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To clear up any confusion that may exist, the JCB Pro-Smart does have GPS on board despite the spec sheet and some reviews making no mention of this.
We can confirm that we have tested the device with Google Maps having switched on the GPS and it acquired our position.
If you are anything like me you completely rely on the GPS signal you get from your phone for navigating. With smartphones now, the maps are up to date and live traffic information etc. is better than some in car solutions.
Taking this into consideration we have all had times where we have lost GPS signal at the worst time, or it takes time to lock on. With GPS receivers on smartphones now too beginning to use GLONASS as well this is improving to ensure our location is as accurate as possible, but Broadcom have just announced a new GPS chip that will be found on smartphones of the future and will be the chip we all want in our phones.
Well-established GPS software manufacturers CoPilot announced the release of a free GPS app at Mobile World Congress last week.
CoPilot GPS is a stripped down version of the popular CoPilot Live app that includes the usual route planning functions and locally stored maps so that you can use the app without a data connection. However, the app does not feature automatic route correction, turn by turn voice navigation, speed limit warnings or 3D maps, although you’ll be able to purchase these features in the app. It’s not clear yet whether you can purchase these features individually or whether it all comes as one upgrade. CoPilot note that this is not offered as an alternative to its paid CoPilot Live app
Do you think the lack of features will stop this competing with the excellent Google Navigation or Nokia Drive? Or do you think it can still stand up to the competition?
CoPilot GPS is expected to be released for android, iPad and iPhone this month
Source: CoPilot
All smartphones have GPS now, but those with GPS can access up to 27 satellites when in use, but in reality no more than about 4-5 are ever used because your phone can not access all the satellites due to your location.
A minimum of 3 is needed to get a good position and accuracy but the more the better and in built up areas and where more people are using GPS more demands are being put on the system so Qualcomm, the manufacturer of processors for smartphones have come up with a chipset that allows for a more accurate position to be gained using GPS and GLONASS, a Russian designed equivalent to GPS.
The Galaxy Note is one of the first UK devices to take advantage of GLONASS.
Therefore phones with the Qualcomm chipset will use either system and work together to determine your position. Therefore you may have access to 2 GPS and 2 GLONASS satellites to give you your position where in the past you may have had 3 or 4 GPS satellites.
The following video explains how the technology works in plain simply English. Well worth a watch and its is fantastic to see that even a mature system like GPS is still evolving.
Source: Qualcomm Via Androidandme
The following video demonstrates Nokia Drive for Windows Phone 7.
Nokia Drive is Nokia’s GPS mapping solution is equivalent to Goggle Maps or TomTom.
With optional downloadable (over WiFi) maps for 100 countries as well as full turn by turn instructions, this is a pretty serious mapping application that comes free on Nokia Windows Phone 7 handsets.
To ensure this is a global mapping solution Nokia over voice directions in over 50 different languages.
Layar is an incredibly interesting and rapidly developing application for mobile devices taking a spin on the ‘augmented reality’ concept fast becoming a hot term with developers. Once installed Layar uses the camera on your device coupled with GPS location information to provide details on the world around you and “shows you the things you can’t see” according to the strapline on the official website.
How this works is that when you hold up your device with Layar running, the application will mark points of interest, landmarks, restaurants, houses for sale etc. all in convenient ‘layers’ laid over the image on screen. There are hundreds of available layers that can be accessed through the main Layar app, many being region specific, that allows Layar to be a truly personal and customisable application. These layers can group similar information or offer specific interactive experiences based on location – all depending on the developer. For instance, the most recent article on Layar’s blog describes a layer developed for the Netherland’s theme park the ‘Efteling’ that provides a unique experience including interactive games when visiting.
| A layer created specifically for a particular festival can show locations to eat or buy merchandise |
Early Layar reviews from last year knocked the quality and detail of information provided however don’t let this put you off. The application can only be as strong as the database that powers it – so whilst Layar might not be able to inform you what time the karaoke starts at a back street bar in a hidden part of town (unless the owner is a part time mobile developer and Layar fan of course), things have vastly improved since then and Layar will provide more and more useful information and fun distractions as developers worldwide continue to support the project.
Layar is available for iPhone 3GS/4, Androids running 1.5+ and Nokia Symbian devices from the App Store, Android Market and Ovi Store respectively
Yes, this is part two of the review (part one HERE), and yes, it only covers GPS.
