What do you think about Nav4All - Off-topic

I've heard a lot of folks talking about this thing lately, this Nav4All, it's said to be a cell phone navigation software which you can download freely and install on your cell, and then you only need a GPS tracker, provided that your cell has bluetooth connection, this software can help you pinpoint your location, and also guide you to any desired address, well, that sounds pretty cool, but I'm wondering if any of you guys have actually tried it, is it really that awesome? I mean, if what they said is true, then this thing can be a terminator of TomTom, right?

It's an interesting program, but I don't think TomTom and other pocket PC based navigational software has anything to fear yet.
Two points:
1) Remains to be seen just how accurate their map databases are, and how well do course plotting and search algorithms work.
2) Even in the most advanced cellphones the hardware is still limited compered to Pocket PC devices. One major problem for navigation is small screen size. Also, it remains to be seen how well they designed the interface (given there is no touch screen and only a numeric pad).
Still, I will also be interested in hearing user opinions of this program.

Well, it's been a long time since the first posting on Nav4All, and in the meantime, I installed it on my Touch.
I must say, that the first impression is rather dull, and not very userfriendly. But then again: what can you expect from a free piece of software?
After learning the features somewhat more, I see the advantages a little more clearly. A cellphone (even the Touch) has a small screen, compared to a real GPS. And Nav4All is navigating with arrows and voice. Ie no map unless you ask it to.
This also means, that you save a lot on GPRS traffic.
I also tried with Wayfinder, from where I got the BT GPS, but their customer-service stinks, and I never got up and running. And I tried with Google Maps, which I think is rather clever, but again - both of these require download of maps constantly...
Of course, I could spend some money on a TomTom system or Route66, but why would I, if I can get it for free???

Related

its starting to wind me up now.

Hi all.
I am using an official HTC rom on my kaiser, with no operator software etc.
I am using the latest TomTom 6 GPS Software, from a high speed memory card. Set to use the internal GPS Receiver.
I am getting slow updates, e,.g. i go round a roundabout, and ive made the turn before its updated the screen. This is really annoying me. It does the same with different GPS Software too, I havetried increasing the baud rate, in steps, and none of which, make a difference.
Is there any way i can speed this up?
I would say, its longer than a second delay, and less than 2 seconds.
Got almost full reception, though that does see to jump about alot too, and it has good line of sight to the sky.
Thanks all!
Hi there,
That's strange. Mine is working perfectly.
Perhaps you have another process running in the background slowing things up?
I do believe that GPS acts differently depending on where one is on the globe.
Other than that, I am not sure.
Tomtom works well on mine too.
Where abouts have you installed the application to?
On mine, the app is on the kaiser & the maps, voices etc. onto the card.
I get the same with the same setup as described by the O/P. What do you expect to happen because if you want instantaneous reaction of Tomtom Navigator in these circumstances I doubt thats possible, especially without graphics acceleration assistance from hardware. I think the best way to channel your energy would be writing to HTC and Tomtom about it. Since 6.032 is a customised version of Navigator for HTCs TyTN II and is supplied by HTC then the responsibility rests with them to look into it. Since they are also in the hotseat over the missing graphics acceleration it'll be more examples for them of why they should address that issue.
it could just be a bad set up, try deleteing and reinstalling everything and run it with out any background programs active.
hi all.
Thanks for your reply, well i can confirm, it is 6.032, the one the handset comes with, i have tried a hard reset, i dont think tis a graphics issue, as i get good fps on videos and the camera etc.
Processing power wise, i dont think its that either, you can watch a demo of your route, and its alot quicker than real time navigation, with regards to screen fps and updates on roundabouts.
I can live with it, but i will contact tomtom and find out whats going on.
Nothing else is running in the background, ive disabled activesync, and any other open programs, its installed on the PDA, and the card holds the maps and data.
aNy other ideas people?

