Hey, might be a very limited market, but I was wondering if anyone knew, or could code an app that overlays the video camera (or is its own video camera) with GPS information.
In theory it shouldn't be too hard to do, poll the GPS for speed, the compass for direction and stick them at the bottom of a video overlay along with the system date and time on top of the camera, then record the total image/video to the SD card.
I got thinking about this after picking up my car dock and having a play around with it (inadvertently managing to record a drivers eye view of my journey home!). It would be a great app for trackdays etc, you could even output the GPS NMEA data to a KMZ file and import it into google earth, or given some fine tuning make it into a very basic GPS data logger...
Anyways, thinking out loud here If anyone can do it let me know, I can code basic stuff, but something like that is way out of my league...
Cheers
Sounds like a nice application. To take it even further: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgXzdUb_fug I think this is an even greater use of camera + gps.
The only thing about making it into an augmented reality nav system is that it will still require mapping information, and the prob with that is that the free ones have pretty mad amounts of errors, and the paid ones need megabux spending (and they still have loads of errors).
With my idea, it's not an A/R system - it's simply a video overlay of info that's already in the phone. The major problem I see would be polling it, interpreting it, and writing it to the video at 30fps or whatever the unit captures at.
I do like that app tho, but it's not really what I envisaged with this
So you want to record a video similar to this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdAIaIOySoA for afterwards playback only? If so, I think this is possible only to store video + gps information in seperate files. The recorded video will be recorded as a normal video. The gps data can be stored using a kmz file with a sort of timestamp. Afterwards these 2 files can be played back with a application on the android device which reads these two files and overlays the video playback with the data from the kmz file.
I guess it will be to hard to create an application that records video and embeds the recorded gps data into the recorded video. Maybe someone with more knowledge of the android API can say something about this?
yep, got it in one... Although it would be for playback on the PC rather than on the phone.
The standard format is .3GPP, which is nice and small (comparitively speaking) and good quality too, and plays on a PC through Quicktime / VLC no problem.
I honestly think it would be perfectly doable... I just can't do it!!!
It sounds cool, but is it useful? Will anyone actually read the data/time/lat/long on the bottom of the screen during playback?
On top of that it will make the cpu work extra hard putting the text on every video frame.
Another idea is to use the timed-text stream (subtitles) in the mp4 file. (more)
Dont know how much work is involved.
It is a pretty specialist app, however I reckon people would use it for timing laps etc.
Look at how many in-car videos there are of trackdays on YouTube, and the ProVida system that is in use in the video above... there is a definite use for it imho - even if it's just used to show off people's VMAX on the autobahns etc!!
Must admit, I wouldn't see a point in the lat/long info - all I was guessing at was a simple overlay on the video with speed and direction bottom left, date & time bottom right so as not to distract from the actual video.
Hep hep hep
Don't put this idea underground (please). This app could be REALLY interesting for a bunch of freak I know (I'm one of them too :-D)
I'm in a very big forum of EV and there, such video is really really researched. The fact that it has to be processed afterward made by a separate soft is no problem...our main target is to upload a video with speed, altitude...etc for comparison or simple burning thing like "Yeah I've the freakiest e-bike..ever" X-)))
This is interesting for e-bike but also for EVERY (on the road, in the wood...etc) people which are searching performances and want to share them
Hope someone like the idea. If not I make a thread on the endless-sphere forum that the guys come "show their motiviation" here
Cheeeeers and do it ;-)
Grüß,
H.
A lot of people have been waiting for this for a long time, but I don't think its possible on android yet.
Lets hope it will be on 3.0.
A friend said that one guy will release a update to his track logging app, for the iphone 4 within a few days that will add this functionality.
B1ny said:
A lot of people have been waiting for this for a long time, but I don't think its possible on android yet.
Lets hope it will be on 3.0.
A friend said that one guy will release a update to his track logging app, for the iphone 4 within a few days that will add this functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'd love to be updated if something is released ^_^
I installed something along that line for my Jeep-carputer using Xport and what not...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdB7FksRd68
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRzWAWOjnH0
More info on minicam project: http://www.curioustech.net/minicam.html
screen shot: http://www.curioustech.net/images/front.jpg
But I would love to see something like this for android. (would love this on my evo)
0okami said:
Well, I'd love to be updated if something is released ^_^
I installed something along that line for my Jeep-carputer using Xport and what not...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdB7FksRd68
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRzWAWOjnH0
More info on minicam project: http://www.curioustech.net/minicam.html
screen shot: http://www.curioustech.net/images/front.jpg
But I would love to see something like this for android. (would love this on my evo)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like there is something out there and its FREE! :
http://www.dailyroads.com/voyager.php
DailyRoads Voyager
Hey all,
I’m thinking of switching from my Galaxy SII to a Windows Phone 7 based phone. As of now, the switch is temporary till SIII comes out but maybe who knows if I like it, I might just stick to WP7 after all.
