I have bought TomTom BT GPS & European Maps & it's pants!
Bad points :-
1. Even with several maps loaded on a 512mb sd it isn't possible to navigate from one country to another. I have to find the route on Autoroute, find the border crossing, then look for it on TomTom's map & set it as destination. Then open the other country and do the same to set as Departure! As I need to travel through up 4 countries a day, this gets to be a bit of a chore!
2. You can't plan route via somewhere, I want to use a particular stop-off but no way to do it unless you plan it in several parts.
3. Change to map view & it doesn't centre on your position! Duh?
4. Downloading maps off the 8 CD's (YES! 8!) is a total nightmare! Choose a disk, (they are not marked! Except disk #1-8 ) then say downlöad map of....Italy, remove disc and Quit insert Disk 5, insert disc 5 & choose Italy, do you want a 32, 64 or full map?, quess what? remove disc & quit. replace with disc 6. Then it asks every time what is the format, then it asks every time where you want to store it. It never remembers it as default!
5. Remove a map & you lose all your favourites
6. Try to find out how to get any accessories extension antenna, fixing magnets etc. on the web site and you'll find 'Jack****'
7. There is no way to see the street names in navigation view.
8. There are only very basic descriptions of signs in navigation view
(take direction -----)
9. At a lot of very obvious junctions on motorways it says keep left etc. then you come to a complicated junction in town & it says turn right when it should say bear left then turn right. Or worse still it says nothing at all!
10. The usual 'turn left in 200 metres' comes in on a straight stretch of motorway, or 'Turn around when possible' on a dead straight route.
These are a few of the negatives that I can remember. got to go now as I'm losing my connection. There's more.......... :evil:
So does anyone know of an objective comparison between the various Navigation systems? TomTom, Kane etc.
Thanks guys! 600 Quid poorer & still having to use MS Autoroute along side TomTom! Grrrrrr!
Not exactly side by side comparison (well except for the Tomtom/Navman compare) but it has a few reviews of some others...
http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/menu_gpssoftware.php
GPS not good yet
The same in here, I being trying to buy a GPS for ages but I keep hearing bad things all the time
just hope that GPS get develop properly ASAP please
TomTom 3 is announced :
Major ways to plan route between countries
can use navigation points to pickup something/someone
etc...
kitarolivier said:
TomTom 3 is announced :
Major ways to plan route between countries
can use navigation points to pickup something/someone
etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Olivier, Thanks for the info. but looking @ the details it seems the new version is still on 8 CD's! I think these TomTom people are spending too much of their time in the 'coffee shops'!
I'm also a bit miffed that even though the new version is on sale, we, the owners of version 2 won't even get the link to allow us to pay for the upgrade until mid April. On the earlier TomTom route-planner it had a facility to add an overlay, on which you would store all of your favourites, & extra info in a seperate file. The new versions seem to lose saved data every time you remove the sd card to change to another! Grrrrrr! :twisted:
I have done some checking, too and would decide for Mobile Navigator 4 which will be available towards end of April.
Will us BT, you can use your fingers to navigate, voice, across all of western Europe, etc.
I have just purchased CoPolit in Australia - it ROCKS!
Hi,
I bought this product after checking out this site:
http://www.pocketpcmag.com/awards/category.asp?catid=43
CoPolite works a treat and is very accurate, intelligent and quick. You can do stuff like route planning, pull in addresses from outlook contacts, store an address in contacts when your actually at a location, find points of interest (like hotels, food, recreation etc,etc) ... and the list goes on.
Only down side - my Radio Stack is corrupt **every time** I use this software :evil: ! Nothing that a hard reboot doesn't sort out :shock: !!
(That's how I came to be apon this site.. I am trying to figure this out. )
Saw your post and thought I could add 2 cents (or pence) :wink:
Rgds,
Scott
Can you explain what you mean by " my radio stack is corrupt every time", how does this corruption manifest itself on screen, a corrupt radio stack would not be fixed by any number of hard or soft reboots. Which com port is the hardware/software. What message appears to let you know of this corruption etc. How have you managed to sort it out and use the naviagtion?
Related
I found this on a French site, by changing the registry you get an extra camera mode that adds current position in the EXIF part of the file!
You need to edit the key : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\HTC\Camera\P9 change from 0 to 1 (P9 is the Geocoding profile).
No need to soft reset, just go into the camera and set to Geocode mode (see capture)
The files get stored in My Documents/POI (maybe so they appear in Tom Tom?).
Anybody know of cool ways to use this feature? Flickr? Googlemaps?
Sorry if this has been covered already!
Oh hell yes.....
Madhadder said:
Oh hell yes.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean it HAS been covered? could not find anything thru search....
I could never get it to work, it says the GPS is searching, but when I look at the photos I cant find any GPS coordinate data.
Anyone else actually try it?
G
I think Madhadder meant "oh hell yes I can't believe its so easy to add this feature you just made my week".
I'd like to say:
Oh hell yes!
GuardianZX9 said:
I could never get it to work, it says the GPS is searching, but when I look at the photos I cant find any GPS coordinate data.
Anyone else actually try it?
G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the data is included in the file itself in a special zone that holds info on model of camera etc.
There are some applications that "place" the pictures on maps, I do not know much about this but want to find out! The ideal would be to place them on googlemaps...
techntrek said:
I think Madhadder meant "oh hell yes I can't believe its so easy to add this feature you just made my week".
