the point I want, and say I'm "in" it if the distance is less than such and such.
If you have some pointers for which services I should look into (for either pinpointing one business or getting a list proximate to a location) or you think my methodology is stupid, please let me know!
edit: it's looking like the yahoo local search thing can pretty much do what I want. I'm going to start tinkering with that
Google Maps doesn't offer this yet. They do reverse geocoding from a lat/long to an address but not a business or interest.
I'm looking this up myself to see who offers this but the two I know of so far are GeoAPI (recently purchased by twitter) and SimpleGeo.
What you're looking for is Google Places which also allows you to specify the business type as well.
This is just a hunch, but have you checked out the Google Maps API?

UK Suburb Database

This is not a really technical question but is required for a system I am building. I am after a UK suburb/postcode database. I haven't been able to find this anywhere and wonder if it is available (freely). I know in Australia is is freely downloadable from Australia Post. Also a US suburb/zip database is required as a secondary concern.
Might be worth looking at Where can I get postal codes for all countries?
Accepted answer there was http://www.geonames.org/, but some other options listed too.
To get the US Postal System's database tools go here:
US Postal System Database tools
UK-specific:
You can purchase the information from Royal Mail. The database is known as the P.A.F. details here It's ridiculously expensive, and you have to pay yearly. A total mugging in my opinion, but there it is.
Alternatively you can use a 3rd party distributor, not much cheaper really, but offer better APIs. We use Postcode Anywhere, who have nasty stringent licenses, but very nice APIs for embedding the search in applications/websites etc.
The Royal mail PAf data is less than affordable, but if you request the sample data from the royal mail they include the complete localities table, along with the postcode sector that locality appears in (So, for example, "East Bergholt" in "CO6 7"). It also includes flags to show if the locality is required for postal sorting, in case the postcode is not legible.
In addition, as eluded to in this other post, the lat/longs for every UK postcode have been leaked.