doubts about voice turn by turn GPS

[Geckotek]

My GPS thinks that I am in Detroit. I am in Mount Laurel, NJ

When I turn off the 3G, it then tells me I am in Mt. Laurel, but will not focus down to the blue dot.

Great technology.

I don't have a problem with it, works great for me. So yeah...great technology.

Posts like this give even more ammunition to my thought that AT&T is still making improvements to their network to allow this to work properly and consistently across the nation.

 

[wreckshop]

Telenav, who developed the nav software on the Instinct are doing the same for the iPhone. I'm sure they'll cripple the iPhone version for no reason.

Except for the fact that the iphone client won't have voice command navigation. It's great for looking for a specific place and you're driving, since you shouldnt be typing on a keyboard and driving at the same time, right? Not only that, since all the data is streamed from telenav's servers to the iphone via 3G, it surely will be a crappier experience since ATTs 3G network is unreliable and coverage is small compared to Sprint's EVDO network.

 

[lordhamster]

Except for the fact that the iphone client won't have voice command navigation. It's great for looking for a specific place and you're driving, since you shouldnt be typing on a keyboard and driving at the same time, right? Not only that, since all the data is streamed from telenav's servers to the iphone via 3G, it surely will be a crappier experience since ATTs 3G network is unreliable and coverage is small compared to Sprint's EVDO network.

I've used TeleNav on a Blackberry 8800 and I can safely say it sucks big time compared to my Garmin.

I think the big mistake is pulling small map chunks "live" over the air. If you have no reception, you have no more maps/navigation. Not good. I hope Tomtom offers a solution where the Maps are onboard.

I'd love to see a hybrid like on the new "Dash" gps unit http://www.dash.net/ where maps are stored on the device, but updates can be pulled down to the maps when in Wifi range.

 

[markgamber]

I thought iGuidance had the most considerate system. You had all the maps onboard and you could pick and choose which you wanted by state or area so you didn't end up with a phone full of places you'll never visit. Probably as important, it didn't take 3 days to push 2 gb of crap across a usb line.

Per TeleNav...yeah, it wouldn't shock me if it showed up crippled with a 3 day trial or something equally useless. I'll keep my eyes open for TomTom.

 

[donmei]

So Lordhamster and all the rest of you who are really into the gps function of your iphone.

Sell your iphone. Sell it to me. I'll give you $200 for it.

Then go back to ATT and buy a Blackberry.

Garmin now has software for $99 with no recurring charges that will make your blackberry behave like a garmin navigator. (Google maps for mobile like the iphone has is free)

PM me for my shipping address for the phone and I'll paypal you the money.

Don

 

[donmei]

Viggen,
The telenav and garmin style of car navigators have been idiot-proofed to the point of idiocy (does that make sense?)

They do show you turn by turn directions, however it is possible to use one of these devices and have absolutely NO idea where you actually are. The field of view focuses only on the road you are actually traveling.

I find it to be like trying to look at a map through a towel paper tube. I much prefer a map layout with my car moving along that. Then I can instantly see alternates if traffic appears. I can instantly see ways to track back if I see something I want to stop for.

Yes, I know, it requires you to use your brain. Thats the downside, but I truly know where I am when I am using a gps with that view.

Re your comments about aviation gps. Everyone I know with an electronic panel uses the PFD set up with an attitude indicator and a hsi. (I'm active in the experimental aircraft community and we've had glass cockpits for 6 years) the hsi is of course set up to display course up. The MFD is typically set up north up. Not just because it makes easy to corelate with a chart. (which it does and is also important) but because it enhances situational awareness. You instinctively know what way you are heading based on your orientation on the electronic chart. That is HUGE.

I am not saying that track up has no place in a cockpit. It does, but primarily when used in a non-navigational manner. i.e. traffic, weather, obstruction, highway in the sky.

Don

p.s. did you fly viggens, or do you just like them?

 

[kdarling]

They do show you turn by turn directions, however it is possible to use one of these devices and have absolutely NO idea where you actually are. The field of view focuses only on the road you are actually traveling.

I can tap the screen on my Nuvi and it switches to an overhead map view that you can zoom in and out on. Unfortunately, it goes back to the car view after a few seconds, I think. Might be a way around that though.

...the hsi is of course set up to display course up. The MFD is typically set up north up. Not just because it makes easy to corelate with a map.

Agreed. I was going to comment that course (or track) up is best for guidance, while north up is often (depending on the person) best for orientation.

 

[donmei]

Thats what I meant, but much clearer than how I said it:

Agreed. I was going to comment that course (or track) up is best for guidance, while north up is often (depending on the person) best for orientation.

Its also why any airplane with any substance provides BOTH views. But if I had the choice of only 1 view, I'd take north up. But I realize that thats a personal preference.

Re the Nuvi - I played with that on my dads Nuvi. The problem with the overhead view on it was as you said, it onlylasts a few seconds. But also, the print was so large that I couldnt zoom out and see any detail. If I zoomed out to see what was around me, the declutter removed all the street names. Again, i think the overhead view is a halfhearted effort. They want you in the idiotproof street view.