I'd like to say:
Oh hell yes!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good but as much as I would love to take credit for this find, it is in fact from this site : http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=85924&whichpage=3#641517
8th post down.
edeplano said:
I found this on a French site, by changing the registry you get an extra camera mode that adds current position in the EXIF part of the file!
You need to edit the key : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\HTC\Camera\P9 change from 0 to 1 (P9 is the Geocoding profile).
No need to soft reset, just go into the camera and set to Geocode mode (see capture)
The files get stored in My Documents/POI (maybe so they appear in Tom Tom?).
Anybody know of cool ways to use this feature? Flickr? Googlemaps?
Sorry if this has been covered already!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are so many line items under that folder. Could you be more specific?
thanks..
I assume that the GPS must be turned on to give the correct position prior to taking the picture, am I right?
Enable
ahmadfarid said:
there are so many line items under that folder. Could you be more specific?
thanks..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
P1-P9 are profiles for different camera modes. You'll notice that the "Enable" key is 0 in Profile 9. Change it to 1 and you should be good.
Also found this info on GPS passion, and was going to share, but never found the time....
I did the hack on my Ameo last weekend, and played around with it a little. It is ofcourse quite an amazing feature, and it does impress people that sees it, but given the quality of the camera in the Ameo, I'm not sure how usefull it will turn out to be, I would be a little embarassed to upload any Ameopics to Google at least.
Here is what I've found out sofar, if someone finds that useful.
When you start Camera, you get a new option when you choose your Photomode, called GPS. - This starts up the GPS automatically, and once it gets a fix you are ready to shoot.
The pics you then take are stored in /my documents/my Poi - which is created.
These pics will then have the GPS position included in the Exif data.
Haven't yet found a PPC software that is capable of reading these data, but if you read them with your ordinary pc, you can input them into google Maps (on PPC for instance) and it will take you there.
Picassa will read the data, and you can input them manually into your mapsoftware (the format is: xx yy' zz'' aa bb' cc'') but I would recommend "Panorado Flyer 1.2" which is a great free and small application. It gives you some new options in the context menu, so you just right-click your Gpspicture and choose "show location in Google Maps" - and it opens up Google Earth and takes you there.
There was some discussion on the precission of the GPS Data, actually on this very site I'm pretty sure, maybe the kaiser section(?) , someone noticed the last 2 decimals recorded for latitude and longitude allways were the same, so the precision was less than 100 meters, but the good news is this is not the case with our Athenas, they are very accurate!
I don't think I'm allowed to distribute Panorado Flyer here, but here is the link for you to download it yourself.
Hopefully someone will make a similar app. for PPC, which would make this feature so much more useful.
Here is a link to the free version: http://www.photo-freeware.net/panorado-flyer.php
And here is the commercial and probably more functional version (did not try it, but there is a demo): http://www.panorado.com/en/index.htm
I went to a birthdayparty this week and took a GPSpic inside an apartment on the 7. floor to demonstrate to all how brilliant the Ameo is, got a fix and shot a pic. The pic stinks, but if you want to try Pandora, you should be able to rightclick it and fly over here, even if I downscaled it....
And I just tried myself, and the GPS data did not survive the upload so it does not work, sorry.
Here is a shot of what Panorado rteads for that pic:
works well here
Actually you can use this format directly into Google earth, which is simpler I think:
55,685278 12,584445
Ok Midget, on my setup the GPS data was lost when I d'loaded my own pic from the post.
Also had to try it out on my old uni with an external GPS, but it doesn't have the P9 option, could that be because of the old HTC Camera version (3,00 build 21424) or must it have an internal GPS?
Anyone got the newer Camera version (like the one from the Ameo WM6 - 4.01 build 27598)?
hammermedia said:
P1-P9 are profiles for different camera modes. You'll notice that the "Enable" key is 0 in Profile 9. Change it to 1 and you should be good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh!..ok..i'll try it right away..
thanks
The new mode came right up when I made the registry change. Can someone confirm where the data is stored? Seems there are 2 places mentioned here.
That's freakin awesome! Possibly rates as my top feature of the moment! Good Hack!
And @ techntrek - it goes into my \microdrive\my documents\my poi\
Ace!
I have using panorado software but the error for several pictures on same place (1 square meter) is very large, some hundreds of meters...
beginner said:
I have using panorado software but the error for several pictures on same place (1 square meter) is very large, some hundreds of meters...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is what you will also get when you use googlemap. It can be hundreds of meters off.
I read recently that US goverment wants to decrease the accuracy of GPS. I wonder if it is the result of this project that I noticed that the inaccuracy has been magnified lately.
I'm testing some Navigator Software on my Athena
all the software is running from SD card ( 4gb)
Here is my experience:
TOMTOM 7 good but it is a little slow when turning / roundabout
IGO8 graphics is very good but the arrow seems be left behind the real position.... i see that for adding POI i need to change the layout and i dont know how to find a 640x480 layout....
The ROM is the standard HTC WM6
Any experience news ??
Is it possible to increase the framerate in tomtom ???
gab74 said:
I'm testing some Navigator Software on my Athena
all the software is running from SD card ( 4gb)
Here is my experience:
TOMTOM 7 good but it is a little slow when turning / roundabout
IGO8 graphics is very good but the arrow seems be left behind the real position.... i see that for adding POI i need to change the layout and i dont know how to find a 640x480 layout....
The ROM is the standard HTC WM6
Any experience news ??
Is it possible to increase the framerate in tomtom ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have used both these software and do not experience the problems that you described. However, I run them off the microdrive rather than storage card.
