Turn-By-Turn iPhone GPS App Already Available in iTunes

[shiseiryu1]

Question

Is there any way that I can keep the screen from dimming when I'm using the program? I have it plugged into external power yet every 5 min or so the screen starts to dim...very frustrating.

Also, like one of the other people mentioned, it would be nice for the app to show which direction you're going in (ie: arrow instead of dot on the map).

 

[jjvrieze]

Is there any way that I can keep the screen from dimming when I'm using the program? I have it plugged into external power yet every 5 min or so the screen starts to dim...very frustrating.

Also, like one of the other people mentioned, it would be nice for the app to show which direction you're going in (ie: arrow instead of dot on the map).

You need to go into your iphone settings-brightness-autobrightness off. Other people keep asking about it locking every five minutes. Guess what, that's because you have auto-lock in your iphone set to 5 minutes. To change that, go into settings-general-auto-lock and change it to Never. That way it will never auto-lock on you.

 

[knewsom]

Is there any way that I can keep the screen from dimming when I'm using the program? I have it plugged into external power yet every 5 min or so the screen starts to dim...very frustrating.

Also, like one of the other people mentioned, it would be nice for the app to show which direction you're going in (ie: arrow instead of dot on the map).

in your phone settings, you can change this.

And a lot of people have made suggestions, I'm going to compile them and add a few more, so we can send them to X Roads.

1. arrow instead of dot showing vehicle location and direction on roads.

2. audio cues indicating upcoming turns, simple beeps or pings would work, repeating closer and closer together as you approach. Left and right audio channels could be used (for people with their iphones integrated in their sound system) to indicate the direction of the impending turn.

3. an overlapping map of east and west for the central USA, or at least a feature to tie the two maps together better for those who live on the line.

4. traffic info displayed with color-coding on the map, a la google maps

5. save route info when you quit the app, or get a phone call.

6. Automatically create a NEW route when you select a destination from "where to", using your current location as the starting point.

7. give you the option to save and NAME each destination you program in.

8. use the wireless network to help search for things, business names, etc.

Feel free to add to the list via copy/paste.

 

[chasb12]

Not a great experience so far

I just bought this app. It took forever to download and then it would not install saying I did not have enough free space on my iPhone even though I had 4 gigs free. I had to reset the phone. Now it is stuck in the middle of an install after 15 minutes. Anyone else had these types of problems?

 

[knewsom]

I just bought this app. It took forever to download and then it would not install saying I did not have enough free space on my iPhone even though I had 4 gigs free. I had to reset the phone. Now it is stuck in the middle of an install after 15 minutes. Anyone else had these types of problems?

It DOES take awhile to install, took me like 30 or 40 minutes, and I had to delete nearly everything from the phone to do the install. It says 900 megs, but it's more like a couple gigs, and there must be some sort of limiter in effect, not allowing a program to take more than a certain percentage of space. Just do the install, then put your music back on.

 

[chasb12]

It DOES take awhile to install, took me like 30 or 40 minutes, and I had to delete nearly everything from the phone to do the install. It says 900 megs, but it's more like a couple gigs, and there must be some sort of limiter in effect, not allowing a program to take more than a certain percentage of space. Just do the install, then put your music back on.

Thanks for the feedback, I'll give that a try.

 

[FerrariV12]

FYI G-Map U. S. EAST Memory Requirement

It DOES take awhile to install, took me like 30 or 40 minutes, and I had to delete nearly everything from the phone to do the install. It says 900 megs, but it's more like a couple gigs, and there must be some sort of limiter in effect, not allowing a program to take more than a certain percentage of space. Just do the install, then put your music back on.

I have the latest update installed and it occupies 829.3MB on my 16GB iPhone 3G.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)

When someone released Podcaster, Apple denied it because they were making it themselves. The same reason with this, so be patient, and in a few months everyone will be happy.

No everyone will NOT be happy. Some of us WANT competition and Apple seems to be trying to monopolize all its markets. There needs to be a law against this sort of thing. Apple shouldn't have any right to limit the type and content of software for ANY of its platforms. Imagine if they told you what kind of software you could run on your Mac at home and deleted it remotely. People would have a fit and Apple would go out of business. It's a major wonder to me then why people put up with this sort of crap on a mobile platform. There needs to be a way to put apps on your iPhone/Touch without Apple's App store and without hacking and it should be required for all platforms by law. Just because Apple writes an OS or produces a piece of hardware shouldn't give them the right to dictate to people what kind of software they can run on their device. This isn't China!

