Google Navigator (Download maps Manually) - Android Apps and Games

Hello I have google navigator from: http://pdafun.net/
It works by downloading the map data and storing it until you wish to delete it.
I was wondering if it was possible to download the map data manually before hand while I am using wifi because I do not have an unlimited data plan and don't want to download the data while I'm driving.
Thanks!

You can share your inet connection from pc with your PDA (using Win 7 and WM6.5, maby works on other systems). Therefore simply connect your pda using Win Mobile Device Center. Ones you are connected run Google Navigator and select the download area. Worked by me...
...Sorry for my English

Would anyone specify this a bit more accurately? I can't seem to find any options on X10 Mini, like specify map/place or area to download fully...
Or suggest a better GPS software.
I tried IGO 8.4 - lags like hell,
tried Navigon - does't seem to have any problem so far, just don't know it yet,
tried sygic - I waited ages to find a satellite... maybe 10 minutes? nonsense
Well Google navigation found signal the fastest way, that's wy I thinking about that...

Related

GPS W/O using internet??

is this possible? because i don't have the add on plan for the internet, is there a program that lets u do this? any help would be great thanks in advance..
GPS does not require an internet connection to work.
You need to purchase or "obtain" mapping software that is compatible with your device. For example, AT&T ships the Tilt with their internet-based TeleNav software, but I purchased and installed TomTom Navigator 6. TomTom will use the built in GPS receiver instead of your phone's data connection.
filo4u said:
is this possible? because i don't have the add on plan for the internet, is there a program that lets u do this? any help would be great thanks in advance..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any program that stores the maps on the device will work without Internet connection. E.g. TomTom. You can use other GPS utilities such as GPSTuner, GPSTest, VisualGPS, etc without requiring data service. If you want to use Googlemaps you will definitely need a data service.
thanks guys for all your help i was using Googlemaps thats why it wouldn't work
Try Earthcomber.com... for no cost GPS
I tried it and is great if you load all the maps you need while you have access to WiFi (no cost). I loaded all of California easily on my 2gig SD card. Then went out and used it and it works great. There can be cost if you want real time directions and need to hook up to the internet via your carrier or if you want to use Earthcomber other services like where is the nearest pizza place.
If you get directions before you leave and have access to WiFi, you can't beat the price... free to enjoy.
So I use Earthcomber, Google Maps, and VisualGPSce.
Another piece of info or tip... if you're ever in need of free WiFi on the road, try parking your car outside the office check-in at some well known hotels. You can get lucky quite often with an open network or easy to figure entry. Just be aware that if you can do it, not so nice people can too. I've done it to send a quick email or quick directions in a pinch.
Preload Google Maps
filo4u said:
thanks guys for all your help i was using Googlemaps thats why it wouldn't work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if it's working, but there's a thread here on xda-developers about saving google maps to storage card...maybe it's also interesting for you...
ok i've installed tomtom but maps aren't up to date how would i update maps because with my tomtom device i can just plug it in and it will run the updates
well if you want traffic updates then most likely you will need an Internet connected
tomsenna said:
I tried it and is great if you load all the maps you need while you have access to WiFi (no cost). I loaded all of California easily on my 2gig SD card. Then went out and used it and it works great. There can be cost if you want real time directions and need to hook up to the internet via your carrier or if you want to use Earthcomber other services like where is the nearest pizza place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just tried getting Earthcomber to work on my Tilt. I have the software loaded, but for some reason the GPS isn't working and I can't seem to access the maps. It did a auto search for my GPS and it looked like it found it.
