Same same but different

I have done a bit more digging into issues I have been having with the places API and discovered that Google has deprecated (as of 24th June) the reference property of autocomplete responses (and place detail requests) and moved to a new place_id parameter. The semantics of these parameters are the same so I didn't have to modify much code (just change the names) and it looks like the new ids are working better than the old ones.

I hoped that all the problems I have been seeing would go away with the new ids, and some certainly have (Bridge St Sydney seems to work now), but have found there are still erroneous suggestions coming back in autocomplete.

If you search for "60 Pitt St" while in the Sydney CBD the first suggestion you get back is "60 Pitt St, Sydney" followed by "60 Pitt St, Parramatta" and then "60 Pitt St, Redfern". There are a couple of issues with this:

• - Why is Parramatta (23 km) presented before Redfern (3km)?
• - When I resolve the place_id for the first result, I would expect 60 Pitt St in Sydney CBD. Instead, I get the location in Redfern (same lat, lng as the third result).

So still somewhat dissatisfied with the data I am getting back from the Places API, but getting closer.

Permalink - Comments - Tags: Development

George St and St George

Time to post another bug in the autocomplete data. This one happens when you do an autocomplete request for "George St" when you are in the Sydney CBD.

As you can see here, the first prediction you get back from autocomplete is "George Street, Sydney, New South Wales". Seems legit:

Unfortunately when you go to resolve this location reference id, you get the center of the St George region. Definitely not the place I was looking for.

The predictions that follow St George in the array are George Streets in Redfern, Parramatta, North Strathfield and Liverpool, but not George Street in the Sydney CBD.

Permalink - Comments - Tags: Development

A bug in Google Places Autocomplete predictions

I needed to document a bug I found with the Google Places Autocomplete API and here seemed as good a place as any. If you are from Google and you plan to fix this, I would love to hear from you.

Update: Very similar problem with typing "Pitt St" in the city. Getting a location in Parramatta.

If you make an Autocomplete request, from the following location (just near Circular Quay in Sydney) for the search string "Brid" you will be presented with a list of predictions that make perfect sense:

I am making the request with these parameters:

Param	Value	Explantation
location	-33.862408,151.210848	Corner of Loftus and Custom House Lane
radius	30000	Only interested in locations 30km from your location
input	brid	The begning of "Bridge St"
country	AU	Just results in Australia please

You can see the JSON result I get back from the request or try it yourself here (assuming you have an API key). The first result in the list of predictions is this one:

Field	Value
description	Bridge Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
reference	CmRfAAAAs3Qot0vFrtKUIgWa7pCD5...

I have linked the reference id in the table to the corresponding Google Places Details Request. This reference id describes Bridge St in the Sydney CBD, just up the road from the request location, so all good so far.

The problem raises its head when we try the same request on the other side of Darling Harbour in Pyrmont (is also reproducable a few blocks away in the CBD):

I am making the request with the same parameters as before, except for my location:

Param	Value	Explantation
location	-33.865606,151.196359	Just across the park from Google in Pyrmont

I get back this JSON result. You can try it yourself here (again you need an API key). This time my results look suspiciously like the first. Importantly the first entry has the same description, "Bridge Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia". I am going to show this description to my unsuspecting user.

Field	Value
description	Bridge Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
reference	CmRfAAAAWcjNUI81JLFvS53mlF51Q...

Unfortunately this id refers to Bridge St in Windsor NSW, 55km away. Now I am sure Bridge St in Windsor is lovely this time of year and certainly worth visiting, but perhaps a better prediction for the "Bridge St" the user is looking for is the one that is just 3km away.

It would be awesome if this particular case (and perhaps any like it) were fixed and would also be good if the place description reflected the locality better. If "Bridge Street, Windsor, New South Wales" were returned for the second case, then my users would be far less inclined to click on it thinking it is Bridge St in the City.

Permalink - Comments - Tags: Development

Tom Horn - 20th April 1936 - 2nd February 2014

My uncle and namesake.

Permalink - Comments - Tags: Misc

Customer Support

May Ann : Hi Tom, how may I help you?
Tom : Hi May,
Tom : I am having trouble signing up for a telstra business account
Tom : getting the following error on the business address online form:
May Ann : Oh I am sorry to hear that Tom.
Tom : "Unfortunately we can't validate this information. Please check your details and try again"
Tom : Not sure which field in the address the form doesn't like
May Ann : NO worries I will connect you to our Business MY Account Team to help you with this. Would that be okay?
Tom : Sure
May Ann : Please stay on chat whilst I connect you to them.
Tom : thanks
May Ann : I may appear signed out, but please wait until my colleague grabs our chat
May Ann has disconnected. : We are currently transferring your chat to another consultant who will be able to assist you with your enquiry. Please stay online while the new consultant joins.
Tom : ok
Christine has joined.

Tom : Hi Christine
Christine : Hi Tom, a lovely Tuesday afternoon to you.
Christine : I understand that you are unable to lgoin to your Business my account.
Christine : *login
Tom : unable to signup
Tom : I get to the Business address page
Tom : and get the following error:
Tom : "Unfortunately we can't validate this information. Please check your details and try again"
Tom : Not sure which bit of the address is causing the issue
Christine : Nothing to worry, let me assist you to register :)
Tom : ok
Christine : May I have the phone number in question please?
Tom : Not signing up for a phone ... just trying to register a business account so I can purchase a 4G USB
Tom : So I don't have a phone number for the account
Tom : because it doesn't exist yet ;)
Christine : Do you mean you don't have yet any telstra service?
Tom : Not for this business no ... that is why I am trying to signup
Christine : Oh that's it, you can register to my account if you have an existing service.
Christine : That requires an account number.
Tom : Nope ... Don't want to associate it with an existing account ... Just imagine. I have a business and I would like to buy something from Telstra (in this case a USB 4G thing). Hit the buy button and it asks to you sign up ..
Tom : this is what I am trying to do
Tom : The signup forms haven't asked me for an account number
Tom : which makes sense
Christine : No worries, that's okay, kindly stay on the line.
Christine : Sorry for the inconvenience.
Christine : I would love to have you assisted on this but it would be best if I connect this session to a colleague from the business general team to have you guided best on this.
Tom : no problem ... I'm sure we will get there eventually ;)
Tom : ok ... thanks
Christine : Yes, it just happened that the previous consultant thought that you are registering to my account, for you to view your usage and bills.
Christine : I understand that you would like to purchase online.
Tom : No idea why they thought that
Christine : To further assist you with this enquiry, I will refer you to one of my colleagues from business general team.
Christine : Let me just put a quick note on my end so you need not repeat yourself when I connect you.
Tom : great
Christine : I'll connnect you now.
Tom : just FYI .. this is the first thing I said to the first responder "I am having trouble signing up for a telstra business account"
Christine has disconnected.

We are currently transferring your chat to another consultant who will be able to assist you with your enquiry. Please stay online while the new consultant joins.
Meagan has joined.
Tom : Hi Meagan :)
Meagan : Hi Tom!
Meagan : I am just having a quick read thorough the chat you had previously
Tom : Cheers

Meagan has disconnected.
Tom has disconnected.

O_o

Permalink - Comments - Tags: Misc

[First Page] [Prev] Showing page 6 of 40 pages [Next] [Last Page]