 

[ryanw]

I just bought this app. It took forever to download and then it would not install saying I did not have enough free space on my iPhone even though I had 4 gigs free. I had to reset the phone. Now it is stuck in the middle of an install after 15 minutes. Anyone else had these types of problems?

The app is HUGE, I ended up downloading it to my computer and syncing it over. The install took like 20 minutes to sync.

 

[ryanw]

I have the latest update installed and it occupies 829.3MB on my 16GB iPhone 3G.

My guess is the iPhone needs 2x the space to extract the package on the phone, then install it. The package is probably some sort of zip format with an encoded chksum/certificate verification process to validate the package is legit before it installs it.

 

[FerrariV12]

Size of G-Map U.S. East

My guess is the iPhone needs 2x the space to extract the package on the phone, then install it. The package is probably some sort of zip format with an encoded chksum/certificate verification process to validate the package is legit before it installs it.

I looked at my HughesNet log for the day I downloaded it and the log showed 829.3 downlaoded to the iTunes application.

829 MB (869,481,397 bytes)

 

[makemineamac]

XGPS for jailbroken iPhones

Check this out if you get a chance, voice prompts may be added this weekend to round out the feature-set.

http://xgpsdev.xwaves.net/

It's currently in beta, but will be fantastic once complete.

Right now it's free, AND allows you to download a section of google map tiles, so you're not wasting space with areas you don't plan on going to. Right now it's free, but I'm sure they will monetize it somehow.

To me, it's just a better option than the App store offering.

 

[Doctor Q]

The app is HUGE, I ended up downloading it to my computer and syncing it over. The install took like 20 minutes to sync.

Kinda makes you hope they won't update it very often, even though people are asking for improvements!

 

[ryanw]

Kinda makes you hope they won't update it very often, even though people are asking for improvements!

True. It's v1.2 and it's been 2 months since it's been released. I think I would look to see if the improvements are worth the update. Until v1.2 people were dying for updates.

 

[knewsom]

you guys realize the app itself only takes up so much room, and there's a HUGE amount of "other" data along for the ride... theoretically, updates wouldn't need to be the massive nearly 1 gig download, updates that add functionality such as suggested above could be much smaller, unless the ENTIRE MAP needed to be replaced or something, which, I suppose it probably WOULD if I ever got my topo wish. But if so, I'll download it. Not a huge deal.

 

[Doctor Q]

Maybe the key would be to let people download maps for particular states or metropolises individually. Can an app be sold through the App Store without its data and then fetch it independently, outside the App Store, to store locally?

 

[janstett]

omg, you are clueless!!!

i never said the app itself rotates! I know the app is FIXED.....that is why you rotate the actual phone in your hands as you drive and let the google map remain fixed.

<...>

(seriously.....anyone else here on the forums who understands the simplicity of this, PLEASE explain to him how to operate a phone gps and follow the map......obviously, he just doesn't get it)

CYA FAIL!

You went and made the hole you dug for yourself even deeper, didn't you?

So not only am I supposed to be happy with the fixed NORTH-SOUTH orientation (which means travelling EAST-WEST leaves me with virtually no warning about what's approaching and really only gives me 1/2 the width of the iPhone's screen, approx 1 inch, of useful information on where I'm going and the rest on where I've been and tons of useless information on what's to my right and left), but you want me, WHILE DRIVING, to be rotating the phone to match my orientation on the map? And of course to be reading text sideways or upside-down in the process? While also considering as was already pointed out, with one or two exceptions EVERY SINGLE CAR DOCK ON THE MARKET IS FIXED IN ORIENTATION. ARE YOU <expletive deleted>?

You don't see this as the slightest bit F'ed up? Not to mention taking the already distracting task of reading a GPS to ludicrous new heights of concentration?

Talk about being clueless and not getting it! I have to question your mental stability, sir. Congrats on the successful trolling.

 

[DarsMind]

iPhone GPS?

As a "Mac Elitist" and “mobile phone power user” I feel more than qualified to speak about the pros and cons of the iPhone vs. Blackberry and whole GPS issue. I've got them all iPhone, BB Curve and BB Bold.

When the iPhone introduced I wanted one like Ralphie Parker wanted the "Red Ryder BB Gun". No one desired this piece of technology more but it would seem that my boys at Mac went soft, choosing mass consumption over innovation; flash over substance. The iPhone has become nothing more than the "poser phone" of the decade and we, the willing consumer, all blindly bought.