GEO Caching with a Kaiser

Guys,
Anyone got a good solution for GEO Caching with my Kaiser? I would really like to leave my other GPS home and still head for some caching sites for some afternoon or weekend adventure. Any thoughts?
Geoscout kicks butt, by FAR the best one out there. I'm very impressed by the fact that it syncs (Live) with Geocaching.com, if you post a log in the field, it's updated instantly on the web site.. Very cool...
Check it out:
http://www.pocketgear.com/en_US/html/display_product.jsp?id=prod5640731
Geoscout is seconded as the most popular solution, but there are other polished solutions also.
Check this article Geocaching with Windows Mobile.
Dont forget to switch off Static navigation.
Surur
Only problem is the Kaisers GPS isn't that good so you might have some issues with that.
I found zero Geocaching software for Windows Mobile that was worth using for the actual navigation/finding, period... Even bypassing the built-in GPS for all its fault and using my bluetooth GPS unit, none...
GeoScout is good for on-the-go data, but not the caching itself... BeeLineGPS seemed okay, but its radar screen and some other things are just.... wacky.
If nothing else, I'd say try BeeLineGPS..
My solution? I went back to using what I used on Palm, which works perfect, consistent, and I already had a very solid solution set up for getting the data files set up and ready for me to update at an time.. GeoNiche. I run it in StyleTap, and it works great.
Big problem is that GeoNiche + Styletap would run around $75. I already owned GeoNiche, and had some other stuff I also owned from Palm apps, so Styletap made a lot of sense for me.
Good luck with anything else.. I really gave BeeLine a good try, and many others (Smache, GPStuner, GPXSonar, CacheMate, etc) and just hated the navigation on all of them and the data import/update facilities for most of them.
PathAway is one I kept, but I am using it the same way I did on the Palm, and that is for hiking and marking POIs related to that. I considered trying to use it for Geocaching but it never suited me in that role on the Palm so I didn't give it another try for it.
I've been using Backcountry Navigator. I like that it allows me to download topo maps from within the program.
But I agree with austinsync, the GPS doesn't seem very good. It seems to be about 20-30 feet off from my Garmin unit, and is slow to update. It's good for finding where you are when hiking or boating, but not really good enough for Geocaching.
I second Beeline. I only wish it had maps.
As for the accuracy, I suggest trying different Radio Roms. My current Radio (1.58.25.17) works best for me. I'm usually within 5 ft of my friends Garmin. Other radios, I've been off as much as 60ft.
Great info guys.
Thanks for all the posts guys. I looked at GEOScout which is working quite well, but holy crap $40 Ouch! I'm going for Beeline next and then Backcountry navigator.
I am completely fine with the accuracy of the GPS as I prefer a challenge when caching anyway. I have also seen the radio set make a huge difference in how far off it is. I am currently using NEON 1.65.24.35 radio and is seams VERY close to my buddies Garmin (he's pissed cuz he bought a very expensive Garmin that made my Kaiser look cheap ).
Keep them coming, I want to find as many as possible so I can find the one that works best for what I'm doing. You guys are awesome for not giving me the usual "google it answer", That's awesome!
Sorry NEON for putting wrong radio info
My setup:
CacheMate (http://www.smittyware.com/ppc/cachemate/) to store information about the caches and to pinpoint the exact location of a cache. I usually build a pocket query and import the GPX file into CacheMate. When out cache-hunting I start off using Garmin (see below) and when I'm close to the cache I switch to CacheMate's compass window which tells me the distance and direction to the cache.
Garmin Mobile XT to locate the cache on a map. I've loaded Garmin with a map made for outoor life (i.e. not driving) that shows elevation, paths, swamps etc. What makes Garmin great for geocaching is that with a browser plugin you can send the location of a cache from geocaching.com directly to your Kaiser via the ActiveSync connection.
Hi
I had success caching with Tracky http://www.trackthisout.com/. It allows searches of nearby caches, you can download full page descriptions, and uses google maps. I found the GPS to be accurate enough. Sometime having an areal view can really help find the cache (Oh...THAT tree!). It takes a while to get used to, but once you have got it it does work really well.
It has been a bit buggy lately, but support is good. There is a free trial.

GPS voice software...