Just like me.
It's better to have them at the MicroDrive ( including the maps ).
If you use SKTools you can see that the read/write values are higher at the MicroDrive than the miniSD.
gab74 said:
I'm testing some Navigator Software on my Athena
all the software is running from SD card ( 4gb)
Here is my experience:
TOMTOM 7 good but it is a little slow when turning / roundabout
IGO8 graphics is very good but the arrow seems be left behind the real position.... i see that for adding POI i need to change the layout and i dont know how to find a 640x480 layout....
The ROM is the standard HTC WM6
Any experience news ??
Is it possible to increase the framerate in tomtom ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well i use tomtom7 but i cooked it into my rom and it definitely made it a little faster
I found Telenav to give the best directions and POIs. you have to have a data connection, but better than TomTom and iGuidance...
But CP7 is best
it's tomtom for me, installed in the microdrive complete with the maps. and coupled with eaglesteve's previous input on the best gps settings. haven't had any issues for the past 3 months.
cheers
I rank these software in this order
Best on top:
TT7
IGO 2006
IGO8
TT6
CP7
I've tested TT6-TT7, IGO8
TT7 is the best IMHO. I use navigation SW mainly to have speed traps alert and with IGO isn't easy to add speed traps ad POI.
I installed it on SD, may be I lose some speed but I save a lot of power
sergiopi said:
I've tested TT6-TT7, IGO8
TT7 is the best IMHO. I use navigation SW mainly to have speed traps alert and with IGO isn't easy to add speed traps ad POI.
I installed it on SD, may be I lose some speed but I save a lot of power
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Besides superior overspeeding warning features, it also allow user to update road and share it with others.
I installed on MD. No concern with power because in the car, I always with my device charged.
Unlike eaglesteve and sergiopi, I use navigation software mainly for navigation, speedcameras are a bonus (and free with CP)
For navigation, especially contact integration, CP makes TT look primative IMHO
Confucious said:
Unlike eaglesteve and sergiopi, I use navigation software mainly for navigation, speedcameras are a bonus (and free with CP)
For navigation, especially contact integration, CP makes TT look primative IMHO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disagree, sorry.
Speed camera is not speed warning. They are different.
1) In TT7, the legal speed limit of the road is kept, and if you travel above that speed, you get warning.
2) Speed camera, in another thing. In TT, there are the fixed speed camera and mobile speed camera. I think the mobile location speed camera is subscription base, and is optional. In CP7, there is only fixed location speed camera.
3) Finally, there is the red light camera, which warns you not to dash the red light at traffic junction.
4) TT7 also warns if we are near a school zone. In Australia, school zone's maximum, speed is 40 km/h at selected time only.
Integration with contact is so basic that we don't mention it. It's nothing to shout about. It's just taken for granted. iGO has it. Tom Tom has it. All contact database appears on the navigation software. If you make changes to the contact database, the navigation get the udpated address also.
In TT, if you choose "Navigate To" in the main menu, there is an item called "Contact", with exactly the icon as our Contact Application. Choosing that will bring up only your contact with addresses. The contact list is sorted in alphabetical order to faciliate locating them. Clicking on it will reveal the detail address. You can also use the FIND button to find the contact more quickly if your list is long. What else would we want that TT7 is not having in this regards?
One of the features of TT7 is to provide an onscreen button. If I see a speed camera that is not in the database, I can press that button while my car is at that coordinate. When the trip is over, I can go back and put in the details of the change I want to make. This can be used to correct the map, put in new POI, etc without affecting your driving. You do the actual update after the trip.
There are so many other features which are only seen in TT7. I was once a die hard iGO user ( and before that a die hard Copilot user), but now I'm completely won over to TT7. I'm not associated with TT in anyway, just like I was'tn associated with iGO or Copilot. I share what I think is the best to whomever want the best. Today, my top choice is TT7. Tommorrow? Who knows? May be Copilot 8. I have no blind allegiance to any software. If it is the best, it is my choice. I'm willing to be convinced that there are better software than TT7 out there now.
Speedcameras are not an issue for me, I have only ever been caught for speeding once (luckily I'd just slowed down so I was only doing 94MPH) and that was by a video camera in a police car - TomTom would not have alerted me to that.
The contacts in tomTom6 (I must admit I have not seen 7) is so clunmsy and slow I would have reached my destination before finding them - CP7 just uses outlook contacts and IMHO is just a lot better and I use it most of the time.
The interface of CP7, especially on the Athena is, again IMHO, a lot more user friendly than TT and allowing others to track me is useful so my g/f can see where I am.
I think we want different things from navigation software - i wouldn't rate TT at all and love CP - for you it's the other way round.
Guess it's lucky for the makers that we're not all the same!
sergiopi said:
I've tested TT6-TT7, IGO8
TT7 is the best IMHO. I use navigation SW mainly to have speed traps alert and with IGO isn't easy to add speed traps ad POI.
I installed it on SD, may be I lose some speed but I save a lot of power
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does anyone know when TT7 will be officially available? It's not on their website.
sergiopi said:
I've tested TT6-TT7, IGO8
TT7 is the best IMHO. I use navigation SW mainly to have speed traps alert and with IGO isn't easy to add speed traps ad POI.
