Iphone GPS

[harleyguy]

just purchased the new 3G iphone and it has the built in GPS which works great while in your car.

i was wondering if anybody knows of an APP or software that i can download the trail maps into the ipone to work with the GPS???

any help would be appreciated. can email me at ridefxdl@yahoo

thanks
darren

[scott_b]

Not that I know of. Would love to hear if there is one though.

[propjockey]

Darren,

To my knowledge, the AT&T network is the only one who supports the iPhone. if you are out of the AT&T coverage area, not only will you not have a data connection for a GPS app, you won't have a phone either!

I was very surprised the other day when I tried to SMS message a picture to my buddy from my Blackberry to his iPhone and he told me that wasn't a feature the phone had. But hey, if you want to watch YouTube videos all day or download 75,000 useless apps (like a mug of beer that empty's as you tilt the phone by use of the internal accelerometer), you got the right phone!

On the plus side, since you obviously have AT&T, sign up for their AT&T Navigator program. It won't show you the "trail map", but it will help you from getting that sinking feeling of being lost. I'm going to fire mine up this year when I'm up in the U.P. and see if it recognizes any logging roads or other lanes of transportation commonly used.

Good luck with your search!


-J-

[ras]

I would recomment trapster.com

This cool app allows you and other people using the application to show where a police officer is running radar. I found this works better than a radar detector.

[mulchatna]

The app "MotionX GPS" is a nice app if your looking for a tool that will keep tracks, time, average and max speed.

[landoman]

My 4 year old love Pee Monkey.....

[jpsted]

Propjockey, you'd be dangerous if you knew what you were talking about! The iPhone is pretty impressive and this coming from a blackberry user of 10 years. Many useful and useless apps available... Oh, and the browsing capabilities much better than blackberry....in fact I'm reading and responding to this JD post from my iPhone.

Harleyguy, wish I knew of such an app, but I don't. Good luck with the new phone!

[1blue99srx600]

The Iphone is pretty unbelievable, the browsing is way better than any pc based smart phone, my husband had a windows mobile phone and bought the Iphone because he was always using mine to browse.

Also new update will allow for pics to be texted now.

[harleyguy]

propjockey........as of this past saturday the 3G iphone will do MMS text messages.....thats why i waited until then to get the iphone and it works great!

i will look into that navigator program and the motionX GPS app

thanks all and i hope we can find an APP.....seems a perfect match with the GPS right on the phone?!!?

[propjockey]

My intention was not to turn this into a Blackberry vs. iPhone debate. I'm a hardcore Mac user, (as I type) but I think BB's are geared more towards business than the iPhone, which is what I need. That's all.

My intention was to point out that if harleyguy has the iPhone, then he is with AT&T and could use the AT&T Navigator as a last ditch effort.

Thanks for clarifying the MMS situation for me harleyguy. So "back off" jpsted, I was correct on the MMS issue up until this past Saturday! (feel free to correct me on any of these items so I can scratch it off my "don't like" list.


But, in case you're wondering, here's why I like the Berry over the iPhone...(Up until last Saturday anyways)



1- You cannot remove its battery. It's good for 300-350 charges and then you have to send it in to get a new one. Huh? What? How silly is that?

2- Web apps cannot download, upload or store data

3- Web pages cannot be saved for offline viewing

4- Cannot browse iPhone’s folders by any means

5- No Flash support

6- No Java

7- Weak speaker

8- Glass keyboard. Try typing on that with man size hands. Good luck.

9- No voice dialing. More and more city/states going with a "hands free" law. Pull over and make that call.

10- No Bluetooth stereo. C'mon man...You invented iTunes...W the F?

11- Delay for new voicemail notification

12- Crap camera, no flash

13- No Cut and Paste. Seriously? Come on!

14- No MMS

15- Crap GPS

16- Terrible battery life

17- No tethering allowed

18- The phone gets HOT during heavy usage.

19- NO REMOVABLE MEMORY!!!! You have to buy what you think you will need instead of what you can add. Moreover, I love that I can remove my 32GB Micro SD card and stick it into ANY computers reader to access files.

20- Won't take any video. Granted BB is less than desirable in this department, but nonetheless, I still have it!




But hey, if it works for you, then it works for me! So stick that in your pipe and smoke it... 8^)


-J-

[beakjones]

iphone has terrible battery life? compared to a BB? my curve 8330 lasts between a day and 2 days... I know my brothers iphone lasts longer. It's not really an issue for me and my use but I wanted to point it out. Also, I believe iphone has copy/paste and video camera now?