Any words of wisdom? Did you run into any problems? Seems like an interesting product. Also, does it work similarly to Helio's buddy beacon? I'm trying to become a bit more familiar with this software.
Thank you!
devonian69 said:
I just tried getting Earthcomber to work on my Tilt. I have the software loaded, but for some reason the GPS isn't working and I can't seem to access the maps. It did a auto search for my GPS and it looked like it found it.
Any words of wisdom? Did you run into any problems? Seems like an interesting product. Also, does it work similarly to Helio's buddy beacon? I'm trying to become a bit more familiar with this software.
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you might try running gps test first thats what dutty recomends before runninng gps with all his roms.
A little more info...
I didn't have any problems. If you leave more specific info, I'd be more than happy to help. One thing you can start with, aside from the previous response given to you, take a look at which com port it is using. Go to options,settings, then gps tab.
devonian69 said:
I just tried getting Earthcomber to work on my Tilt. I have the software loaded, but for some reason the GPS isn't working and I can't seem to access the maps. It did a auto search for my GPS and it looked like it found it.
Any words of wisdom? Did you run into any problems? Seems like an interesting product. Also, does it work similarly to Helio's buddy beacon? I'm trying to become a bit more familiar with this software.
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tomsenna said:
I didn't have any problems. If you leave more specific info, I'd be more than happy to help. One thing you can start with, aside from the previous response given to you, take a look at which com port it is using. Go to options,settings, then gps tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its set on Com 4 4800 baud and 1 min (I've played with the baud and comb freq).
The GPS icon turns yellow. Which it says means that it found the gps device but hasn't received a location. I just used google maps and it found my location. I updated the QuickGPS as well - no love there.
I have the Chicago area maps downloaded and got those to show up. I have also restarted the phone a few times just in case. I have the program installed on the device with the maps and data on the MicroSD card. I have run the updater a few times as well. Should I uninstall it and give another go?
Thanks for taking the time to help!
Jim
using Tomtom map data, searching for tomtom software for PPC (kaiser) then last thing in mind to ..... do another searching for unlock the map code.. .. then here we go !!!! - fogot the GPS devices !!!!! (throw them away!!!) . Never pay single cent for data package to provider for google map ect...ect...
Be aware that : US-map data costs 1.2gb in storage. If you wanna play GPS around US, get 2gb micro SD ready !!!
I'm been done with this stuff (took me a lot of time to searching....) and got the excellent GPS in my tilt in result. Good deal !
So close...
Starting fresh often works, so give that a try. I do remember that I got a yellow gps icon at one point but that went away, not sure why. I assume it was just a satelite coverage issue. I think you're almost there. Have you tred VisualGPS or the GPS Test to see if you're getting sufficient satelite coverage?
devonian69 said:
Its set on Com 4 4800 baud and 1 min (I've played with the baud and comb freq).
The GPS icon turns yellow. Which it says means that it found the gps device but hasn't received a location. I just used google maps and it found my location. I updated the QuickGPS as well - no love there.
I have the Chicago area maps downloaded and got those to show up. I have also restarted the phone a few times just in case. I have the program installed on the device with the maps and data on the MicroSD card. I have run the updater a few times as well. Should I uninstall it and give another go?
Thanks for taking the time to help!
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Better GPS Navigation Software