Here are a couple of points to consider and if for no other reason its going to drive some of the iPhone devotees into a cataleptic rage.

GPS- It doesn't have it and yet AT&T along with Apple made us believe it does. Cell tower triangulation is not GPS so you can create an app all day long but unless those programs can read a line of sight satellite it's just Google maps with nice graphics.

The GPS system became operational in 1993 and that was prior to the planning phase of the iPhone. I find hard to believe that as the elite design team sat around sipping their double espressos and comparing their henna tattoos the idea of including a GPS receiver didn't come up. Logic would lead us to the conclusion it was intentionally left out so we would continue upgrade.

Remember the first rule of marketing, “A Need is a learned Want.” Lets continue to follow the logic and see what else was left out...

Spell check- my blackberry curve has it so where is it on my iPhone. Oh it's coming with the next version because "Apple really listens to their customers and now that you’ve got the latest 3G their going to add it." Can you imagine the freakish little guy with way to much product in his hair bringing that one up to Jobs. "Oh Commander, My Commander. Shouldn't we include spell check? I mean it's already in the operating system." Of course we know the answer. "NO" says Jobs, "make them want it. We'll roll that out with version 3 or maybe 7."

Push email- Mobile ME to the rescue for an additional $100 a year. There is of course Microsoft exchange but if you don't have it then your back to square one. This I found out from iPhone support at Apple.

We all know the battery issues and the need to continually hunt for electricity. Be sure not to leave the house with your WiFi on or use a bluetooth headset for more than two minutes. Of course you have no choice but to use a headset because of the wonderfully rich glass screen that cuts a line into your ear making each call over 5 minutes a real commitment to pain. The iPhone is meant for anything and everything accept making a call.

Please don't misunderstand my angst but after putting this device through it's paces it falls into the category of iMovie and LiveType. They are wonderful programs that make the average consumer feel creative by eliminating options. I gladly use these programs and believe their million times better than any Microsoft product but when I want to edit a movie I use Final Cut Pro and After Effects not iMovie and LiveType. iPhone has become an App factory meant to suck more cash out of us while creating an non-social generation with thumbs that can lift a small car.

Final thought/irritation and I don't mean to pile on but is it to much to ask for "cut and paste". For some clarity on that lets try to decipher the reasoning of the crack design team on this one. The reality is I've got a screen that will zoom, rotate, knows orientation and even knows when i've got the blasted thing next to my ear; pretty cool technology. So was it impossible to include "cut and paste"? Next time you want to move info to your "GPS assisted" GOOGLE MAPS, you might want to have a good memory or a pen handy because you can't cut and paste it. (Of course there is an app for it and it only costs ______.)

Now if you want to watch movies, pick a restaurant or know the proper way to exercise your thumbs while lifting weights at the gym then the iphone is for you. But if you need your email "NOW" and would like to know preciously where you are and how to get where you're going then you might find the iPhone a little hit-and-miss. When I say "hit-n-miss" this wonderful piece of programmed technology placed me in the LA reservoir twice last week.

Before I forget. In a recent post on this site someone asked the question, “is the BB Bold pretty?” Not really but neither are most of it's users. Remember BB owners are professional phone users who need vital information not iTunes latest "U2" essentials download.

I'm sure I'm going to hear from those of you who are red-faced and unable to collect your thoughts but I needed to get this off my chest and who knows maybe a design person from Apple will read it and realize they could do better.

DarsMind
Professional Phone User and Creative Professional
(Quad G5, MacBook Pro, PowerMac G4, PowerMac G3 and lot of crap made by Apple.)

 

[lvt]

I used this on a 3 hour trip from Detroit to Grand Rapids. The 3-D view popped up a few times - cool.

Overall it was very good. While audio prompts would be nice, I am a visual person and do not need them. I like the idea of of a pinging sound that would get faster/louder as you approach the turn. Lost the signal a couple of times for a fraction of a second at the long underpasses in Southfield, but no big deal. I purposely made a few wrong turns and was amazed at how fast it compensated - especially from what I've read about some of the dedicated GPS units.

After 3 hours, plugged in to car power, my phone was just barely warm. I've used google maps for the same trip and it got hot enough to cook an egg - and actually shut down the phone. I will try some shorter trips sans power plug, though the power los should be substantially less since only the GPS is used and not 3G/Edge antennae.