Why cover one narrow feature so early in the review, and why give it such a large focus? If you’re asking those questions, you’ve never been a Galaxy S owner. When I canvassed the tech forums finding out what people wanted to know about the SGSII, the question in the forefront of nearly everyone’s mind was “Is the GPS fixed?”
You see, the first Galaxy S had problems with its GPS, rather large problems as it happens. While it could get a lock in an adequate timeframe, albeit slower than nearly every GPS-enabled handset I’ve owned since the N95, it just couldn’t hold it well enough to be relied upon. As a consequence, navigation was a rather painful experience at times. This was particularly evident in areas with densely packed and winding streets – your position would jump from street to neighbouring street continuously, triggering route recalculations each time. The result? Garbage voice guidance, confusion, frustration. Trying to do GPS-based tasks like sports-tracking, or geocaching that require even more accuracy? Forget about it.
This is for all you fitness fanatics out there – www.theappwhisperer.com have compiled together Androids top ten biking Apps! The picture to the left is a screen shot of the popular biking app ‘B.iCycle’ which is arguably the top bike app out there on the market today. B.iCycle gives users accurate values for their current speed, average speed, maximum speed, total distance, trip distance, current altitude, climbed altitude, burned calories as well as the trip duration. With so many more features these apps are extremely handy for people that wish to push themselves to the limit; giving you endless accurate and useful feedback after every bike ride!
‘My Tracks’ is another useful and user friendly biking app that is similar to ‘B.iCycle’. My Tracks lets you record and share your GPS tracks and allows you to share statistics also. My Tracks can also be used whilst jogging and hiking as well as biking, it will use the GPS sensor in your Smartphone to record your path history. Once again it will record all the vital information that you require such as time, speed, distance and elevation. My Tracks allows you to view all your data live or you can opt to save it and view it at a later time. You can also mark relevant waypoints and select the option to hear automatic voice updates about your progress.
SOURCE – theappwhisperer
This review comes compliments of one of our regular followers on Twitter and Facebook, Tim Cooper aka @UKjeeper.
Highlights:
What is Viewranger?
Viewranger is a topographical (Ordnance Survey) map application for smartphones. Initially created for Symbian (Nokia) phones, but now expanded to Android and IOS devices.
I’ve been using Viewranger for about 4 years, on various devices including an Nokia N73, E90, N97 mini, N95, E71, E72, Samsung i8910, HTC Desire HD and Wildfire. My own devices, testing on work devices and or demonstrating it on friend’s devices (using the trial period software).
I do a lot of hiking, about 30 miles a week, plus trails like the Essex Way and St Peters Way, and I wanted to find a more up to date way of planning, tracking and recording my trails. I’d been using Memory Map on an old PDA, but just felt that it was lacking something.
Viewranger has brought me that. Although it may seem to be similar on the surface to Memory Map (both screens present an OS map with a red dot to show where you are) Viewranger has many more features and is more of a ‘stand alone’ product than Memory Map, which is reliant on a PC connection to add/export routes, maps, etc.
Viewranger’s features:
1) Routes on the device. You can create routes on the device, but is a bit fiddly placing the waypoints accurately on a capacitive screen due to big fat fingers, especially if the screen is small. It’s easier on a resistive screen with a stylus. However I think this is a fault of all mapping solutions, not just Viewranger’s. Fortunately it is easy to import routes into the device. I use Where’s the Path to plan my routes and load them into the phone. Another option is to use the built in route finder. You can search for routes near to where you are and Viewranger will list the ones in their database (which is what The Gadget Show did recently). Some routes are paid for, but have descriptions and guides, some are free and provided by other Viewranger users.
2) Maps are stored on the phone. A major advantage over web based mapping solutions (Google maps, etc). No concern about requiring a 3g connection to see the maps, and no concern about an expensive data connection. However, if you need additional maps (if you come to the edge of your installed maps) you do have the option of downloading them direct to the phone, but that will require a data connection, either Wifi or 3g. Also, Buddy Beacon, a locator feature of Viewranger requires a 3g connection, but only sends a tiny amount of data.
3) Record your track. Always been quite impressed with how well Viewranger manages to accurately position me via GPS. Maybe I just had phones with decent GPS chips, but my recorded trails have almost always been bang on. When I first got Viewranger I used to deliberately walk in small circles in Hatfield Forest just to try and confuse it. I failed! Exporting the tracks is fairly easy too. If you have enjoyed your walk, bike ride, etc you can even upload the .gpx file to Viewranger’s database so It can be browsed by others looking for places to walk.