Hello xda-developers
I was wonder why there isn't a better GPS navigation software for Windows Mobile cellphones (more preferably a newer one like the HTC Touch Pro)?
There is Google Maps which is fantastic but it has two shortcomings:
1. Doesn't have any sort of voice guidance
2. Doesn't reroute when you get off your path.
I've also found Google Navigator but after installing the trial version I found it to be very buggy and hasn't been updated for a few months now. Also costs $60! For that cost I can just go ahead an buy a dedicated GPS for about $40 more.
So I ask: Is there anything better in the works? Possibly an open(!) source project? Or a better presented and cheaper solution?
the best navigation software aren't free.. but there are workarounds obviously
try tomtom, or igo i love them
or try nav4all... free until 2010 and turn by turn voice direction
Hm Navi4all didn't seem to want to get any GPS sats, also seemed slow.
Nav N Go (IGo?) seems to be a european only product?
Tomtom looks like it might be worth its salt though
IGo is not European only...there is a North America version.... I love IGo after being turned on to it by a friend of mine (who also helped me with my first flash ---- props to Kareem9NBA).... text to voice, easy interface.
Before that, I used INav which I loved.....
I personally love tomtom. and its free if you know where to find it.
I'd go for Igo. I am from Europe and it has really good data even in eastern european countries, but TomTom is really good too. I think you should compare these two and just use the one that's faster/better for you.
Remember, we have PHONES that have GPS and you can't expect them to work like a GPS-only device. It's the same with the camera - no camera-phone performs as well as a standard digital camera (not even mentioning SLRs) and no GPS enabled phone will ever work as well as a GPS-only device. Correct me if I'm wrong.
...
I dunno....Garmin Mobile XT works pretty damn well on my fuze. My friend has a dedicated garmin and mine can do more than his can cause our phones have internet access.
And with the update to Garmin from their website, the POI database is just about never out of date - it includes a Google Search function to look up points of interest.
navigon ( http://www.navigon.com/site/de/de/products/navigation_software/windowsmobile_pda )
is excelent like tomtom - you have the possibility to check before you buy it (30 days)
+1 for Igo8 (from the company Nav N Go). European company, but when you use NavTeq's USA maps, works perfect.
Advantages are real TTS (Text to Speech) (i.e., speaks actual street names), 3D buildings in major cities, ability to add POI databases, logos show onscreen for POIs, etc.
A dedicated GPS does work a bit better. But how often do you have that in your pocket when you need it on the spur of the moment???
Depends on what works best for your phone really. Some programs will lag on one persons phone and then not lag at all on anothers....from what I've read around the forum anyway. I've tried a lot of GPS software and I can tell you that...
Garmin Mobile XT has a great UI and excellent maps. Very easy to use and works. Only problem is GPS lag (shows me about 200ft behind my actual position).
TomTom works great. I don't think the UI is anywhere nearly as nice as Garmin's or as user-friendly. But I hardly get any GPS lag using TomTom and if you can keep the maps updated then you should be just fine. This is what I use now.
I've tried IGO8 and Amigo. Amigo wouldn't find the built-in GPS on my phone but looked pretty nice. I didn't get a chance to test it out much because it wouldn't work, sadly....and I didn't feel like trying to make it work lol. IGO8 is great if you can get the right version. I think I had the EU version because I couldn't change KM/hr to M/hr and I was thoroughly annoyed by that. IGO8 did give a little lag, but not as bad as it was with Garmin. What turned me away from IGO was that damn KM/hr thing. I looked up how to fix it for a grand total of half an hour before I gave up and deleted it lol.
All that being said, I like TomTom. I would absolutely 100% delete TomTom and go with Garmin if I didn't experience the lag. It's just that annoying to me. But if you don't experience lag with Garmin I'd go with that.
another vote for igo
used tomtom on my wizard but I really like the UI on IGo on my serra, the custom skins that are available and the use of a sys.txt to set up a lot of preferences in the software. Lots of web resources out there for these things.
used EU and US mapping and found them both to be very good
you can add POI's in google earth kml format and the software converts them at start up - very handy but large numbers of POI's can course the software to have slow response times at start up
Does anyone use their GPS without a data connection ie: using stored maps? I tried to mess around with mgmaps for a few days but never got it to work.
eimerej77 said:
Does anyone use their GPS without a data connection ie: using stored maps? I tried to mess around with mgmaps for a few days but never got it to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IGO will work without data connection (flight mode on). Obviously, you need to have the program AND maps on your phone. Tomtom will not do the same. Even though it does not need any data connection, it will not establish GPS connection in flight mode. It will work if you turn data or cell radio on, even if there is no connection available (i.e. another country). Not sure about other programs.
Hope that helps.
Mike
yeah perfect. I skipped the data plan (use the nodata cab), so I just use wifi when I can and was trying to find a way to get gps on the road, storing the maps on my micro sd card. I'll look in to it!
doctajay said:
I personally love tomtom. and its free if you know where to find it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup... and yup
Where is TomTom free?
Hello,
Can anyone please let me know where I can find free TOMTOM Software/maps to download to my touchpro?
Thanks
Satish
Warez is not allowed on xda.
TomTom looks interesting however I don't think Navigator 7 has any USA maps (but their Navigator 6 does). Seems to be a product tailored more towards the European crowd

