Hi, i hope you can help?
Is it possible to have pre installed maps on my Android Wildfire?
It seems to me these days that there is a push to have everything done online, no longer to have anything on your device its self, not even backed up. but you have to rely on having a stable and sometimes expensive 3g Internet connection to do or have anything. a bit like cloud computing, a concept i hope will nether catch on.
Anyway, rant aside, i used to have a Nokia phone, some years back which had GPS with navigation maps already loaded on the phone, the benefit of that was all you needed was to connect to the satellite, there was no need to download the maps every time you needed to use them, they were already there on the phone. so no need for Internet.
Now the GPS navigation will not work unless you have a stable 3g connection. it seems to me to be a significant step backwards, not evolution but devolution.
The GPS is in regular cases unusable on the Android phone.
So my question is can i download the maps from somewhere to install, make them ready for use on the phone to make the GPS navigation reliable?
Many thanks
Never mind, i found what i was looking for http://www.sygic.com/
Les1976 said:
Never mind, i found what i was looking for http://www.sygic.com/
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That app looks cool. There are also a few apps in the market that are really good. One of them is CoPilot. My wife used it on her phone before we put a data plan on her phone and she was happy with it.
Related
Ok, maybe you guys can help here. I have quite a bit of experience with Windows Mobile phones (had an 8525, upgraded to a custom ROM, unlocked SIM/CID, etc), so that's what level of experience you're working with.
Now, I just picked up the Fuze, very cool phone! However, I'm wondering the following about GPS:
1. Is it available in this phone (i.e. AT&T didn't disable it).
2. I want to do GPS. I don't have a data plan. I DO have wi-fi. I DON'T want to be charged money. Is this possible?
Thanks in advance! The questions were probably asked elsewhere, but I looked around a bit and everything else looked way above these questions, which hopefully are pretty simple to answer...
i have the same question...
I know the Fuze has GPS, and i followed the steps on THIS link, but it doesnt seem to work, the GPS Test, never seems to finish looking for satelites, and when i go to Google Maps, it keeps "seeking GPS satelites"
GPS is available on the Fuze and it's independent of any data plan. All you need is some program that can access the GPS.
However, getting the GPS to work seems to be flakey at best. I tested mine briefly but wasn't able to get a signal lock. Need to do some more testing.
The GPS on my Fuze works great. First you should run Quick GPS and it will use the wifi to download the current GPS satellite locations. Then you should use google maps, you have to goto google maps menu and say 'use gps' then just go stand outside somewhere where theres no much tree coverage and wait for awhile (for the first time, now that I've done it once the GPS starts working in 10 seconds or so) Then you will start to pick up the gps satellites. I'm not sure how great it will be without a data plan... it uses the data plan to download the map info. Hopefully your wifi works out side.
cladeus101 said:
The GPS on my Fuze works great. First you should run Quick GPS and it will use the wifi to download the current GPS satellite locations. Then you should use google maps, you have to goto google maps menu and say 'use gps' then just go stand outside somewhere where theres no much tree coverage and wait for awhile (for the first time, now that I've done it once the GPS starts working in 10 seconds or so) Then you will start to pick up the gps satellites. I'm not sure how great it will be without a data plan... it uses the data plan to download the map info. Hopefully your wifi works out side.
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What about using something like Garmin or TomTom's software? Would that work without a data plan, and without the need for wi-fi?
I use Garmin without a data plan and it works great. I installed it first thing after I got my GPS and didn't do anything to get it to work. The GPS on my FUZE worked out of the box like it should.
I'm using Google Maps without a data connection (don't have one and don't want one). I've installed GPS Test to activate the GPS chip. When I turn wifi off, Google Maps starts acting flakey.
A few questions:
Does the Google maps .cab actually load the map detail to my device?
Here's my big question:
Is is possible for me to drive around and watch my progress with just the GPS chip and Google Maps (or Window Live Search)? If not, the GPS seems useless to me, correct?
Thanks
Both programs require data connection for use. If you want gps software that does not require data connection try tom tom for pocket pc.
So I need to spend $100 more to make any use of the GPS while on the road? Is there anything it's useful for without a data plan or additional software?
alpruss said:
So I need to spend $100 more to make any use of the GPS while on the road? Is there anything it's useful for without a data plan or additional software?
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Considering that there is no software on the world that fulfills your wishes regarding GPS I'd say that yes, there is nothing useful without a data plan or aditional software.
In hungary for example HTC TP is sold together with IGO8. If you'd get one of those TP's then yes, you would have had a TP which did not require anything to work as you want it.
At least yours gets signal. I just got a FUZE yesterday and TomTom 6 wont grab freakin signal... Nor will LIVE Maps... It sucks!
Have you installed GPS test? This piece of software seems to activate the GPS chip in your phone. I would be curious to know if TomTom works after running this.
alpruss said:
Have you installed GPS test? This piece of software seems to activate the GPS chip in your phone. I would be curious to know if TomTom works after running this.
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I just posted this thread... I found a tool that seemed to do just that...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=461786
Is that the one you are refering to?
Yep, that's the one, GPSTest. It was all I needed to activate my chip.
