Sunday, October 28, 2018
In 2011, I installed a tool on the WiredPages Reference page which provided USPS Postal Codes & the ZIP+4, along with latitude/longitude geo-coordinates for any address in the US.
Though the original data source continues to offer geo coordinates for any address in the world, the US Postal Codes are no longer available.
Over the summer (2018), I discovered the USPS offered API business services including:
- Price Calculator
- Verify an Address
- Track a Package
- Print a Shipping Label
- Lookup Delivery Dates
Late last week, the interface I developed using the Address Verification API was installed in the main area of QiSoftware[.com] as a product demonstration.
The Address Verification API is sophisticated and can, upon request, provide business related address information, however the QiSoftware demonstration does not allow for the optional input of the business name as part of the query submission to the API.
As shown in the above illustration, the new interface also provides the geo-coordinates and now also- the Google Static Map for the address.
Why not reinstall the new interface on the WiredPages Reference page? Simply a matter of preference. When I initially installed the "PlaceFinder" tool on WiredPages, bloggers were using different services that required geo-coordinates1. The intent was to provide an easy means to retrieve latitude/longitude coordinates.
QiSoftware offers customized software solutions to assist business owners with everyday needs. The USPS Web Tools® APIs offer useful data specifically geared toward business owners. How do you want your data?
1 Latitude/Longitude can be entered in the <meta name= .... /> area of the <head> .... </head> section of an "HTML" file.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Work continues in an effort to provide entertainment level services for visitors to the WiredPages Style & Events page.
The latest addition to the page, an Eventful API powered interface allowing visitors to search for events anywhere in the world.
Eventful is an online calendar and events discovery service owned by Entercom. The service allows users to search for and track upcoming entertainment events in their area...
PageSix also includes a Facebook Plugin providing "notable events" both here and elsewhere. Extensive research goes into providing links for the events listed, so if you have a notable event and would like consideration-- provide the Facebook Event in a message via the WiredPages Facebook Page. Not all events are listed, however suggestions are welcome.
Sunday, October 07, 2018
In late September (2018), a scheduled server move of the hosting-q.com domain (QiSoftware Web Hosting site) caused an unforeseen issue, resulting in a re-evaulation of the QiSoftware Web Hosting service offering.
The decision was made early last week to retire the web hosting offering, and links were quickly removed. On Friday, the site (hosting-q.com) was moved to a new hosting service and IP addresses updated.
Part of the problem, hosting-q.com did not have enough in the way of resources to handle the many Java server side applications used on WiredPages and other areas of QiSoftware.com.
QiSoftware core development efforts have always centered on Java software implementation. In 2002, when QiSoftware first went online, many web hosting services did not offer affordable JSP Web Hosting support.
The problem? If potential clients could not afford JSP hosting, then how could they afford QiSoftware Software? Business dictated offering the JSP web hosting support.
Hosting-Q.com went online in 2006, however never really had clients. Contact the FBI if you have questions.
Today, most web hosting services offer affordable JSP Web Hosting support, making QiSoftware's own web hosting reseller offering, an unaffordable "business" & "legal" luxury.
The site, hosting-q.com will remain part of the QiSoftware online business network, however now only a background resource.