Overall, a well-spent $20. Am contemplating buying the west version just in case Apple decides to stop offering this app. (Still kicking self for not getting tethering app when it was available.)

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

As a "Mac Elitist" and “mobile phone power user” I feel more than qualified to speak about the pros and cons of the iPhone vs. Blackberry and whole GPS issue. I've got them all iPhone, BB Curve and BB Bold.

...

This is a thoughtful and ACCURATE post for the areas it covers. Of course, it also ignores all the cool things the iPhone CAN do (or more like the iPod Touch CAN do; the phone part is pretty much useless, especially when you consider you have to pay a bare minimum of $70 a month, which is a LOT of money over a two year period (enough to buy a brand spanking new Macbook) and that's something most people don't really think about. I bought an iPod Touch and use a pre-paid phone for $8 a month (I don't call much when mobile). It'd be cool to be able to use the Internet all the time, but there is no way to get unlimited Internet without the phone contract (which I don't need or want) and there's no pre-paid voice option in combination with unlimited internet (which I wouldn't mind having). Of course, even here Apple purposely CRIPPLES the iPod Touch by NOT including the camera or GPS (and for the 1st generation, no speaker or volume buttons either).

So basically, you are correct in your diagnosis that Apple is about GREED and they PURPOSELY leave out basic functions like cut & paste not because it would be ANY trouble to add what-so-ever, but rather because they are scared to death they might lose a few pennies if you are somehow able to use it to enter text into the thing and more easily hack it to add your own programs and thereby bypass their 30% off the top rip-off application store where they take 1/3 of your money just to host your program and then can reject it on a total whim, after you may have spent hundreds or even thousands of hours developing the app. That's insane. But that's Apple and Apple is all about control. They make Microsoft look like amateurs by comparison. Apple always takes the non-standard, propriety choice when it makes sense (i.e. money) to them. It's a real shame that a company that is so innovative on the one hand is so flipping greedy on the other that sooner or later they end up shooting themselves in the foot. The fanatics don't see it, but some of their sales are already starting to slip and will continue to do so unless they start listening to their customers.

 

[FerrariV12]

Wow!

As a "Mac Elitist" and “mobile phone power user” I feel more than qualified to speak about the pros and cons of the iPhone vs. Blackberry and whole GPS issue. I've got them all iPhone, BB Curve and BB Bold.

When the iPhone introduced I wanted one like Ralphie Parker wanted the "Red Rider BB Gun". No one desired this piece of technology more but it would seem that my boys at Mac went soft, choosing mass consumption over innovation; flash over substance. The iPhone has become nothing more than the "poser phone" of the decade and we, the willing consumer, all blindly bought.

Here are a couple of points to consider and if for no other reason its going to drive some of the iPhone devotees into a cataleptic rage.

GPS- It doesn't have it and yet AT&T along with Apple made us believe it does. Cell tower triangulation is not GPS so you can create an app all day long but unless those programs can read a line of site satellite it's just Google maps with nice graphics.

The GPS system became operational in 1993 and that was prior to the planning phase of the iPhone. I find hard to believe that as the elite design team sat around sipping their double espressos and comparing their henna tattoos the idea of including a GPS receiver didn't come up. Logic would lead us to the conclusion it was intentionally left out so we would continue upgrade.

Remember the first rule of marketing, “A Need is a learned Wand.” Lets continue to follow the logic and see what else was left out...

Spell check- my blackberry curve has it so where is it on my iPhone. Oh it's coming with the next version because "Apple really listens to their customers and now that you’ve got the latest 3G their going to add it." Can you imagine the freakish little guy with way to much product in his hair bringing that one up to Jobs. "Oh Commander, My Commander. Shouldn't we include spell check? I mean it's already in the operating system." Of course we know the answer. "NO" says Jobs, "make them want it. We'll roll that out with version 3 or maybe 7."

Push email- Mobile ME to the rescue for an additional $100 a year. There is of course Microsoft exchange but if you don't have it then your back to square one. This I found out from iPhone support at Apple.

We all know the battery issues and the need to continually hunt for electricity. Be sure not to leave the house with your WiFi on or use a bluetooth headset for more than two minutes. Of course you have no choice but to use a headset because of the wonderfully rich glass screen that cuts a line into your ear making each call over 5 minutes a real commitment to pain. The iPhone is meant for anything and everything accept making a call.

