RE: [backstage] Weather feed
The reason you see a lot of airport related weather data is because many of the Met Office's weather stations are based at airports - hence why if you're watching a BBC News report on hot weather, they'll often be reporting from Heathrow ;) IIRC there's about fifty odd weather stations in the UK so each one covers a large area. As I recall from some work I did around three years ago, what happens on the BBC site is that the area each station serves is broken down into around four different areas and weather forecasts created for those different areas, interpreting the data supplied by the weather station Useless but hopefully vaguely interesting information :) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Stephen Tomlinson Sent: 02 September 2005 10:19 To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk Subject: [backstage] Weather feed David, GNOME currently use this. But it's very US centric, and uses airports, rather than Met offices. I live in South London - Gatwick, City and Heathrow are all innapropriate for where I live. Similarly, when I'm down in Canterbury, a city with a Met office, I have to choose Manston. Many people in the UK are unlikely to know the nearest small airport to them. A feed from the Met office, ideally via the beeb, would be preferable. Stephen David Tattersall said: Hi Steve, Weather.com has a good XML feed that provides forecasts for up to 5 days in advance. I think they're pretty OK about usage (the usuals - display their logo, non commercial etc). I've used it in the past and I have to say it's a dream to use! David -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Stephen Tomlinson Sent: 01 September 2005 4:59 To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk Subject: Re: [backstage] backstage.bbc.co.uk TV Schedule competition Importance: High I'd like to just add another voice to the call for XML feeds. It's much easier to parse with the abundance of libraries. Also, off-topic, but any chance of the Weather feed (XML aussi) being added? The GNOME-UK team would like to use it. Stephen Ben Metcalfe said: * The TV schedule data we provided over-complicated and in an alien format that was difficult to parse, or * The idea of developing around a BBC-led theme, even for a prize, isn't an approach that is of interest to the backstage.bbc.co.uk community. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.17/84 - Release Date: 29/08/05 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.17/84 - Release Date: 29/08/05 - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] Competition - Ideas but no time
I'm pretty sure I goes for the majority of people here to say that we are always interested to hear ideas. Why not throw them into the discussion and see what happens? -- Chris Gilbert 07966 077 486 [EMAIL PROTECTED] On 5 Sep 2005, at 12:14, Luke Dicken wrote: I have some ideas for projects but no time to fulfill them, is there anyone out there who has time but no ideas? Luke -- Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others. Groucho Marx - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/ mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail- archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
RE: [backstage] Competition - Ideas but no time
In the interests of making the competition more inclusive for those that don't have either the knowledge or time to make a working prototype, perhaps for future competitions you might just ask for a single sided written proposal for a concept. Perhaps the prize could include having a prototype built? That way, once freed from the restriction of having to build the thing in their spare time, hopefully more people can enter and can come up with ideas a bit wilder and more imaginative than if they actually had to programme the bloomin' things! More inspiration, less perspiration. -Original Message- From: Chris Gilbert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 05 September 2005 1:23 pm To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk Subject: Re: [backstage] Competition - Ideas but no time I'm pretty sure I goes for the majority of people here to say that we are always interested to hear ideas. Why not throw them into the discussion and see what happens? -- Chris Gilbert 07966 077 486 [EMAIL PROTECTED] On 5 Sep 2005, at 12:14, Luke Dicken wrote: I have some ideas for projects but no time to fulfill them, is there anyone out there who has time but no ideas? Luke -- Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others. Groucho Marx - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/ mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail- archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
RE: [backstage] Competition - Ideas but no time
My background is fairly heavily AI-slanted so that's the sort of area I've been coming up with ideas. I think the best one I've had so far is to take the data and couple it with a Bayesian classification system. By using a reasonable set of training data (a previous week's listings for example) and a decent heuristic you should be able to create an AI system that can predictively suggest forthcoming programmes. You would also need some ancillary odds and sods like user tracking to cater on a per-person basis. With the basic system implemented the heuristic function could be tweaked to make it more accurate if necessary, the same base system could also be used with multiple functions - perhaps one could have a larger emphasis on timing than content etc. The coding for this most likely wouldn't be all that intense since its primarily mathematical, although storing the results of profiling would give it a reasonable amount of overhead (or would require a bit of ninja-ing) since you would be having to do a certain amount of natural language analysis on the data. I don't know about you guys, but something that highlighted programs I might be interested in would certainly be of benefit to me, saving me trawling through the listings. -- Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others. Groucho Marx -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Chris Gilbert Sent: 05 September 2005 13:23 To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk Subject: Re: [backstage] Competition - Ideas but no time I'm pretty sure I goes for the majority of people here to say that we are always interested to hear ideas. Why not throw them into the discussion and see what happens? -- Chris Gilbert 07966 077 486 [EMAIL PROTECTED] On 5 Sep 2005, at 12:14, Luke Dicken wrote: I have some ideas for projects but no time to fulfill them, is there anyone out there who has time but no ideas? Luke -- Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others. Groucho Marx - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/ mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail- archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
RE: [backstage] Competition - Ideas but no time
Luke, Wow, I was thinking of something along the lines of Bayesian filtering too! I was thinking that - if Bayesian filters can be trained to pick out spam, how about television programmes? Of course spam contains a lot more information - headers, formatting etc whereas you'd just have a title and a few sentences of description for each programme. The lines I was thinking along were marking certain programmes as favourites and the app will tell you if favourite programmes are coming up in the next week, and suggest different ones you might like. David -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Luke Dicken Sent: 05 September 2005 2:15 To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk Subject: RE: [backstage] Competition - Ideas but no time My background is fairly heavily AI-slanted so that's the sort of area I've been coming up with ideas. I think the best one I've had so far is to take the data and couple it with a Bayesian classification system. By using a reasonable set of training data (a previous week's listings for example) and a decent heuristic you should be able to create an AI system that can predictively suggest forthcoming programmes. You would also need some ancillary odds and sods like user tracking to cater on a per-person basis. With the basic system implemented the heuristic function could be tweaked to make it more accurate if necessary, the same base system could also be used with multiple functions - perhaps one could have a larger emphasis on timing than content etc. The coding for this most likely wouldn't be all that intense since its primarily mathematical, although storing the results of profiling would give it a reasonable amount of overhead (or would require a bit of ninja-ing) since you would be having to do a certain amount of natural language analysis on the data. I don't know about you guys, but something that highlighted programs I might be interested in would certainly be of benefit to me, saving me trawling through the listings. -- Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others. Groucho Marx -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Chris Gilbert Sent: 05 September 2005 13:23 To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk Subject: Re: [backstage] Competition - Ideas but no time I'm pretty sure I goes for the majority of people here to say that we are always interested to hear ideas. Why not throw them into the discussion and see what happens? -- Chris Gilbert 07966 077 486 [EMAIL PROTECTED] On 5 Sep 2005, at 12:14, Luke Dicken wrote: I have some ideas for projects but no time to fulfill them, is there anyone out there who has time but no ideas? Luke -- Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others. Groucho Marx - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/ mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail- archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.18/89 - Release Date: 02/09/05 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.18/89 - Release Date: 02/09/05 - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