[REQ] Google Maps offline

Hi,
as I don't have mobile internet flat, but the manila contact tab does link someone's adress just to google maps,
I wondered whether there is some kind of offline google maps -
not satellite pics, just map and the ability to just download what you need ;-)
I found several applications, but just for other OS, not win-mo:
http://www.symbian60.mobi/2008/03/17/google-maps-karten-offline-benutzen/ (German, but you can use translators..)
http://www.joesonic.com/blog/2008/04/14/google-maps-offline-for-iphone/
http://www.mgmaps.com/cache/
best regards,
Buembel
P.s.: it would also be ok if someone found out how to link these adresses with another program as tomtom ;-)
mgmaps is actually java. there's a detailed tutorial on how to get it to work in winmo and how to download maps. It's a tedious process imo and it too kme something like weeks to finish downloading all road maps (with zoom up till level 18) for Singapore which is a very small country and not to mention when roads do change and you need to go though the whole process again?
It's gonna be wayy easier to use vector drawn maps like garmin or tom tom.
Yeah, just go with TomTom, iGO, etc.. Storing the Google Map data would take a LOT of storage space.
Hi folks,
Sorry if this sounds a bit rude Lately I have been seeing a lot of responses which digress from the intial post!
In this particular post, Buembel is asking for an offline Google Map solution. I am sure if he wanted TomTom, IGO, etc, he would have asked for GPS navigation.
The poster even went to the extent of doing some research on the topic and gave relevant links.
If anyone can help him in the quest, do so, else PLEASE DO NOT reply with other stuff.
Now coming back to the original post. Can anyone help port these apps for Windows Mobile?
MGMaps is not bad at all. It all depends on how much of the map and zoom levels you want for offline viewing. I build multiple cities with a 14-17 zoom. Play with it a little and you will get a hang of it. Between these 3 links I think you should get a fair idea of how to use it
http://forum.mgmaps.com/viewtopic.php?t=1816
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=351001
http://forum.mgmaps.com/viewtopic.php?p=9929
It would take an incredible amount of memory to store all of GoogleMaps maps onto the phones device memory.and that the only way you gonna access it off line, like in garmin or tomtom you have to actually save the maps to your phone or SDcard memory.
Even then, using a third party solution (i.e. mgmaps) doesn't provide the Manila link-in the OP clearly referenced.
run.gps gives you the option of specifying a directory to download maps, but I couldn't figure out how to use the onboard maps instead of the internet.
Of course, I didn't spend much time reading, either.
JJ
you can try this program:
http://www.terracrosser.com/
You download on your PC home maps that interest you, move on to the ppc and see offline using the integrated gps of the phone.
I have used in different circumstances and for me it's ok.
Moved to Questions & Answers, as this is not software currently in development.
I have tried mgmaps but they didn't work well on my VGA screen. Terracrosser is quite tedious for me so I uninstalled it. looking forward to have a similar for myself as well.
rspillo said:
you can try this program:
http://www.terracrosser.com/
You download on your PC home maps that interest you, move on to the ppc and see offline using the integrated gps of the phone.
I have used in different circumstances and for me it's ok.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That looks good. I'll play with it over the weekend.
JJ
I've never tried it but OSMTracker will download tiles from OpenStreetMap.com for offline use.
PDA Tilemanager could be used in conjuction with this to make the downloading quicker and easier.
I downloaded terracrosser and am downloading zoom levels 17/18/19 for Branson, MO. It will be nearly 10GB of and 350000 (yes 350 thousand) images.
JJ
Tracky and do what you want and currently it is available for 20% discount
why is it that when I click on terracrosser on my phone it never loads it? I soft reset many times, no idea what going on. I have installed many apps but this has never happened.
Any ideas?
It loads on my htc diamond, but it's very slow. If I remember correctly, I had to soft reset to close it.
JJ

Share GPS Over USB

Hi
I know we can share our internet connection over USB, but is it possible to do the same with the GPS. I was wondering as I was thinking about using it in a CarPC.
Cheers
Great idea
some more gps questions...
maybe someone can answer mine aswell
me said:
Im thinking of buying the newly announced Acer Stream android phone
Im new to the android idea so A few things i dont understand:
i want to use gps in some special cases a few times a year,
other than that i want just to be able to view maps on my device,
no need for turn-by-turn navi, i dont need : after 1km turn left , follow the road,
can i just view maps 2d maps and my position for free?(excluding the price of the map being downloaded from the web)
cann i store G maps on the phone? donwload them when im in a wifi zone, for example a map of a country?
-if im in a area where there is no 3G or connection can i still use the gps function? Can i lock a position and then see it on the blank map?
What about some longitude and latitude numbers and then it shows me the direction and how far is it?
-do i get a compass?
Or would nokia n8's Ovi maps suite my needs better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bumppppppp
market: sharegps
market: sharegps
I love this tool: this is an essential one
Yeah except it's Bluetooth, not USB. Anyone else figured out how to tether you tablet with android phone for GPS?
you can use BlueNMEA to share over USB:
http://git.snow-crash.org/?p=blue-nmea.git;a=blob_plain;f=README