I installed it on SD, may be I lose some speed but I save a lot of power
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you on this, I also installed on SD to save power. I actually delete my microdirve and never reformatted it. It was not reliable so I had no reason to have available for anything. I am wondering after not using the for while does it get better or reliable, may be I should format on my next reboot
wgary said:
Does anyone know when TT7 will be officially available? It's not on their website.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is some information on TT7 http://www.theunwired.net/?item=available-tomtom-releases-tomtom-7-20-maps-for-the-o2-xda-diamond
Guys, what about Garmin Mobile XT?
Al936 said:
Guys, what about Garmin Mobile XT?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently some people like it - mainly in the US I believe.
Choice of navigation s/ware does seem to depend on your location!
Al936 said:
Guys, what about Garmin Mobile XT?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tell us what do you like about it please. I'm open minded.
eaglesteve said:
I'm open minded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hehe - I hope I am too but reviews like this http://www.coolsmartphone.com/article768.html and others I've seen put me off, although I've not tried it myself.
Just to declare what some people might think a conflict of interest:
I bought CoPilot when it first came out on the SmartPhone - well, 1 month after it did, because someone bought it then got a company car with built in Sat nav so I got it cheap (another thing CP does well is transfer between devices). That was V5, I then upgraded to V6 and I think, all things being equal I would have prefered TT6 for my purposes.
I then beta tested CP7 so disn't pay for it but if I had the choice of which to buy TT6 or CP7 it would definatly be CP7. I have not seen TT7 but don't believe it is that much different from TT6?
Lots of people in the UK like iGo8 but Garmin XT and Route 66 (again popular in the US) are not that popular.
In the US you have to buy the maps of the whole US for CP7 which does make it wuite expensive and hence not as popoular as some cheaper options and although speedcameras are improved in CP7 it is one area TT still beats it but, as I've said, that is not the most important feature for me.
Different people want different things and the availability of maps and other s/ware in your area will all affect your decision, but for me CO7 wins hands down.
So far....
The other day I was at a football game where I had to park on a golf course far from the stadium and ended up wandering around for 20 minutes trying to locate the car afterward.
I knew that the iPhone had an app called "Dude, Where's My Car?" which let someone use GPS to tag a specific location and then later use Google Maps to guide them back to the GPS mark, but when I did some searching I couldn't find a WinMo version. So I made one.
This version isn't as sexy as the iPhone app, but it's free, and you can store up to 3 different locations and even name them if you'd like. When you want to locate one, you just click the respective Find button and you will be provided an arrow or compass direction (N, NW, S, SW, E, SE, W, NE) and approximate distance to your destination which will change as you continue to move.
I did some testing and got rid of whatever bugs I could find and everything seems to work. Since I find it useful to have, I wanted to pass it on to the community in case they might be interested as well.
If you find any problems with it, let me know, otherwise enjoy.
UPDATE 3
I finally got around to adding arrow guidance to accompany compass directions for finding a destination. The arrows are a bit finicky, but its partially due to the quality of the gps fix and the amount of fluctuation in the coordinates it gets. I find that the best way to work with it is to travel in one direction for a short distance steadily until a steady arrow appears. Once that happens, turn in the direction of the arrow and keep walking in the direction it had indicated until it changes to reflect the direction you turned. I.e. if you are walking straight and right arrow appears, turn right and keep walking straight until the right arrow changes to an up arrow.
I also updated the source code package for anyone interested in modifying the code. As before, I just ask that you keep its open nature going (GNU style) and if you post a new version of the software with arrows, or a better GPS interface (that uses triangulation as an option), etc. that you link the new software back to this thread and you let me know about it so I can check it out
UPDATE 2
As requested, I have attached the source code for the project developed with Visual Studio 08. It's not super clean since I put it together kind of rapidly, but it is decently commented. Anyone is welcome to modify this code and use it for your own personal development. Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions.
UPDATE
Attached a screenshot from my visual studio emulator. It should look the same as on the phone but with longer decimal values for the GPS coords.
Also attached the .cab files for the .NET framework that people were having issues with. I don't know if those will resolve the problems or not, but I developed the phone using the 3.5 compact framework. If you have that, a GPS chip on your phone, and WinMo 6 it should work for you.
Downloading, will try it and give you some feedback.
I'll try this out later. The compass feature is nice, something that nuePark doesn't have.
Thanks for pointing me to nuePark. I wish I had located it when I first did my searching, but then I wouldn't have created this. It looks like I unintentionally covered some peoples' requests for naming and multiple locations. Good times.
theres also an app called wm mini gps, or something along those lines. it will let you set a point, then navigate back to it later.
just my 2 cents
you can also do this in google maps.
The WM Mini GPS looks pretty cool. Google maps is ok, but only if you save it as a favorite. Not very good for temp stuff, and I'm not sure you can add a mark based on your current location (vs an address, which I know you can). I guess this app fuses the functionality and adds flexibility with naming and multiple spots. Thanks for pointing out both options.
bug in progam
smrtdrmmr thanx for the program but the prob is
immediately upon install my lil scroll wheel thingy (dont laugh) stop functioning normally instead of scrolling while browsing it activated the call volume function just like I had tapped the lil speaker icon....
That's really strange. It definitely didn't do that for me and I had to install/uninstall several times during the testing process. The installer is a generic project type based on the directions I got from MSDN. You might have some conflicting settings or something. Anyone else experience this?
This nice little utility works great on my Tilt. I'm gonna move this thread to Development and Hacking so it can have greater exposure for other devices.
Thanks
Tried it yesterday and it worked great!
Any way to get an arrow / graphic that works similar to a compass would, or is it just easier to have the words: SW / S...etc.