Are you saying I could install TomTom 6 now and be able to do what I originally wanted to do from my first post?
Thats what im doing now.... gunna test it later today...
Do you have a link for the TomTom product you are using?
It's just TomTom Navigator 6.... I bought it a while back for my Tilt...
Nah, forget it. If I have to shell out $100+ more to load up and slow down my fuze, I'm not interested. Might as well buy an actual TomTom or Garmin device with better functionality for less. Very disappointing that the GPS chip seems to be absolutely useless to me...
There are already other GPS threads, TomTom, Igo, Google Maps, Windows Maps, etc threads. Not need for this one. Thread closed. Please don't open redundant threads.
I am curious, but the only way I can think of to ask this question is to provide an example or two, so bear with me.
You decide you need directions. Fire up Google maps, click my location and it says you need to enable data...DOH!, back out to the menu (or follow the prompt), enable either GPS or Data, and go back into maps. Get what you need, and then leave Maps. Dont forget to turn the GPS or Data back off!
Wouldnt it be better if when you enter Google Maps, it would fire up the GPS or Data connection automatically? And when you back out or have a period of inactivity, disable it.
Same thing with the internet, I know Locale and others can turn on and off the wifi depending on where you are, but, for example, when I am home I rarely need wifi. However, when I open the internet it would be great if it looked for a friendly wifi signal and tried to connect if possible. That way you are always connecting the fastest possible method for your application and doing the least amount of work. If the disconnect would be an issue (since none of the programs has an exit button) maybe a variable timer could be set, or maybe base it off of inactivity.
Like I said, they are just ideas, and I have never understood why nobody (WM for example) has ever implemented anything like this. It seems like it would help conserve battery power and at the same time greatly simplify things.
When you put the G1 to sleep it shuts off the wifi connection automatically, then when you turn it back on, it reconnects to the network if you're still near it.
I have always wondered why Google Maps doesn't turn on GPS when it needs it. It does on the iPhone as far as I know. I have really wanted this to happen for awhile but I just figured Google would be the ones to add it.
rascal00 said:
I have always wondered why Google Maps doesn't turn on GPS when it needs it. It does on the iPhone as far as I know. I have really wanted this to happen for awhile but I just figured Google would be the ones to add it.
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Yeah I wonder why also, maybe they were in a rush or some battery issue. also iphone doesn't have gps just the cell location I usually keep that on.
I want to say I love this site and have learned alot. I have tried for quite a time to get GPS to work on the xv6700, tho it seems much disinformation has been spread as far as a GPS being within. I have torn down this phone to see for myself if the MSM6500 was in this, which it is. Therefore I believe it does have this ability. I recently installed a program called WPS by Skyhook, which is a Wireless Positioning System. Now just a footnote; my phone has no carrier, I only use it for surfing the internet with wifi. To utilize WPS the site tells me I would need an active internet connection, however it stills works with no connection!!! It seems as if I have gotten the internal gps to wake up. I use Open Mobile Maps and it works excellent. I pickup satellites with Google Maps just to test at home (so far as many as 10 satellites). Can somebody else please duplicate this to verify exactly what is going on here? I just want to emphasize that this is with NO CONNECTION to ANYTHING!!!
I just got my g2x and installed EagleBlood on it immediately.
But I noticed there wasn't a stock GPS app?
Is it broken?
If not, what GPS app do you use (that uses the GPS signal since I don't have a data plan)
EggRoll53 said:
I just got my g2x and installed EagleBlood on it immediately.
But I noticed there wasn't a stock GPS app?
Is it broken?
If not, what GPS app do you use (that uses the GPS signal since I don't have a data plan)
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Not quite understanding your question? Did you download Google Maps from the market...?
mackster248 said:
Not quite understanding your question? Did you download Google Maps from the market...?
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Does it have turn by turn GPS?
Do I need wifi or does it use the GPS signal thingy.
Google Maps has turn by turn navigation, but it uses data to load the maps. You'll have to find an app that downloads the maps entirely to the phone if you want to use navigation without data, and they're most likely expensive. Not to mention it'll take up a LOT of space on your phone's memory.
I believe what he's looking for is the navigation app (separate from google maps). I think you may have to install google maps first. Never really looked into this before. Might have to check out google mobile. Gotta eat dinner, then i'll take a look into it if nobody else has by then.
EDIT: Ok, yeah, according to Google, all ya gotta do is download google maps and navigation comes with it. If you don't have a data plan, then yeah, you gotta download maps and get a pricey navigation app (that i'm aware of)
Try CoPilot Live. Turn by turn directions. Loads the maps onto your phone. It can be done state by state or the whole U.S. It does take about a gig to load the U.S. It is the best GPS program I have used. Much better then Google maps does not need a data connection and does not constantly loose the GPS signal like Google Maps/Navigator.
Navigation by Google works wonders. Needs a data connection at first to cache route but then its good.
It downloads all layers and surrounding areas around your route if you get off track. Also grabs POI info along the way.
I tested it on a recent trip and was impressed. Had Airplane mode on the whole way after it synced up.
I've used iGO in the past. Still got a copy that I've never touched in years since Google maps.
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