Major usage of my phone is in Emailing, Messaging, VOIP, Calls, Navigation, Music, Browsing and News reading. I’m dependant on the following apps on the Android :
Swype
Google Reader
Gmail
Google Docs
Google Maps
Google Talk
YouTube
Any.do (Task management Application)
Dropbox
Polaris Office (Full fledged document editor)
IMO (Multi-messenger)
Skype
Teamviewer (Remote desktop)
My Data Manager (App to keep a track on bandwidth consumption)
and some less frequently used :
Zedge (just an easy to use source for wallpapers and ringtones)
SoundHound
Facebook
So given the above usage pattern and apps that I’m on dependant on, do you think I could switch to WP7 painlessly ? Are there any alternatives available for my apps ? (Swype or something similar is a must)
Couple of more queries..
Also, I’m thinking of getting the Samsung Focus so if I get an unclocked device would there be a possible scare of getting it locked again once I update the firmware (either officially or custom) ?
How is the battery life on the Focus ?
I am not much aware of Sideloading/Jailbreaking of a WP7 device and the Custom ROM scene , is it similar to Android ?
Can I debrand Focus or should I consider Omnia 7 instead ? (I’d prefer Focus as its thinner than Omnia)
What is the best ROM out there and when updating to a newer ROM does it wipes all the data ?
Is there any lag in the phone ? Maybe after installing too many apps (like how some Android phones lag)
Is multi-tasking experience (apps/services running in the background) similar to Android ?
are there any other limitations worth mentioning on WP7 / Samsung Focus?
and what about the plus side of WP7 when comparing to iOS and Android ?
Thanks
There is currently nothing remotely similar to Swype on WP7.
WP7, currently being a closed OS, does not have the option of swapping the native keypad for a Swype version. There's an app called Slyde that attempts to be like Swype, but it cannot until the ecosystem changes.
You will have access to document editing for Word and Excel docs via Office. It's quite handy, especially being able to pin files to your home screen.
Dropbox isn't so dandy yet, IIRC, but you will have access to 25GB of SkyDrive storage.
With what you've mentioned, I'm not sure WP7 will be a smooth transition for you. It's definitely worth a shot to see if you might like it, but will take some getting used to. See what you can live with and what would be a deal breaker.
The WP7 software keyboard is much nicer than I expected, expecially on a largish phone (I have an HD7) but it's true that there's currently no Swype or equivalent available.
There are lots of Google Reader apps available, some quite good.
Gmail integrates pretty well with the phone when you add a Google account. My phone is the primary way I access my Gmail now.
You might be able to access Google Docs through the web browser; I haven't tried. For actually reading and editing Microsoft Office documents, Office Mobile wors very well indeed.
Google Maps is available (via apps, or somewhat awkwardly via the web); Bing Maps is built into the phone and works well for me.
There are IM clients that support GTalk on the phone, but the only messenger network currently built into the phone is Live. That said, IM+ handles my GTalk-using friends very well.
There are a multitude of YouTube apps. You can also use HTML5 on YouTube via the browser just fine.
I don't know Any.do. There are a lot of task management apps on WP7, but I don't know how they compare.
Not sure how good Dropbox access is on the phone (obviously, you can download via the browser, and there are apps which use it as a way to transfer data, but I've never looked for a real DropBox client).
I would be quite shocked if Polaris Office is more full-fledged than Office on WP7. It's not impossible, but for a phone-based office suite it would be very impressive.
I don't know IMO, but there are a number of multi-network IM clients on WP7. My preferred choice is IM+ but that's just personal preference.
Skype is (finally) coming to WP7. The current app is actually pretty good, and it's still in beta. Considering MS now owns Skype, the future for Skype on WP7 should be very good.
I don't know if TeamViewer is available for WP7 yet. Remote Desktop (as in, Terminal Services Client, the built-in Windows feature) is, though... Also, SSH clients.
T-Mobile provides an app for tracking usage for my phone. I don't know what's availble for whatever carrier you'd be on.
There are a couple of cool apps that provide wallpapers and ringtones, with frequent updates (weekly or more). Never heard of Zedge, though.
There's a SoundHound-like feature built into WP7. Shazam is also available. SoundHound might be; I'm not sure.
Facebook is definitely available (both as OS integration, and through a now very good app).
Responses to a few select questions:
3. The homebrew and custom ROM scene is smaller than Android (though growing) but the Focus (gen1 phone, not the Focus S or Focus Flash) does support "interop-unlock" hacks through WindowBreak, can run WP7 Root Tools (run any app with full privileges, under your control though), and has custom ROMs.
