[gps-talkusers] Re: Seeing Eye GPS Issues
- From: Jenny Wood <kc5gni@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 13:11:55 -0500
I would like to say that I do agree with one point in particular here, and that
is the use of voiceover exclusively. I don't know how others feel on the
subject, but personally, I find it more difficult to sort out the pertinent
navigation information from anything and everything else voiceover may chatter
about on the phone. I rather like that so many other GPS apps use a different
voice to call out instructions, because it grabs my attention better than
listening to a voice I hear constantly, and in many cases, tune out
subconsciously. I realize that licensing for other voices can potentially
drive up the overall cost of the app, but it does make me wonder how other
developers obtain the voices they use. I know that both Apple and GoogleMaps
now provide voice navigation, and neither seem to charge any more than they did
before. Something I find interesting is that they all seem to use the
same-sounding voice, so I don't know if that particular voice is available at a
much lower cost than others, or what.
Otherwise, I am pretty happy with the Seeing Eye GPS app. It was kind of cool
letting it track our road trip to and from Austin this past weekend. Even
though I didn't have a specific route set at the time, which I may actually do
when we head back down there this Wednesday, it was refreshing to always know
what city or town we were traveling in at any given time so that I didn't need
to keep pestering my husband like a child. LOL I love road trips and learning
the "lay of the land" so to speak, as we travel along. I didn't bother setting
up a route this last time, because according to what I have read here,
directions are not announced over 15mph anyway.
--
Jenny Wood
Phone: (972) 989-3894
Email: kc5gni@xxxxxxxxx
Facebook/Twitter/Skype: kc5gni
On Jul 15, 2013, at 12:35 PM, "Baracco, Andrew W" <Andrew.Baracco@xxxxxx> wrote:
> I downloaded and installed this app shortly before leaving for the ACB
> convention in Columbus OH, which I thought would be a great opportunity to
> test the app in an unfamiliar environment. Like many, I was first confused
> when the app was a free download, but had no functionality until you
> purchased a subscription. I was surprised, because even if you buy a car, you
> have a chance to test drive it.
>
> That being as it may, I couldn’t wait to put it through its paces in Ohio.
> My first disappointment came when I discovered that it would not announce
> intersections if you are traveling in a vehicle. I was so used to this
> functionality in the Trekker, and I believe that it worked on the Braillenote
> devices as well. I found a button that I thought would allow for adjustment
> of this parameter, but tapping it did nothing.
>
> I also did a fair amount of walking in downtown Columbus, and was
> disappointed there as well. There was a significant lag in performance, I.
> e. intersections and POI’s would be announced long after I passed them. Thank
> God I was walking with a sighted person. I was also disappointed that the app
> relies exclusively on Voiceover, which is often hard to understand in a noisy
> environment. Blind Square, and apps like Navigon and Tom Tom offer additional
> voices. I think that for the price, having a HQ voice isn’t asking too much.
> I would also like to have some control over the speed threshold for
> announcing intersections, just like you can for POI’s. I understand that this
> is a 1.0 release, but perhaps there should have been a discount for those who
> purchase the initial product.
>
> Andy
>
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