Thanks again!
I got the following error message once I tried to run it:
GParkS.exe
Exception
at Microsoft.AGL.Common.MISC.HandleAr()
at System.Windows.Forms.TextBoxBase._SetInfo()
at _System.Windows.Forms.TextBoxBase.set_MaxLength()
at GParkS.GParkS.InitializeComponent()
at GParkS.GParkS..ctor()
at GParkS.Program.Main()
I am running a custom wm6.1 rom with netcf 3.5
Please click one of the Quick Reply icons in the posts above to activate Quick Reply.
download and text
scotcha12345 said:
Tried it yesterday and it worked great!
Any way to get an arrow / graphic that works similar to a compass would, or is it just easier to have the words: SW / S...etc.
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about using an arrow that rotates around, but because the phone's orientation can change relative to the compass direction I thought it might be kind of confusing (I.e. it points left so you turn left and start walking but it keeps pointing left because it wants you to travel West and you have rotated the phone).
It would be possible for me to track the direction that someone is traveling and adjust the arrow accordingly, but again, phone orientation could vary and it's just more complicated to deal with. The compass directions are fixed so it keeps things simple and generic no matter what way you are pointing your phone.
fredcatsmommy said:
I got the following error message once I tried to run it:
GParkS.exe
Exception
at Microsoft.AGL.Common.MISC.HandleAr()
at System.Windows.Forms.TextBoxBase._SetInfo()
at _System.Windows.Forms.TextBoxBase.set_MaxLength()
at GParkS.GParkS.InitializeComponent()
at GParkS.GParkS..ctor()
at GParkS.Program.Main()
I am running a custom wm6.1 rom with netcf 3.5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't seen this before either so I did a little research and dug up this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-405749.html which then links here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2430410&postcount=390 I am not sure if this corresponds with my app or not, but you could check your registry setting and see if your problem matches the one described in the thread.
smrtdrmmr said:
I haven't seen this before either so I did a little research and dug up this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-405749.html which then links here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2430410&postcount=390 I am not sure if this corresponds with my app or not, but you could check your registry setting and see if your problem matches the one described in the thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will do. thanks
fredcatsmommy said:
will do. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that wasn't the problem; my registry was fine.
doesn`t work for me too. I have net fram 3.5 and i get a window with a german text, somthing like: there is a error that can`t be displayed because i have not installed "NETCFv35Messages.DE.wm.cab" ?
I press okay, the app started and i first tried to change for miles to kilometers, now the app crashes completly with a unexpected error (no luck today)
Hope this helps you finding the Bugs.
smrtdrmmr said:
The other day I was at a football game where I had to park on a golf course far from the stadium and ended up wandering around for 20 minutes trying to locate the car afterward.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Parking at the Rose Bowl sucks, huh. You get used to it after a few trips. Now I just need a phone with gps
Any hope of getting some screen shots of this?
wasnt sure if i should put this here or in the general forum.
Disclaimer: I used igo with my winmo device (ATT tilt) so i may be a bit biased. igo was also the first navigation software i used
So i do not have a data plan, i use wifi most of the time. Does anyone have a recommendation on the best gps software for our phones (unlike most people my gps works, even though it takes about 2-3 minutes for a cold fix.
Here are the ones i know:
COPILOT 8
I got copilot 8, sweet interface (truly the best gps interface out there), runs quite smoothly. only one problem:
-It calculates the best route horribly.
-POIs are great.... if you do not like popular chains ( can you beleive it has no burger king, mcdonalds, popeyes or any of the popular fast food places).
-you need to specify a city to find the street (just never liked that)
-super fast and smooth, no lag and hardly any choppiness except when panning the map
- live weather (traffic to come soon)
- great detour options (can choose to avoid any road on your route)
- displays pois right on the map so you can see every POI right on the map without having to go searching in the menu.
kinda nice just to click an icon and see everything around you.... now only if it had half of the things around you in its database
-uses your default keyboard (could be good or bad)
* the poi issue can kinda be fixed if you have a data connection, it can do an internet search for places, then you can save them to your favorites, but next time you want to find some other place you have not been to, get ready to use the internet again. but if you want that, might as well stick with google/bing navigation
so basically copilot 8 UI : SUPERB
actual navigating: Crap
IGO
so igo has 2 navi softwares, and unfortunately for us, none work on our devices properly.
igo motonav (the one i actually tested): resolution is meant for motorola android devices, which are 54 pixels longer.
igo myway: resolution is way smaller (320 x 480 i think), only takes up about a third of our screen real estate.
there is a work around for motonav to make it fit our screen, but for some reason it still produces a very choppy/laggy experience, but still very useable.
so basically: igo has the great navigation capabilities
-, an ok UI,
-EVERY POI YOU WILL EVER WANT
-ability to search for a street without specifying a city
-also has live traffic
-NO OPTIONS FOR DETOURS, only detours i could find was traffic detour, and that it does automatically if it finds too much traffic on your route.
-has its own keyboard, kinda makes it easier for finding places since it eliminates letters while you type
-You do have alternate routes depending on how you want to travel (fast, economical, short etc)
SO OVERALL:
igo: better maps, poi and actual navigation
copilot: better UI, ease of use, smoothness/speed of software and quite a few more navigation options.
does anyone have any suggestions on a gps app that combines both igos 'actual navigation' ability and copilots 'features/smoothness'? Or a quick fix to get better POIs on copilot easily
hopes this helps anyone looking for navigation software, feel free to leave input
I don't have a data plan either. And I'm a CoPilot fan simply cause due to it's ease of use. Plug in an address, it gets you there. Usually when I need a GPS I'm in a hurry somewhere and rely on the GPS to get me there as fast as possibly so this is why I appreciate the CoPilot.