I have Google and WLS installed on my tilt, and i do like them. However, what options do i have for a GPS software that provides voice directions?
Not wanting to spend a bunch of money here, but if my options are limited, i would still like to hear them.
Thanks!
I use Tom Tom. It gives rather good turn by turn directions.
Hi,
I have tried TomTom V6 and V7 and also I-Go8.
All 3 are good products and these are my own 'key points':
TT6=Legal,out of date maps and won't get better.
TT7=Legally grey for the app ,but you can buy legal maps-which is what TomTom have always charged for-modern maps (01.08 if V7.20) and is likely to be so for a while yet.
I-Go8=Legal (but you may have to import it as it still is like hens teeth here)
,modern maps (01.08),likely to be supported.
TomTom (both)-basic interface,runs fast on older PDA (WM2003+),good routing.Instruction format=in 100m turn lef,turn left (at exactly the correct time),instructions at roundabouts are concise.
I-Go-'prettier' interface and possibly a little more powerful,3d landscape can be of use but 3d buildings are in my opinion a gimmick,a little slow on less powerful PDA,sound routing,shows the next 2 manoevers,with 3rd party skins easy to modify options.Instuction format=in 100m take the 3rd left,take the 3rd left about 30m from turn (this is the last instruction),display lags by about 1 second so this is logical.Instructions as you approach roundabouts are in my opinion a little verbose
Choices-I keep swapping between the two as they are both strong products and I can't really decide which is 'better'
Do they work-Yes
Are they up to date-tt6,no-tt7 yes,and I-go yes
Cheapest-TomTom
Nobody can give you a definitive answer on the 'best' software,so pay your money and learn to live with the foibles these programs all have.
Clear as mud?
Ashley
do you get the tomtom software if you buy an actual tomtom? I assume you cjust buy the disc, but does it come with the actual gps unit? My dad bought one ways back, and wondering if he got the software with it.
I think the s/w is hard wired into the TomTom devices,but can be updated by official downloads
Ashley
okay, i don't have a cd, but i do have North America maps which is what i want. So, that leads me to my question, is there some generic installer that gets the tomtom shell on the tilt phone?
I tried a few on the wiki page, and when i truy to install the exe, i get a message on the phone saying Incorrect Rom. So, i assume i need a cooked ROM on my phone to install the ones on the wiki.
I checked tomtom website, and see nothing.
I think you are starting to skate very close to discussing illeagal/unapproved software,please be very careful.
Ashley

To buy or not to buy? also, cool whip.

Hi, I'm a new member, but more of a lurker. I originally planned to buy a Hermes but after reading about all the hardware problems I decided to go for the Kaiser. My question is, are there any major problems with the Kaiser? I know of the ImageON driver issues, are there any other hardware or software issues?
I don't think there's any fundamental problem with the hardware. The 3 Mp camera is not great, but what do you expect of a camera on a phone?
There a lot of ROMs, official and cooked, you can choose one that suits you.
Mine works pretty well with the original WM 6.0 ROM or the HTC official 3.02 one. With more recent ROMs or radio firmware I have problems with GPS fix times and access to WiFi routers.
Thanks for the fast reply!
I'm sorry to ask this in the Kaiser forum, but would going for the Hermes be worse than the Kaiser? They're essentially the same, except that I've read of a lot of h/w problems on the Hermes.
Hermes is awful next to the Kaiser. I still have mine here, had to use it while my Kaiser was being repaired a few months ago and it was just a PITA. Slow as hell, deeply embossed and lower quality screen,... But I can't talk of hardware problems with it.
If you get a 2nd hand Kaiser, the important points you need to check is that 3G is working (early units had faulty 3G hardware that would fail after some time, but most should have been warranty-fixed by now), and that the USB port is not broken as some tend to break it by shoving the stylus in it instead of the storage place.
I guess I know which phone I'm going for thanks!
One more question! sorry lol, I know the Kaiser has A-GPS, do you have to pay for it? If I put TomTom on my Kaiser will I have to pay for using the assisted GPS?
Also, is CorePlayer working fine on the Kaiser, mainly with xvid/avi files?
A-GPS aka QuickGPS will want to download a small file off the internet at least once a week, be it through Wifi, Activesync or whatever else is available to get satellite data and allow for shorter times to first fix, that's all. And if you don't want to use it you're not forced to, it will just take a little longer to get a fix.
So nothing to pay, except if you decide to download that little file over GPRS where your data fees would apply.
Coreplayer works fine, I personally reencode my videos in 320x240 divx for viewing with it. Never really tried anything else for video.
Alright, thanks amigo!
kilrah said:
A-GPS aka QuickGPS will want to download a small file off the internet at least once a week, be it through Wifi, Activesync or whatever else is available to get satellite data and allow for shorter times to first fix, that's all. And if you don't want to use it you're not forced to, it will just take a little longer to get a fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AGPS is not the same thing as QuickGPS (though it took me ages to realise).
Quick GPS is what you describe and is generally considered to be worthwhile.
AGPS is similar, but it downloads more specific information which (I believe) is based on which phone masts you're near - and therefore should be even better for getting a good fix. The problems are A - It will cost money if you have to pay for your internet connection and B - apparently (though I've never used it) it will sometimes update the data while you're actually using GPS and as a result lose your fix while you're driving somewhere. A lot of people don't like AGPS at all.
dancj said:
AGPS is not the same thing as QuickGPS (though it took me ages to realise).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well.. it is in some way. The problem is that AGPS can be implemented in different ways up to different extents...
The first thing is what is mentioned above - downloading ephemeris data from the net instead of getting it directly from the satellites, which would require continuous link with each satellite for about 1 minute. First fix time is thus shortened as the data for 1 week is stored locally. This is what QuickGPS and SeaSGEE do.
The usual "Disable AGPS" in KaiserTweak / Advanced Config is a second thing. It switches to a different position calculation algorithm that is supposed to work better in low signal conditions, by extrapolating the movement at the time signal is lost and trying to guesstimate how it could evolve everytime some signal is received. But many people don't like that as it's only giving decent results in certain conditions like driving, and when walking, geocaching etc it does nothing more than giving wrong info.
What you mention by using cell towers and an internet database is also something that can be done under the AGPS naming, but AFAIK it's not implemented on the Kaiser.
It sounds like you know more about it than I do so I'll bow to your greater knowledge