4. If for some reason you get a branded Focus, yes, it can be de-branded. I'm not convinced that it's a good idea to do so (without just installing a custom ROM or some such anyhow) but it's possible. The update story on WP7 is generally much better than on Android, and you can force updates anyhow if the carrier is taking too long. Not many other reasons to debrand are coming to mind...
5. I can't answer the first part, but as for the second, yes you will completely erase the phone when installing a custom ROM. If you want to do so, I suggest making it one of the first things you do (this will save on trying to back up and later restore things, which - aside from contacts and media files - sadly is not automatic on WP7).
6. No. There are a number of technical reasons, but the simple fact is that a single-core 1GHz WP7 device has a significantly smoother UI than a (for example) 1.5GHz Android device. Since apps are *extremely* limited on what they can do in the background (by default), there's no risk of them slowing the phone's UI down no matter how many you install.
7. Not really. It's much closer to Apple's approach. The advantages are better battery life and no lag. The disadvantages are that apps pretty much can't do anything real-time while backgrounded, and need to resume (although it's very fast on apps built for Mango or later) when returned to the foreground. You can switch between apps quickly, though.
8. SD cards don't work the same as on Android. They are used for permanent increases to device storage. You can't use them to transfer data onto or off of the phone, and if you want to add or remove/replace one, you'll need to hard-reset the phone. That's the main thing not already mentioned that an Android user might find odd. Oh, and stock ROMs don't allow replacing things like the dialer and such (you can install alternates, you just can't replace the built-in one completely).
9. Faster, and smoother UI (even with theoretically slower hardware). Essentially no risk of malware from the Marketplace (apps are checked before approval). Timely updates, even for older phones (of course, "older" for WP7 only means about 18 months so far). Xbox Live games. Zune Pass streaming (costs money but it's awesome). Great integration with Facebook (pretty good with Twitter and can pull LinkedIn contacts, too). Excellent email and calendar, especially if you use any Exchange servers. Hardware-accelerated rendering in the browser. Consistent UI style in apps. All phones have very similar hardware specs, so fragmentation is not a problem. Live Tiles are great for at-a-glance info, and the app list is (for me) much clearer to use than the "grid of icons". Dedicated double-action camera button and dedicated rocker buttons. Local Scout is a pretty cool built-in feature. Really good developer tools make writing apps very easy and quick.
I'm sure there's a lot more, but it's 5AM and I need to sleep.
Swype -None, WP7 native keyboard prediction works impressively!
Google Reader - 6 or more apps available. Fuse seems to be popular.
Gmail - Syncs natively without any glitch.
Google Docs - You might have to save your docs onto Skydrive which integrates natively on the WP7 (free 25GB storage too!)
Google Maps - GMaps Pro or Bingle maps. But Bing works fine, integrated too.
Google Talk - IM+
YouTube - YouTube Pro or Prime Tube.
Any.do (Task management Application) - don't know this app's functionality.
Dropbox - BoxShot for Dropbox, 3rd party client, works without any issues for me.
Polaris Office (Full fledged document editor) - I've heard of this one. But Office built-in won't make you feel the need of Polaris. However, what sort of editing do you normally do?
IMO (Multi-messenger) - again IM+ (?)
Skype - there is a beta that won't run in background, but otherwise very much working, excellent call quality. It should come as an app in a month or two and hopefully integrated with Apollo (rumour).
Teamviewer (Remote desktop) - RemoteDesktop7
My Data Manager (App to keep a track on bandwidth consumption)- Very limited apps, one that might work is - Call Credits, but never tried it. Only read a review.
Zedge (just an easy to use source for wallpapers and ringtones) - Plenty of these sort of apps and can easily sync other websites too other than Zedge. Ringtones is an app that uses 3 different clients in a single app.
SoundHound - Yes, you won't need it though, music search is inbuilt.
Facebook - Yes inbuilt and there is an app.
Plus side of any windows phone in my opinion is, it's rapidly developing new platform which is a fresh UI, security is top-notch, integration works well, it's never frozen on me, I did not have to restart my phone once in last 7 months of using it, Zune and Xbox integration is amazing if you are a music freak or a gamer, 25GB of Skydrive access from your phone for documents, pics, music streaming - will only get better once you start using it. Integrated Bing maps, local scout, music discovery and search, accessing camera without unlocking the phone, search from lockscreen etc.
"You don't need an app for this or that and it just works!"
GoodDayToDie said:
Responses to a few select questions:
The disadvantages are that apps pretty much can't do anything real-time while backgrounded, and need to resume (although it's very fast on apps built for Mango or later) when returned to the foreground. You can switch between apps quickly, though.
I'm sure there's a lot more, but it's 5AM and I need to sleep.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the indepth response, it cleared a lot.