I also like how pretty it looks on the Vibrant. Very high resolution, responsive, and it has VOICE! I'm not sure if Igo has voice but for me, that is a BIG feature while driving. I integrate it with my music so I listen to music and every now and then a nice voice tells me where to go. I don't need to look at it much. I love it
I have been using Copilot since September of 2009. Earlier versions had all sorts of problems and imagine it running on G1 - slow and paiinful. It was working very well on my Vibrant pretty from the software side but the Vibrant GPS problems made it rather hit or miss as my device would accasionally freeze or reboot. So, following suggestions of many, I have finally bit the bullet and reset my Vibrant to factory settings. I reinstalled Copilot from the Market but now it tells me that my trial period has expired and I am not able to go past that to enter my product license key. Earlier this year I have even bought the live traffic for a year for $20 and I have a separate product license key for that as well. However, as a result of being completely locked out of the software by the initial activation (where you have to enter your Google checkout number and Copilot ID) screen, I am unable to use it anymore. I paid $35 for the software and $20 for the traffic addon and I am completely unable to use it as if I was a pirate that stole the darn thing - great job ALK Sofware. I opened an online support request but they are notorious for not answering these requests so I am not holding my breath at this point for ever being able to use their software again - unless I change my Google account and buy the software again I guess but that is just not going to happen. Very frustrating...
Bottom line is, Copilot is great when it works but once you have problems with it, good luck getting their support and fixing your issue.
So, since Copilot is quickly turning into a throwaway for me, does anybody else have some comparable or hopefully better suggestions? Has anybody heard of or used Sygic Aura for example? How about Destinator? Any input and reviews will be greatly appreciated since I seem to be in a market for a new navigation software. Thank you in advance...
if you search the internet hard, you could find people who have modified igo to fit our screens
I've been using Sygic Mobile Maps for some time now. Have used it on Windows Mobile and it's even better (more responsive on my Android (Galaxy S i9000).
I am due for an upgrade later this month. I am an Android user of phones & tablets for more than 3 years so i am very used to the OS with its massive customisations, etc. But i have been noticing in the background that Windows Phone 8 is slowly gaining fans and i would like to know why. I'd like to convince myself. In particular i'm interested with the Lumia 920 and the newer 925/928 model:
1. Does the Lumia have a Bluetooth feature that can connect to any Bluetooth wireless speakers? And can one send files via bluetooth to any bluetooth-enabled Android phone?
2. Does the Lumia have a quick toggle to settings to instantly turn on or off settings such as wifi, Bluetooth, brightness, etc. (much like the notification drop down bar of Android)
3. Is there a customisable equaliser settings to the new Lumias? Surround sound? Bass? Preset EQ settings?
4. Can I set a Playlist, edit a Playlist name and set songs to a Playlist on-the-fly? If no then what app can do that?
5. Can I drag n drop files from my Mac to a Lumia with a need or no need of another software?
6. Can I still access my Google apps & services such as YouTube, Gmail, Maps, Currents, Chrome, etc.?
7. Is there a pinch to zoom feature in zooming objects for taking photos? Is there an option to easily share them via Email, Bluetooth, Twitter, Instagram, Dropbox, etc.? A way to set photos as a phones's lockscreen wallpaper? A way to edit photos and share them? if so which app do i need?
8. Any "swype to type" typing feature? (For faster typing)
9. Any good alternatives music player, video player for the Lumia?
10. Notification Centre - is it true that one can view a notification (from email, Twiiter, Facebook, etc.) on the lock screen? And how do i "access" or see my notification? Do i swype or just click it?
11. Is there a unified & a fully customomisable news app similar to Google Currents?
12. Sideloading apps - is this possible with WP8? Is there an alternative app store other than WP8's?
Android has tons of alternative/3rd-party app stores where one can look, download & install .apk files on almost any device available out there. Is this also possible with WP8?
13. Would the copy & paste capability be possible in almost anywhere ON THE device itself? How do i copy & paste btw?
14. A way to set Google as a default search option?
15. Software updates - found this "1308" update but it would seem there is the newer "1314" update. What's the real deal? Is it true the 1308 update vastly improved the camera's features and the battery life? ('cause i can't see that info on the website) And how often would those "minor" updates be like performance updates, battery life improvements, new features, etc.
16. Any good note-taking app?
17. How does one go back to view last viewed sites on IE10? Is it any way possible to save them on the hard drive of the phone so i can view them again & again?
18. A way or possibility to print wirelessly to a bluetooth wireless wifi printer?
19. Can one create folders (like a folder for Games, News apps, etc.) like in Android?
20. A very good .pdf viewer please?
21. Can i easily edit a Contact's name, phone number, details, etc.?
22. Can i set a Calendar event or note?
23. Is there a way to edit or change the tile icons on the "main" home screen?
24. Does the camera of the Lumias (in particular the 920) is BSI and HDR features?
Again, read of reviews that the camera is good but photos can sometimes be "washed out" and looks blurry when zoomed in.
25. Screenshots - With Android there is a way to take a screenshot of your phone's current screen. IS this possible with WP8? If yes then how?
26. A good alternative to Google Maps where i can check for transport updates and how to get from point A to B or how to find nearby shops or restaurants?