I also don't use my phone for browsing, ironically about everything but that.

[Hoosier]

I sort of hope that a smartphone can't function as a good gps on a snowmobile...I just invested a bunch of money in a garmin!

[propjockey]

beakjones,

Download and install new operating systems as they become available. Typically part of the new OS' is that that almost always increase battery life as well as adding other new features (it actually added the video camera to my Curve 8310 when I had it). My Bold was so so when I got it, but since I upgrade the OS as they release, it now lasts a good two days with HEAVY use.

-J-

[jpsted]

I could check 11 items off your list of 20. And I just picked up an iphone about 3 mos ago after using Blackberry for 10 years. They're each nice phones and vary a bit dependent on your specific application, but you don't have your facts straight.

[propjockey]

Like I said, feel free to scratch them off. I CRAVE knowlege!

-J-


-Sent from my Blackberry Bold 3G Smartphone-

[jpsted]

Do your own homework, we've hijacked Harley's thread for long enough.

Anyway, it's kinda like arguing which sled is the best, there is no unanimous number one pick, I'm just glad you enjoy your blackberry (I'm a RIM shareholder).

Think Snow

[propjockey]

jpsted,

I'm certainly not trying to convey which is better, I'm just stating the reasons why I don't have/use one. And I have done my homework. I have many friends that use the iPhone, including four who work as traders at the Mercantile Exchange. Some of these reasons I have heard from them and I believe they are more than qualified.

This site, and others like, it share a wealth of knowledge to heard from many a person. Please, if I'm missing out on something here, be the professor and inform/teach me of what I have misunderstood instead of taking the easy way out with the "hijack" comment. Maybe harley wants to know as well?!

Enjoy the dividends from your RIMM stock! Nice move


-J-

[5_spot]

Wow propjockey, was the last comparison you saw based on a iPhone 2g? I've been able to do all those with the exception of ••• 1,5 & 6 for the past year and half. Most of them became native on the new 3GS. As far as removable memory, I can use mine as portable memory on any PC with a usb input. Many times it's a case of E.S.O. (Equipment Smarter than Operator).

I had windows mobile, BB, symbian & iPhone. They all have their pros and cons. I use it for buisness and pleasure. i get my emails within 5 seconds of them being sent. I was aprehensive of the keyboard before getting one, now I'd never have a phone with a physical keyboard again. Many times just like sleds, an opinion is formed without much seat time. Prior to last weeks update (if one didn't tweak theirs like mine) you could have sent your friend the pic 2 ways 1. email (BB & iPhone both support, ) or simply by texting to his phone number @mms.att.net (xxxxxxxxxx@mms.att.net) all carriers have this abiltiy. Slight inconvenience, but after the first time you just save that as one of their contact numbers and use it for mms, but we don't have to worry about that anymore. I could go on and on but am not looking to make this a debate, just pointing out that much of your info is incorrect. After using them all, I choose the iPhone currently until something better shows up, which after 3 strikes (G1, Palm Pre, BB Storm) it looks like it will be a while.

Harleyguy, as far as GPS, DO NOT use at & t navigator, it is subscription based and a rip off. Navigon Mobile navigator is about the best mobile GPS I've seen. $90, but very very good. GPS is not related to receiving a cell signal just GPS satellites. It's quite accurate.
There are no mobile sled maps yet. I would imagine the new garmin G60 could use gamin based maps though. Hopefully one will come out sometime. Navionics has made fishing maps which are incredible, more detail than my handheld, so I know it can be done. Just needs to be formatted to work.
I can post some pics later to show some of what I've mentioned.

[propjockey]

5 spot,

I agree with the "seat time" statement, however, the fact you state about GPS satellites is inaccurate, (somewhat).

Google maps for iPhone and ALL cell phones only works because:

1) the phone "knows" which tower BTS (Base Transceiver Station) it is attached to
2) Google knows where all BTS's are, yes, they really have a database!

GPS on iPhone and ALL cell phones need:
1) to lock on several satellites (min. of three(3), four(4) for "3D")to get long & lat
2) a GPRS/EDGE/3G connection to pull the maps down where the long & lat are overlaid to show "you are here"


In other words, you must have a data connection to a tower to load "current" information. This is why, in your OEM installed, factory GPS in your vehicle that is non-cell tower compatible, you get a CD/DVD with it to load current data into the hardware. Otherwise, you would get a cell phone bill for data service in every GPS, factory equipped vehicle.