 

[michaelmaxwell2]

Okay we can go back and forth about how it does and doesn't compare to other phones and gps units. Which none of us know the answer to the question.So ill leave it as only time will tell..........

 

[retroneo]

The newest Nokias have a compass now. It can tell you which direction to walk accurately based on which way you are facing.

Android phones with a compass can do a really cool trick:

Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PRfVKzuUJ4

(It needs a compass and an accelerometer to do this)

 

[marksman]

Except for the fact that the iphone client won't have voice command navigation. It's great for looking for a specific place and you're driving, since you shouldnt be typing on a keyboard and driving at the same time, right? Not only that, since all the data is streamed from telenav's servers to the iphone via 3G, it surely will be a crappier experience since ATTs 3G network is unreliable and coverage is small compared to Sprint's EVDO network.

You are not supposed to be inputting data into any navigation system while driving a car, regardless of how you do it.

 

[pj rage]

For those of you that have been having trouble getting your GPS to track you smoothly, try putting the phone near the window and holding it there.

I was playing with my phone in the maps program the whole ride home in my carpool yesterday and found that when I'm in the backseat and just holding my phone in front of my normally, the GPS blue dot only updated my position like every 5 seconds which results in the dot just jumping several hundred meters at a time. If I hold the gps next to the window, it would track the dot very very smoothly. The second I brought it back into the car, in front of me, it would go back to only updating every 5 seconds or so. I guess there may be some truth to the gps-antenna-isn't-powerful-enough rumors? At least with my phone.

The other problem, and I'm not sure what causes this one or if it's a google maps thing or whatever, is that the dot was RARELY any better than 50m accurate in tracking my position (vs looking at the hybrid google maps and comparing my location based on what it said). It was usually 200m off or so, and even though you have the blue dot that I guess indicates gps fix, it has that translucent blue area extending out from the dot, I think that is the area of uncertainty, and it never got below like a 200m diameter at the smallest. Which is pretty freakin inaccurate, IMO. Hopefully this is due to the implementation in software and/or related to google maps, and not a problem with the gps hardware implementation. Because I was much less than impressed with this "gps" ability. It's good for finding your general location pretty quick and spitting out some general directions to give you an idea, but it's really not much more than a gimmicky toy at this point.

I can't wait to see what telenav, tomtom, and any others can come up with. I don't mind if I have to mount the phone near my front windshield or something to get a good GPS fix, but I was kinda hoping that the GPS and nav would work as good as my gf's blackberry, which has a pretty sweet nav setup IMO. She never has a problem getting signal and doesn't have to hold the phone near the window or anything like that.

 

[logicpro7]

Would a iPhone case cause the GPS signal to be reduced?

I am using a 2G case on my 3G phone ATM which covers some of the front sensors (Revo2 ordered)

 

[domness]

My GPS unit in the iPhone is working fine!

- When you think about the normal GPS turn-by-turns they usually snap you to a road so it seems more accurate than it is.

 

[lordhamster]

So Lordhamster and all the rest of you who are really into the gps function of your iphone.

Sell your iphone. Sell it to me. I'll give you $200 for it.

Then go back to ATT and buy a Blackberry.

Garmin now has software for $99 with no recurring charges that will make your blackberry behave like a garmin navigator. (Google maps for mobile like the iphone has is free)

PM me for my shipping address for the phone and I'll paypal you the money.

Don

Veeery funny. I'm very excited about having a good GPS software on the cell phone because the cell phone radio allows it to be leaps and bounds better in functionality than my garmin is. Imagine the information that can be shared with location services. Live Traffic flow, buddy proximity, gas prices, movie times, weather, etc etc etc.

The Telenav system actually isn't that bad, the problem I have with it is that it relies on the damned Cell network and data in order to work. It can't work in any way shape or form without data. As someone who travels internationally this is a major issue. With my garmin, I pop in the Europe maps and I'm good to go. Telenav works fine in Europe, but I'll get raped by AT&T on roaming charges.


On a side note: I like your sig . Fellow Libertarian here but I just can't get excited about the candidate this year given his voting record Wish they had chosen Dr. Ruwart

 

[kdarling]

You are not supposed to be inputting data into any navigation system while driving a car, regardless of how you do it.

What's wrong with being able to just say, "Car, I want to go to 1270 Maple Street" ?

In the old days we drove and wrangled a paper map at the same time. Heck, most of us still do that when piloting a plane. Voice is a lot better

 

[chaoses]

This maybe a stupid question or I haven't discovered enough

My 3g turns itself to sleep while I'm using the GPS. Why is that? aren't they supposed to know that you're using the GPS and not go to sleep for 1 minute or whatever seconds you set? So I have to constantly tap the screen every minute or so to make it not go to sleep?

Also, as far as I know, there's no voice telling you to navigate when using the GPS?

 

[wreckshop]

What's wrong with being able to just say, "Car, I want to go to 1270 Maple Street" ?

In the old days we drove and wrangled a paper map at the same time. Heck, most of us still do that when piloting a plane. Voice is a lot better

It's easier than that. You just say "1270 Maple Street." People always like to say how useless voice command stuff is or how they'll never use it. Most people who say this have never even tried it. You'll be surprised how accurate this stuff has become.