27. How often does Nokia or MS updates their phones?
28. The battery is only 2000mAh which compare to Android or iPhones is very tiny. How long does the phone lasts for Music? Video? Moderate use?
Please advice. Thanks.
1. yes
2. yes but via apps from market (Windows Store)
3. no but Lumia have equalizer setting and Dolby headphone settings
4. yes and no... you can add songs to playlist and you can with WP app for PC/mac you can make playlist but few things missing
5. yes
6. yes with IE or apps from Market, you cant have other browser, only IE (or Nokia Xpress Browser), maps also with IE or with other app (gMaps for example)
7. yes. yes (direct and also with apps from Market. yes. yes. in most case is enough Nokia apps but if you need more just search market or use App Highlights to suggest you apps
8. yes. WP keyboard is rudimentary but you can swipe with finger to type
9. no. in reality, all players from Market is only shell to original windows player...
10. when notification come, is shown short time in top of screen and if you click it, open it... if you dont click, notification closes and shown on lock screen (wallpaper all missed notification with icon and number)
11. is tons of many apps in Market, i dont use it but think no problem to find right one
12. yes and no.... can sideload but only original apps downloaded from Windows Store and loaded from SDcard if Lumia have SDcard slot. No other alternative stores. WP is most secure OS and in 2 and half year no any type of malware or viruses found on Windows Store because this restrictions
13. copy paste working, just select text and select copy icon, same with paste...
14. yes, in IE settings
15. 1308 is latest, 1314 is only AT&T update and not available for others...
16. a lot of them in market...
17. you can go back and you can bookmark but no save page option
18. not tried but think no...
19. you can create folders, anything like normal storage when connect via USB
20. official is good also others in Market
21. yes, on phone or on Live account on web http://mail.live.com/?rru=contacts
22. yes
23. yes and no... in basically you cant change tiles but also apps on market which can you make own style tiles and give him options
24. yes... Nokia 920 make great pictures...
25. yes, press windows button and power button... and this working where you want (apps, games, settings)
26. Here apps from nokia gives you most good navigation, travel and exploration features completely free with Maps, Drive, City Lens, Transit apps
27. booth... Nokia almost every week give new updates and improvements for their apps and settings
28. in normal use two day, less use 3 days for me (but i turned off many apps from working in background)... for music one day or little more is normal... all depend how many you use and set options in your phone. and newer let battery to discharged... this an brick phone... wireless charging is great thing, and if you can, get original Nokia plate for charging.
many of this answers is here
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/how-to/wp8
I'm not looking for a Nokia Android phone here. Sure some questions i have been asking were"asked" before that is why i had to slightly change as to how i ask a specific question.
So far i like some of the replies in here. Very interesting OS compared to Android or IOS. For me one way to really know if i like a phone is to go to a shop. Which i've done today.
I went to an O2 store and saw the Lumia 920 & the 925. Both headphone jack were closed as i wanted to try out the vaunted Dolby headphones sound enhancement. The sales rep explained that he cannot do something about anything as he seem to suggest the brackets around the phone that covers the headphone jack is to "prevent the phones getting stolen". Jeez. An early turn off so i went to an EE shop instead.
EE had a working Lumia 920 so went to try it out. Camera seems slightly better than my S3 but noticed there were very few settings to dabble. Wasn't very much convinced with the Dolby sound enhancement (GSMArena were right after all); I wasn't sure if the software of the unit i was given was updated but i was using a mid-range 2-month old Sony earphones i must say. Even after changing the EQ to Custom sound was still somehow "flat" and lacking personality. Was able to try send a file from my S3 to the 920 with a bit of ease although it took about a minute which by todays' standards isn't great but isn't bad either.
What i still don't like:
1. Lack of an alternative app store
2. Lack of alternative browser
3. Lack of a really good altenrative music player with my above needs
4. Lack of .mkv and .srt support in video player
5. Slowness in transferring files via bluetooth
6. The need for a software in order to transfer files. Although someone did menttioned i can just copy & paste files and put them in a folder.
7. Uninspiring and seemingly flat audio/music quality when headphones are connected (even with Dolby On)
8. Non-removable & "low capacity" battery
9. Small 4.5" screen
10. Lack of or the inability to print to a wireless printer
11. Inability (?) for the phone to act as a wifi hotspot
12. Lack of swiping action for faster typing on keyboard
13. Inability to set Google as a search option
14. Inability to save a webpage as a .pdf file for future viewing
15. Few camera options & settings
16. No ability to edit a photo within OS/device
17. Inability to create folders tiles (for quick access to apps)
What also bothered me when i was in the EE shop was what the sales rep told me. She said that many people have been returning their Lumia 920s (i.e. rate of Lumias being returned were MANY!) for repair because of various problems such as bad incoming/outgoing call quality, screen issues and rebooting/crashing issues. She also bluntly advised me to get a Galaxy S4 or the HTC One instead.
Doesn't help with building up confidence does it?
Only the AT&T version allows you to tether and have up to 5 devices connected to it. But you have to have the second tier data package. Yes you can print to a wireless printer over WiFi (maybe another AT&T exclusive). It uses windows for godsake. If a PC can do it, this phone can do it. As for camera settings. It's a phone. If you want camera settings, then get a camera.
All app can be made into a tile simply by tapping and holding until the menu pops up to pin to desktop. The the file can be resized and positioned as you want it.
Google as a search option? Just make it your browser homepage. So what if it is just one more click. Has society really become this lazy?