When you say that apps can't do pretty much anything, I hope at least apps like IM+ and Whatsapp can retrieve and send messages in the background.
drupad2drupad said:
Polaris Office (Full fledged document editor) - I've heard of this one. But Office built-in won't make you feel the need of Polaris. However, what sort of editing do you normally do?
Plus side of any windows phone in my opinion is, it's rapidly developing new platform which is a fresh UI, security is top-notch, integration works well, it's never frozen on me, I did not have to restart my phone once in last 7 months of using it, Zune and Xbox integration is amazing if you are a music freak or a gamer, 25GB of Skydrive access from your phone for documents, pics, music streaming - will only get better once you start using it. Integrated Bing maps, local scout, music discovery and search, accessing camera without unlocking the phone, search from lockscreen etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sometimes edit Word and PPTs on the move.
Not much but basic formatting in word and the ability to edit the layout and slide design is what I need.
Yeah thats the most exciting part of WP7. Its a rapidly developing platform and on top there's gonna be a unification of the mobile and desktop OS. I hope they build a deep seamless integration between the two and they play well with each other.
anseio said:
There's an app called Slyde that attempts to be like Swype, but it cannot until the ecosystem changes.
With what you've mentioned, I'm not sure WP7 will be a smooth transition for you. It's definitely worth a shot to see if you might like it, but will take some getting used to. See what you can live with and what would be a deal breaker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't find any info on Slyde app ?
Well, the responses here have cleared a lot for me. I m definitely gonna give it a shot. Now my only gripe is Swype, I'm far too dependent on that. I hope there is something out there in the homebrew community.
Btw, is there a possibility that the current generation phones would get the WP8 update ? Well there are rumors that it wouldn't but then Windows Tango is primarily being released to make sure WP7 can run on lower spec devices.
It is confirmed all WP models will get Apollo update will pretty much be like with iOS some features will not be available. The next major update is no promise but that is over 2 years so if you have not updated your phone by then not much can be said.
tricurious said:
I couldn't find any info on Slyde app ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My bad. It's called Slydr, not Slyde.
It is NOTHING like Swype. Since it cannot replace the native keyboard, in order to use it you have launch the app, type what you want, put it on the clipboard or choose an option to send it as sms or email.
It does not work from within SMS or email, so replying while using slydr will mean that you have to leave the message, open the app, type what you what, copy it, return to the email using back arrow long press and then paste.
Looking forward to the options that WP8 may make for.
IM+ and Whatsapp and the like can use Push Notifications to receive messages while the app is not in the the foreground. Technically it's not the app doing the receiving (it's not running); instead the app tells the OS to listen for messages from a specific server, and to mark them as being intended for that app. When the messages arrive, the phone will display a notification and, if the app's tile is pinned to the Start screen, can also show a number of waiting notifications (typically, the number of messages received). When the app is run again (either resumed, or launched anew, or launched directly by tapping on a notification "toast" popup) the app will check with its server for all the messages that arrived while it was "out".
The overall effect is very much like the app continuing to receive messages in the background, except in weird edge cases (for example, if you try to resume the app while there's no data connection available, it won't be able to retrieve the messages that arrived earlier). On the plus side, the push notification system is much easier on the battery than almost any third-party app running in the background would be. It is technically possible to have apps actually run in the background (there are a couple ways, with varying degrees of official support and different limitations) but the battery hit for doing so tends to be pretty harsh (one reason why Android has a reputation for awful battery life).
Everybody is welcome to post their opinions but flame is against the forum rules.
PLEASE USE REPORT BUTTON.
I've got a chance to get any of these for nothing basically in an upgrade.
Huawei P20 Lite
LG G6
Samsung Galaxy A5
I know most people wouldn't even look at these but I have different criteria from most smartphone users.
1. Best camera possible, especially in low light
2. Enough CPU power and speed to let me game without lag, use heavy-internet apps like Maps and Browsers without lag (my current phone freezes when searching an address and often just crashes.
3. Good battery longevity would be useful
4. LOTS of onboard memory - seeing as how I clearly am someone who needs to have a number of apps that causes my phone to constantly run out of space even when passing apps to the SD Card. Besides, Android's infuriating need to constantly reinstall apps to the phone when updating makes this a mess.
5. I'd like the phone to be rootable to run things like Xposed and do image backups.
Where I differ from most users, I think, is I do not ever use my phone for music or video and can't imagine anything more useless than using a forward facing camera to take pictures. I don't mean I only do video and music occasionally, I mean I have a media player and I would never watch anything more than a news video on a small screen. I'm only saying this because nowadays when you ask about phones you get video and audio specs.
Thanks for any help!
I got the LG. This can be deleted.