Now, all things being equal, if you load a set route into your phone while in a data area, don't touch it, and travel out of a data area, it will still work because the data has already been programmed and the satellites will "follow you accordingly."

I remember when I flew my first GPS equipped aircraft. The days of "dead reckoning" and using VOR signals became dinosaurs of the past. Just set your three digit airport identifier code into the GPS unit and fly straight there without worrying about cross winds or compass deviation.

I'm a very passive man gents and I'm not looking for a debate. I'm just looking to get my facts straight to better myself for any future converstions!


Peace, my friends...

-J-

[scott_b]

While some of Prop's info may be dated (iphone capabilities) I will agree 100% with him. For business the BB wins hands down, for personal / fun the iphone wins hands down. I have both a BB and iphone. My BB is provided through work and after a few people took advantage of the company paying the bill we were asked to use our own phone for personal use. After getting the iphone I think it is worth every penny for what I use it for. Plus now I can turn my BB off when I am on vacation, they hate that at work.

[5_spot]

Prop, for your knowledge-

100% wrong.
Some phone triangulate towers to show location. iphones can triangulate if you have a signal OR lock in to satellites just like a standalone gps. I have a full detailed map of us & canada including waypoints, POI's etc, INSTALLED on my device. No type of data connection is required whatsoever.
In early august I was in the northwoods with my phone capabilities turned OFF to conserve battery (so as to not continually search for signal)and compared GPS results to my handheld Garmin 60cxs.
Accuracy was very near equal, with the garmin being a little faster to lock in and movement. Map detail and info was far superior on the iPhone software I have installed.

The GPS chip of iPhone 3G and 3GS is an Infineon PMB 2525 Hammerhead II chip with -160 dbm.

The Garmin 205-305-405 chip is the Sirft Star III with -159 dbm.

The iPhone's GPS slightly better than popular Garmins, however since it has a much smaller antenna and it's stuffed in there with a #g radio, wi-fi, bluetooth, etc. performance is slightly affected.

Like I said, I've had many and I find the iPhone far superior to all. In regards to buisness, the only thing my BB could do that this couldn't, is make/receive phone calls via wi-fi without the use of an outside program. That was a great feature. I don't know why AT&T will allow that on the BB & not the iPhone. I've found ways to make many other things work, but not that yet.

I too am just looking to make sure the correct information is out there & yours was very inaccurate.

The user has a lot to do with it. I've shown other iPhone users my phone compared to theirs, and it's night & day. I will say it didn't come out of the box comprable to the others, but thats what I like about it, far more versatile for tweaking to what you want it to do than any other, kinda like my sled.

[propjockey]

I guess we'll agree to disagree. No problem.

I too "Tweak" my phone more than most people. For cry-yi, I'm running an OS from Vodaphone Germany on mine! I guess the simple fact is that it would be less than practical to use a cell phone as a GPS device. My initial reply to harleyguy, again, was to let him know he could use at&t Navigator as a last ditch effort to prevent from getting lost.

My Bold runs that program like a rocket, albeit I live in the suburbs of Chicago and data is more than abundant. And while it is a subscription service, I use it weekly in my travels to job sites. Works great and serves me well.

To each his own.

-J-

[5_spot]

I agree, mobile phone not the best device as a primary GPS. I use it more of a backup.

I just wanted to point out that there are programs (apps) available to install which do not require a data connection.

I looked, and there are a few "tweaks" available for your bold which would do the same thing. Allowing you to cancel that subscription!


Think Snow!

[ibendwire]

I have been reading this thread with great interest as i am in the market for a new phone and have been considering both the BB and the iphone. It sounds to me that one is not inherently better than the other. One may be better than another for a particular person and their intended use.

One question I have is that I heard from people that with AT&T there can be alot of dead spots were you just can't use your phone. Is this something people experiance and if so is AT&T getting better at reducing the amount of areas with no reception?

Thanks for all the information on the differences amoung the cell phones. I will certainly continue to check this thread for more info.

[beakjones]

5spot, how do you like your 60csx? We've had one for a couple of years now and I love it. Barometric altimeter is where it's at! I don't believe any phones have that? I'm not sure but I can't tell you how useful that 60csx is for us on the trails. 2 months 'til trails open!