That small screen is IPS and blows away all the other phones out there regardless of size. Also the gorilla glass is near diamond hard. Ok exaggeration but it is much harder than any other display out there.
You must have missed the edit photo option. You can cut, crop, change colors, and all kinds of edit options. Maybe that is another AT&T only feature.
My low capacity battery last 12 hours under full load and recharges in two with the wireless charger. Not sure what you want, but it is a computer in your pocket and you will not get phone life out of the battery.
Saving a webpage as a PDF. an Andy will not do that by default. So just wait for an app to be made. Or hey just bookmark it and view it over wifi.
There are alternative app stores for WP8. you just have to get into the right click. They are not made public since MS would shut them down.
There are three browsers that are free on the app store and six more you can pay for.
Did you even really try this out yourself or just let others opinions sway you like a typical sheeple? You know the site you keep referring to is biased against WP and MS products. So of course they will give this phone a negative review.
I am sorry to sound harsh but you tried one version from one provider. They are different. There are at this moment three types of 920 out there. The AT&T, The Rogers, and the all others. Each have some variations in functions and quality. As well as variations in the OS.
You also don't need software to transfer files. Not sure where you got that from but if the phone is plugged into a PC it behaves just like a USB drive and can be explored by windows explorer and you just drag and drop files just like another hard drive.
Bluetooth for file transfer is old school and slow. The S3 as well as the Lumia has a tap to send feature that when both phones are near each other you just select a file, select tap to send, find the other phone in the list and tap it. The other phone if feature is turned on will acknowledge a waiting file. You confirm it and it transfers over the TTS network between the phones. Faster than BT by the way.
There are several MKV players in the store, but they are not free.
I'm sorry but it just sounds like you are picking the phone apart and trying to convince yourself not to get one. If you are happy with Andy then the Lumia is not for you just to be blunt. Most Lumia users are tired of Andy or iPhone and that is why they switched. You will not get the customization of Andy with this phone. What you will get is a good rugged phone that has an OS that runs it like it should with minimal apps to perform most day to day things. You will get a camera that rivals lower end SLR's in quality even if it does not have all the bells and whistles. Yes there are SLR users here who have compared the pic quality and in some case it was better on this phone. You will get an OS that runs smoothly and fast and again does what it should. I will say it one last time. If you are happy with Andy or iPhone then this phone is not for you. This phone is a first phone, or a phone for those tired of the cookie cutter phones/OS's out there.
I do not think GSMArena is "biased" to WP & MS products. Why would they? Please enlighten me. The reason they have "negative" reviews of the Lumias is because its the truth i suppose. And the truth sometimes hurts isn't it?
And you might also ask yourself: why would the sales person be biased in saying the rate of returns is enormous because of such & such issues? Please enlighten me. Of all shops i went to (O2, EE & Carphone Warehouse) most of them sell (YES) Android phones (as many companies make Android phones...duh!), iPhones AND Windows phone 8 phones.
Again, let me ask (and challenge you)...why would the sales person be biased? I don't think its because they use Android phones most of the times. I simply don't think so. These people are trained to use and be familiar with ALL types of phones. The only reason i could think of is their reputation. Many returns (for repairs or otherwise) will ultimately have a negative effect on them.
I also heard of incompatibility with the EE network. If the phone is 4G-ready/capable it shouldn't be a compatibility issue. Its the issue of the maker of the phone (and OS) itself isn't it? If the phone is not up to what it can do or is capable of doing then i would rather go for a tried and tested and familiar phone & OS that is Android. I'm aware some companies release different versions of their phones depending on the country/market but still that doesn't help at all.
Also, the trouble with these shops is their phones are most of the times not updated so the software & other improvements are not there for you to experience. The headphone jack might be "locked" by the braces holding the phone or the phone isn't charged at all. Its a lose-lose situation.
Look i am not looking for a perfect Nokia Android phone as i will not find one. I know its either Windows Phone 8 or Android OS.
I made myself clear on my previous reply about my experience in the phone shops and the negative things i have known and read.
If i get the Lumia 920 right now on a 24-month contract with EE will they allow me to return the phone simply because "im not happy with it"? I guess we all know the answer to these question. All they care about is getting money from you and that's it.
Doesn't inspire confidence does it?
I know AT&T gives you a 14 day return period even on a 24 month contract. If you go beyond 14 days then they hit you with the phones full price if you break contract. The issue is not the phone, with 4G. 4G from provider to provider is on different frequencies. This phone like all others only supports 4G and LTE on certain frequencies. If your provider does not support those frequencies then there is nothing that you nor Nokia can do. You need to bust your providers balls to support the other frequencies as well. Good luck on that though since they will just tell you to use a phone they provide. If you want the Lumia to function 100% then you have to buy it from a provider who supports it and use their network. Buying it and trying to use it on a network that it was not intended for will result in fail most of the time. Or the very least a lot of flashing and tweaking and still may not be 100%.
I will say it again. If you like Android and are happy with it then stay with it. To me it sounds like you have already decided against this phone anyways. You Are not going to get somebody in a Lumia forum to flat out tell you not to buy it. So if you are looking for somebody to confirm your feelings you won't get it here. The bottom line is that this phone is not for somebody who is happy with their current OS. This phone is a phone for those just starting or those just fed up with the other stuff out there.
Well thank you all for your replies and insights.
If i get a Windows Phone 8 phone right now i feel it is a way backward not forward. I'm familiar with Android OS so i think i'll stick it out with them.