Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: routes with Blindsquare?
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 10:46:38 +0200
From: Ilkka Pirttimaa <ilkka.pirttimaa@xxxxxxxxx>
To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
I chose to use 3rd party Navigation apps in BlindSquare because now I can
provide service globally without too much licensing costs for maps. That's
why I created excellent background operations and support to launch all
major Navigation apps and to have BlindSquare doing its best to give
additional information.
For example, my app works great in India even I don't know anything about
maps there. I have also heard situations, where BlindSquare is only way to
use 3rd party navigation apps, because Navigon can't search some addresses
due to localization problems. With BlindSquare you can search and then just
launch Navigon to navigate there :-) I'm glad that for example Navigon,
Google, Apple etc. are investing their money to be able to support
navigtation there, I could never be able to do that.
This is how I see smartphones in general: There is no need for an app that
"does everything" but to integrate to other solutions that do it probably
better. So, I have currently following support with this mindset:
All major GPS navigation apps: TomTom, Navigon, Apple, Google, MotionX,
GPS2 Navigation (OpenStreetMap based), Waze (crowdsourced), Sygic (not
fully accessible so I'm not giving this info too much), Mapy
Public Transport: In Finland I support "Reitit 2.0" that can do route
planning including walking and public transportation (bus, tram, metro,
train, flight). If you know in your city/country app developer who can
handle your local public transportation API, please let me know and we can
try to build support for that solution too.
Accessibility: In Finland, I have API calls agains solution that gives
accessibility information of 15000+ public places. BlindSquare will notice
if there is additional information available and gives possibility to read
that info. If you track the place, when you get near, BlindSquare will
start annoucing accessibility information bit by bit. We have also ongoing
project for enabling collection and providing of accessibility information
in crowdsourced manner. 3 blind and 3 person with wheelchairs has been
testing this for few months now.
External keyboards: Fleksy, mBraille, bluetooth GameControllers (currently
external game controllers are not easily available)
Contact list: BlindSquare does reverse geocoding of addresses, so you can
navigate and track your contact addresses. Y
Phone numbers: You can make phone calls directly from BlindSquare to
Foursquare places or contacts
Do you have any other ideas what could be integrated?
On Thu, Jan 16, 2014 at 5:50 AM, Jeff Kenyon <jkenyon7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
That would be a neat addition mail for the program. My other app of choice
when navigating is Navigon.
I was just playing with a couple minutes ago and in order to even get a
private vehicle to navigate you have to go to pedestrian first and then
click vehicle route. That doesn't make sense and that is what slow me off a
little bit.
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 15, 2014, at 10:44 PM, Alex Hall <mehgcap@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Exactly, Blindsquare itself cannot yet handle routes. Tracking simply
repeats the clock face direction and distance, not taking roads or other
travel routes into account at all. Tracking seems to be for those who know
an area's layout overall, but are not sure where a given point is. You can
make routes, but you need to use a different app like Apple Maps or Google
Maps to do it. Blindsquare will run in the background if you have its
speech enabled, letting you hear POIs and street crossings as you follow
the directions from the other navigation app.
On Jan 15, 2014, at 10:40 PM, George B <gbmagoo@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Jeff it is because you only are tracking the point. So, it will tell you
the distance in a straight line and weather is a little lef or right or
behind while moving.
You need to create a route and then it will ask you what navigation app in
your device you would like to use.
*From:* gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [
mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]
*On Behalf Of *Jeff Kenyon
*Sent:* Wednesday, January 15, 2014 18:57
*To:* gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Subject:* [gps-talkusers] routes with Blindsquare?
HI everyone, I want to set up a route with a favorite of mine, and I
clicked for it to track, and was a bit surprised that it didn't ask if I
wanted to use something like Navigon? It immediately started tracking, and
in the next few days I am planning on testing this both on foot and when
riding with someone. On tomorrow's trip it will be in the car, and there
might not necessarily be a straight ride there with no other stops. Can
navigating work right out of the box now for Blind Square once you click
"start tracking?"
Have a great day,
Alex (msg sent from Mac Mini)
mehgcap@xxxxxxxxx