Thinking about upgrading to a tilt, but questions

Im sure this will be easy for you guys. I have a 8125 now with live search on it. My question is if I upgrade to the tilt, is there a way I can use the gps without being charged? I would really appreciate the help. Thanks in advance
a gps don't use the phone it get signals from satellites
so it don't cost anything
but of cause if you use gmaps for navigation it will cost
but if you use tomtom or garmin program and maps you
don't even need a sim card in the phone
The Wizard is cool, but the Tilt...
Hi there,
I use Google Maps...if you pay your provider for internet access (like PDA Connect or MediaNet Unlimited...search on those if you don't know the truth!) then it won't cost you anything more.
There is a clause in the Google Maps program that says not to use it while moving, and I'm still unclear myself as to the exact reasons why, so at least be aware when you are doing something you're 'not supposed to' do...but it works just fine, is EASY to use, has broad general search capabilities, incorporates their Satellite View and practically real-time Traffic info.
If you do NOT pay for internet access (although I strongly suggest taking advantage of the 3G on the Tilt) you can use a 3rd party app like TomTom, Garmin and many others.
I also have DeLorme's Street Atlas 2007, but it does not support the GPS built into the Tilt, I have an external BT GPS for that.
The latest version of Street Atlas has...I believe...addressed that issue and should work fine.
And there are a TON of other GPS programs out there that have many subtle differences to suit whatever your needs are...search the Kaiser > Software Forum and you'll find people who love and hate almost every one of them available. Installing most of them on the SD is more efficient, but some are small enough to put in without one.
The Tilt also has Quick GPS that, when updated regularly, speeds up the satellite acquisition time for the GPS effectively...I usually get a lock within 10-15 seconds, but it does take longer on occasion. Quick GPS downloads info from the Net, so you would need access to utilize that function.
I too had a Wizard before the Tilt...and I liked it alot...but the 3G, the GPS, the 3MP Camera...and THIS FORUM!...have taken me to a point where I LOVE my Tilt, and...although I can 'upgrade' now to a Fuze...I don't think I can get a better phone without going outside my Provider Dealer (AT&T thru Hawk Electronics).
Search the Kaiser Forum for GPS, look specifically in the Software section and I think you'll find more than enough info to help you make your decision.
If you do make the switch, I'd keep the Wizard and start playing with Cooked ROMs and Software so you can get acquainted with the process. What you can do with the Tilt on this Forum is only limited by the time these guys have to tweak.
For what it may or may not be worth, my opinion is...get the Tilt!
Thanks guys, I plan on getting it and I have spb 3 so ill throw it on there right away

Categories

Resources