4) Geotagging/Geocaching. I swear my memory is bad and getting worse. Fortunately it’s hard for me to forget places I walked to and sites I’ve seen as Viewranger has the ability to create POI’s (points of interest) that are saved at that location on the map. Either geotagged pictures or a simple mark on the map with a note. These POI’s can be exported. Similarly POI’s can be imported. This is very useful as I sometimes like to look for Geocache’s while out walking. I import the POI from geocaching.com and it shows on the map with (when you touch the icon) a distance to cache marker, and link to clues online). I preferred the interface of the stand alone Trimble app (when I used to use it) as it gave more options, but using Viewranger to find your cache works very well.
5) Panoramic view. Where I live in Essex, there’s not too much to see on this screen as it’s all a bit…flat, but it actually gives a 3d panoramic view of the area round you. It must be great in Scotland and Wales! It used to be a manual operation using a left and right key to rotate the panorama and a bit of a faff to line up with your heading, but now its tied into the phones compass (if you have one!) its so much better. Any nearby POI’s will be shown with their direction.
6) Buddy Beacon. Viewranger, as far as I know, is the only mapping software that has this option. Basically you can automatically (or manually) transmit your location to the internet. The most obvious advantage of this is that if you fail to return from your hike, bike ride, etc it makes it much easier to find you. Viewranger has ‘Buddy Beacon’ page, but it’s a bit lacking. All your beacons just appear as a disjointed jumble of dots. (however I have recently been told they’re refurbishing the site). A much better solution has been created the social hiking web page, joining all the dots into actual tracks so you can be followed by concerned parties. Both sites have a form of security if you have stalking concerns. Buddy Beacon requires a user name and pin, Social Hiking has the option to make the track ‘private’.
The other use for Buddy Beacon is to keep track of other people you may be out with. You can view each others location on your screens, so if you get separated it’s easy to find each other.
Oh and you can even track your dog, using a Retrieva Collar!
How Viewranger compares to other OS mapping applications or devices:
As I mentioned previously I have also used Memory Map on a PDA. In fact for a while I was the sad looking bloke walking across fields with a phone in either hand comparing the 2 different systems!
I also have had hands on with stand alone devices such as Garmin’s, SatMap, Memory Map, etc. But I have found them slow to use(except for the Memory Map units, clunky and lacking in the features found in Viewranger.
The advantages that the standalone units have over a Viewranger equipped device is that they are (usually) of a more rugged construction (drop an IPhone 4 on the rocks?!), waterproof, and with a much better battery life.
However, with protection such as an Otterbox or Aquapac and a battery pack such as the Proporta 3400, you’ll have negated those advantages. In 4 years of hiking I’ve yet to break a smartphone, either by dropping or water damage. Or you could choose a ruggedized, waterproof phone such as the Motorola Defy.
Minus points for Viewranger (my ‘niggles’):
As I said at the beginning, I’ve been using Viewranger for about 4 years. Up until last month solely on the Symbian platform. As such, now I’m using the Android version of Viewranger I’m finding it lacking. The menu options aren’t as comprehensive as the Symbian version, the interface not as polished. Useful items such as ‘night vision’ (a dimmed map screen with red tint) and shortcuts on the main screen aren’t on the Android version. Yet. Neither is the panoramic view.
But that’s because the Symbian version has had several years of development, user feedback and growth. The Android version is less than a year old and is being updated with improvements frequently. If you were coming to Viewranger as a new user straight to the Android version, you’d be perfectly happy with the simpler layout and menu options. Conversely its been said that the Symbian version is too complicated (but I like it).
Also, I have found battery life on the Android OS to be less well managed than on Symbian, so you may need to invest in a battery pack for longer trails
Conclusion:
At the end of the day you are going to take your phone with you when you go out. With Viewranger loaded you’ll also have all your maps with you too.
Android Screenshots:
Symbian Screenshots:
Below is an unboxing video of the HTC Wildfire from unboxings.com. The Wildfire is the forthcoming Android device from HTC. IT has been dubbed the ‘mini Desire’ due to its similar form factor and features. The features of the Wildfire at a glance are:
To read more or to Pre-order the HTC Wildfire from Clove, click here.