Please don't misunderstand my angst but after putting this device through it's paces it falls into the category of iMovie and LiveType. They are wonderful programs that make the average consumer feel creative by eliminating options. I gladly use these programs and believe their million times better than any Microsoft product but when I want to edit a movie I use Final Cut Pro and After Effects not iMovie and LiveType. iPhone has become an App factory meant to suck more cash out of us while creating an non-social generation with thumbs that can lift a small car.

Final thought/irritation and I don't mean to pile on but is it to much to ask for "cut and paste". For some clarity on that lets try to decipher the reasoning of the crack design team on this one. The reality is I've got a screen that will zoom, rotate, knows orientation and even knows when i've got the blasted thing next to my ear; pretty cool technology. So was it impossible to include "cut and paste"? Next time you want to move info to your "GPS assisted" GOOGLE MAPS, you might want to have a good memory or a pen handy because you can't cut and paste it. (Of course there is an app for it and it only costs ______.)

Now if you want to watch movies, pick a restaurant or know the proper way to exercise your thumbs while lifting weights at the gym then the iphone is for you. But if you need your email "NOW" and would like to know preciously where you are and how to get where you're going then you might find the iPhone a little hit-and-miss. When I say "hit-n-miss" this wonderful piece of programmed technology placed me in the LA reservoir twice last week.

Before I forget. In a recent post on this site someone asked the question, “is the BB Bold pretty?” Not really but neither are most of it's users. Remember BB owners are professional phone users who need vital information not iTunes latest "U2" essentials download.

I'm sure I'm going to hear from those of you who are red-faced and unable to collect your thoughts but I needed to get this off my chest and who knows maybe a design person from Apple will read it and realize they could do better.

DarsMind
Professional Phone User and Creative Professional
(Quad G5, MacBook Pro, PowerMac G4, PowerMac G3 and lot of crap made by Apple.)

Obviously, you didn't use spell-check, grammar-check, or fact-check before you submitted this post. There are a number of glaring errors in each category.

1. The iPhone 3G does have GPS and usally locates me within 10 feet or less.
2. It's line of sight not "line of site".
3. It's a Red Ryder BB gun.
4. "A need is a learned WANT!"

Just my two cents worth.

 

[ryanw]

Overall, a well-spent $20. Am contemplating buying the west version just in case Apple decides to stop offering this app. (Still kicking self for not getting tethering app when it was available.)

Well, this is why I just HAD to jailbreak my phone. Use qwickpwn, go into cydia (App Store for jailbroken phones), install PDANET. It works awesome!

 

[SFStateStudent]

Gawd, I don't need this app. What have I done? Yeah, it does take forever to startup...

 

[knewsom]

2. It's line of sight not "line of site".
3. It's a Red Ryder BB gun.

Actually, I believe it IS line of sight. The GPS signal is not powerful enough to be read through numerous objects, thus it must be line of SIGHT with the satellite. WTF would line of "site" be anyways?? ...kinda ironic, considering the nature of your post.

To all those people criticizing Apple's Greed.



...dude. They're a CORPORATION. WTF do you expect? Corporations exist for one single purpose, and that is to make money for their shareholders. Not to make customers happy. If you don't understand that, then go watch this movie, you can torrent it for free, LEGALLY.

-K

 

[NateOMatic]

why do people need this? seriously...

the built-in google maps gps works just as well as this $40 ($20 for East; $20 for West) app. the only difference is you get some semi-fancy ground level view with a little arrow and some distance markers.

who cares? just turn on your free app, google maps and tap the gps location button to bring up your location via a blue dot; type in your destination you want to get to; zoom in a little so you can read the names of every single street; follow the path and dot; and I'm sure your brain can do the rest to get you to your destination.

The number one reason I bought this app (actually both US apps) is that the maps are preloaded and do not require cellular or wifi signal to use. The other main reason, and how I found the apps originally, was that they use Navteq data instead of Google Maps' usually inferior TeleAtlas database.

Google does have far better cartography than this app or any other standalone GPS or online mapping program I've seen, but the Maps app tends to be useless in two scenarios: 1) when there is no cell service, and 2) when there is excellent service but I happen to really need the info and it suddenly hangs up on loading any imagery, generally in urban areas approaching complex junctions.

The lack of voice prompts doesn't affect me, as I use GPS for location rather than navigation: when driving, I learn the route in advance and simply execute it. Besides, I currently travel by bus and so there is no danger in my using the app.

Worth the money for me, especially when compared with the cost of a standalone.