Update to Air Quality Egg Chrome extension

[John Romkey]

Hey folks,

I updated my Chrome browser extension for the Air Quality Egg.

After I looked into the Xively API more I decided it was okay to use an API key.

So it will now show all sensors by default and will not require a Xively login to do so.

I also changed all the Cosm references to Xively.

The downside is that Chrome considers this requesting "new permissions", so when the extension updates it will disable it if you don't grant it permission.

More info on the extension is at http://romkey.com/code/air-quality-egg-helper-browser-extension/

[Adam Laskowitz]

Very cool John!
Any plans to insert graphs on the site? Or do you see that as redundant?
Something I always wanted to see on the AQE site is viewing data for collocated eggs. I tried doing this on my AQE visualization site but I think I missed some key ingredients for making it useful and legible.

[John Romkey]

Hey Adam -

That's a great idea. I hadn't thought of it. At the least maybe I could link into the graphs provided by Xively, but maybe I could do more, too. I'll take a look at it, thanks!

[John Romkey]

By the way, it was your visualization site that got me thinking about using an API key rather than requiring a login... wish I'd done it that way from the start. Thank you!

[Adam Laskowitz]

I love the idea of extending the AQE website via google chrome extension. It would be cool to build some sort of expandable window that would display either 2D relational graphs (CO and NO2 for example) or single unit + time if a user clicked on the snapshot data.

Also something I just thought of and would be simple to implement, clipping the decimal places to 2 or 3. Right now I assume they are just grabbing a float value from the sensors and mirroring it on the AQE site, but it gives an illusion that it is THAT accurate.

I'm glad my site gave you ideas! If I manage to get some time to get back at this again I'd love to join forces somehow if you'd be interested. I don't know when that'd be though unfortunately.

Anyway, I'm loving the extension.

[Bob Holmstrom]

John,

How do I update the Chrome browser extension? I am not sure if I am seeing your new or old version.

Also, any chance of keeping the map zoom fixed when you zoom in? For example, for Portland Oregon, where we have quite a few eggs, you have to re-zoom in every time to select another egg.

Bob Holmström

[John Romkey]

Hi Bob -

Sorry about the delay! The new version is version number 3.0.0

If you go to chrome://extensions you should see it listed there... if the version number isn't (at least) 3.0.0 then try clicking on the "Update extensions now" button at the top of the page. It's been long enough that it's probably updated on its own by now... sorry for being so slow in writing you back.

I'm not sure if I can do anything about the map zoom... that's controlled by Javascript and it doesn't look like I can intercept it before the map is displayed... I might be able to re-zoom the map after it's displayed, which would cause its zoom to bounce a little... I'll take a look at it and see if I can figure out something.
- john