A random assortment of thoughts.

[temporus]

Managed to get a night out with the wife, and we went to see the Golden Compass.   The Lovely Wife was unimpressed.  She felt the soundtrack was both unimpressive and disruptive.  Instead of adding to the mood, it ended up running roughshod over the audience.  I'm not quite the stickler she is, but in general I think she's right.  There were some jarring cuts, and and I got the impression the acting took second place to the spectacle of the show.  To be honest, I was more impressed with the trailer to the Spiderwick Chronicles.

Can anyone tell me why, on two different devices (laptop versus blackberry) I would get two different sets of directions via Google Maps from identical end points?  Both sets would work, just kind of odd that they would be different routes.

I had more, but I'm tired, and am going to sleep instead.

Comments

[bonniers.livejournal.com]

If there was a time difference between the two maps, it might have had to do with changing conditions. Googlemaps doesn't quite pick up traffic patterns, but if they closed a lane for construction or something like that, it will often be reflected in the directions you get. I assume it's things that are significant enough to be reported to whatever state or regional hotlines they use.

[dqg-neal.livejournal.com]

That could occur even if it happened simultaneously, because of the multiple servers being used. I don't belive they use a single backend, but populate multiple databases due to the amount of load.

I've also had an instance where two different directions produced the exact amount of time, so it alternated directions each time the page loaded.

[temporus.livejournal.com]

The irony of all this is: If GoogleMaps hadn't given me both sets of directions, I would have ended up lost Saturday night. I missed the turnoff on one set of directions, but becuase I'd read and familiarized myself with the other set, between that and the fact that my blackberry has both Googlemaps, and the new beta feature that allows me to see "where I am" (via cell tower) I was able to re-navigate and find my way despite getting lost.

Of course, if I'd just borrowed my inlaws car, with the builtin GPS, I probably wouldn't have missed the turn. But that's a whole seperate point. :)