copilot vs navigon vs iGo vs Sygic Aura vs ndrive

Which is the best and why?
Please post feature set and what sets it apart from the crowd.
No one?
10char
sygic maps is my fav, supports speed camera warnings and good support, but sgyic aura is smoother fps but might use more battery as it uses 3d but deffo like aura
I only tryed ndrive, its amazing, very acurate and fast! the only thing i didn't like about ndrive was that it always tell's you not too turn at intersections (even in an highway when exist an exit, it tells you tkeet left(so you dont exit)).
didn't try the other tho..
sory for my english
It all depends on what country you are in. Generally, based on my experience in US, I would go with navigon. It shows animated alternate routes at start, it has the best lane assistance and junction view i have ever seen in any device.
The other thing to look for is your device. If you have a low end device, then Navigon will be sluggish, Sygic Aura wont work as it requires 3d acceleration, then you best bet would be co-pilot or i-Go.
I am in the US and am using a samsung galaxy s Vibrant.
I have tried navigon but the position jumps around compared to copilot.
I have heard good reviews of ndrive, sygic, and iGo.
I tried to download the free trial of sygic aura, but found maps needed to be downloaded by the state on the phone itself, which would take a long time. Does anyone know a way to download maps on the pc and transfer to phone?
...........
Has no one used iGo? I found there are 3 versions.
Myway, amigo and motonav. Which is the best?
Copilot my fav one, I'm in the US.
copilot directions are a bit quiet? where are the sound files stored, and is there a way to amplify the directions volume?
A buddy of mine has. Igo gas and I think its great.. I use copilot, I have a garmin and a tomtom.
Copilot needs a serious improvement in the POI department otherwise I'm happy!
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App
I'm in UK and use co-pilot. Quite happy with it except the traffic subscription which is basically crap! All it does it tell you "traffic incident reported". You have to manually look at where the traffic incident is, what the incident is, avoid it, etc. I've previously used tomtom for WM and on that traffic was brilliant!
Anybody knows a better navigation system on Android with working traffic updates in UK?
I would LIKE to try Sygic Aura on my Epic (Galaxy S) but just a single small map file for my state alone is taking over 2 hours to download. What a joke! I would need maps for at least 8 states in the U.S. for this to be useful to me, and it would take forever to download them all. I too would like to know if there is any way to download the maps other than via the phone, and then transfer them to the phone. Is it possible?
I too am 30% into a 511MB download of maps for my Samsung Galaxy S!
This Sygic look promissing, but thank God they give 7 days trial, its going to take longer than that to get the maps on!
i use IGO and i'm content with it
currently using copilot as backup to google nav/telanav (aka sprint nav) when I don't have a data connection in the boonies. Copilot lacks detailed maps and live traffic reports, but it works decent as a stand alone nav when i'm in a crunch without data signal.
I use iGo also. I think it is very good
Sent from my X8 using XDA App
I use Copilot and it always gets me where I need to go I also tried Sygic but the graphics was very choppy.
SPElectronics said:
I would LIKE to try Sygic Aura on my Epic (Galaxy S) but just a single small map file for my state alone is taking over 2 hours to download. What a joke! I would need maps for at least 8 states in the U.S. for this to be useful to me, and it would take forever to download them all. I too would like to know if there is any way to download the maps other than via the phone, and then transfer them to the phone. Is it possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Open the database.xml file in aura's SD directory, you'll see all URLs for every file. You can then transfer them to your SD. Download one map so you have the proper folder to place the rest.
I use Sygic Aura in Europe and USA (Florida) - In Florida aura works a bit strange - at intersections with right turn lane Auea suggests often always turn left turn, followed by driving back...
Navigon: micro-review
I've tried them all since my time with Nokia. Eye candies were very important to me so my favorites were Sygic products. I also used Co-pilot on Android for a short time but I could not trust its route computations every times.
Now I favor efficiency and use Navigon MobileNavigator on a Samsung Galaxy S (i9000) (Europe maps).
I like it because:
it is easy to operate with one hand while you keep an eye on the road. Functions are never more than 2 clicks away
it proposes most of the time 2-3 alternative routes to drive from A to B. Goes with the shortest if you don't answer
it uses real-time traffic info to compute or re-compute routes
the 3D-view is optimum: nice gfx (imho), not too simple, not too complex
adding nearest POIs of interest to your route while driving requires minimum effort and distraction from the road above
it loads/updates all maps of Europe in 20 mins from my WLAN, including ALL speedcams. No computer required
it tells you to turn WHEN it is time to turn
route computations are very accurate (way better that Sygic products)
adding your own POIs is simple
I do not like:
Navigon's website that do not show any user manual for Android
the menu system could be better. Still, it is easy to operate while driving as it requires minimum reading for most operations, except settings
a price tag that can feel too high. But in the end, I found it worth every cent
The enhanced reality feature on the latest version seems interesting but my Galaxy does not look "straight ahead" at the road.
I would like to see a function to mirror the display so that I could use it when it reflects in my windshield in front of me.
Good luck! I hope this helps
ghostrid3r said:
currently using copilot as backup to google nav/telanav (aka sprint nav) when I don't have a data connection in the boonies. Copilot lacks detailed maps and live traffic reports, but it works decent as a stand alone nav when i'm in a crunch without data signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I am using it for the same reason. (; I think Co-pilot is alright. Gets me where I need to go and fast rerouting and all without data connection.

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