 

[wreckshop]

Veeery funny. I'm very excited about having a good GPS software on the cell phone because the cell phone radio allows it to be leaps and bounds better in functionality than my garmin is. Imagine the information that can be shared with location services. Live Traffic flow, buddy proximity, gas prices, movie times, weather, etc etc etc.

With exception of buddy proximity, Sprint Navigation does all those things. It's really slick, and the one thing that I'll really miss now that I have an iphone.

The Telenav system actually isn't that bad, the problem I have with it is that it relies on the damned Cell network and data in order to work. It can't work in any way shape or form without data. As someone who travels internationally this is a major issue. With my garmin, I pop in the Europe maps and I'm good to go. Telenav works fine in Europe, but I'll get raped by AT&T on roaming charges.

Sprint Nav (powered by telenav) works well on Instinct because Sprint's 3G EVDO network is the biggest and most mature out of the big 3 carriers. Even here in San Francisco, where we're supposed to be totally blanketed in ATT's 3G network, I run into dead spots or poor coverage all the time.

 

[michaelmaxwell2]

With exception of buddy proximity, Sprint Navigation does all those things. It's really slick, and the one thing that I'll really miss now that I have an iphone.




Sprint Nav (powered by telenav) works well on Instinct because Sprint's 3G EVDO network is the biggest and most mature out of the big 3 carriers. Even here in San Francisco, where we're supposed to be totally blanketed in ATT's 3G network, I run into dead spots or poor coverage all the time.

Sorry to rain on your parade but....... sprint sold over 3,300 towers, and they are barely holding onto nextel. My sister use to have sprint and we live in nyc and we use to roam in our house that just didn't make sense..... So I am sorry but I Don't think they are the most mature with their services and internet.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=209600529

 

[SHIFTLife]

have you tried tracking yourself in an area that have a lot of tall buildings?

Somehow I think testing the 80mph speed in areas with tall buildings would be ill advised. However, yes, my GPS tracks me just fine when it's in my dash mount. The trick is, GPS works best with line of sight to the sky. If you have the roof in your way, yes, it's going to perform poorly. This is true of ANY GPS system, and is why many units have external antenna modules.

 

[Geckotek]

Sorry to rain on your parade but....... sprint sold over 3,300 towers, and they are barely holding onto nextel. My sister use to have sprint and we live in nyc and we use to roam in our house that just didn't make sense..... So I am sorry but I Don't think they are the most mature with their services and internet.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=209600529

I'm surprised to find myself agreeing with wreckshop in this thread, Sprint does have the most mature 3G data network of all the providers with Verizon right behind them. That is what kept me on Sprint for several years....that and the low prices.

Every carrier as weak spots, it's a fact of life. A weak spot in your house is not a true indicator by which to judge Sprint's overall network.

Edit: Sprint may no longer own those towers, but it doesn't mean those towers are no longer providing Sprint services. That was a pointless post. And regarding Nextel, they should just dump them....that was a stupid purchase in the first place.

 

[View]

Except for the fact that the iphone client won't have voice command navigation. It's great for looking for a specific place and you're driving, since you shouldnt be typing on a keyboard and driving at the same time, right? Not only that, since all the data is streamed from telenav's servers to the iphone via 3G, it surely will be a crappier experience since ATTs 3G network is unreliable and coverage is small compared to Sprint's EVDO network.

I'm sure there will be a dedicated turn-by-turn navigation software that has a preloaded maps on the device, if the app store allows it, that is.

I've seen somewhere sometime back that Tom tom was also porting/developing on the iphone.

 

[eplchamps0304]

This maybe a stupid question or I haven't discovered enough

My 3g turns itself to sleep while I'm using the GPS. Why is that? aren't they supposed to know that you're using the GPS and not go to sleep for 1 minute or whatever seconds you set? So I have to constantly tap the screen every minute or so to make it not go to sleep?

Also, as far as I know, there's no voice telling you to navigate when using the GPS?

I noticed this too. Had to change the setting on the phone to never lock the screen. It's a battery killer so have it connected to a car charger.

 

[pj rage]

Somehow I think testing the 80mph speed in areas with tall buildings would be ill advised. However, yes, my GPS tracks me just fine when it's in my dash mount. The trick is, GPS works best with line of sight to the sky. If you have the roof in your way, yes, it's going to perform poorly. This is true of ANY GPS system, and is why many units have external antenna modules.

My girlfriend's blackberry's GPS works fine with her sitting in the front or back seat. She doesn't have to hold it near the window or do anything crazy to get signal.

This is also true for my friend's tom tom unit. He can sit with it on his lap in the front or back seat and it has signal that is just fine to get the job done (sometimes it's even max signal strength).

I'm not saying the iphone can or cannot do this, I'm just saying that it's possible for some devices to do it, somehow. Now, there are definitely some that can't, like my older Magellan 500. If it isn't on the windshield or the antenna is not pointed out a window, it doesn't get good (if any signal). It is very sensitive to line of sight to the sky.