[ale] Why no hackable GPS

[Jeff Lightner]

Be happy.  My new Chrysler 300 has a snazzy console with built in
Navigation amongst other things.  The new download information for it is
$200.  No subscription available so far as I could tell meaning they'll
want that every time.   I think I'll break out the old Rand-McNally
before I'll do that update.

 

On the plus side (pun not intended) the price of the car went down more
than $2,000 between the time I first looked at it and when I bought it
AND I got 0% interest which they weren't offering earlier.  Since I knew
the price before Chrysler announced their Employee Plus Plus pricing it
was gratifying to see it actually did mean a real discount (not just off
the sticker).   Also it seemed appropriate for a geek to buy a car that
was "employee++". :-)

 

________________________________

From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of
Christopher Fowler
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 2:06 PM
To: ale at ale.org
Subject: Re: [ale] Why no hackable GPS

 

Ned Williams wrote: 

Android does not store maps, it references google maps for map info.
One should note the g1 is not the only android platform at this point.
Both the openmoko and zzzphone handsets both can and in the case of the
zzz ship with android. Both of course have gps chipset.

I do not buy into the idea that the G3 network should be used by people
that need directions and maps to the local Wal-Mart.  I hate the fact
that on my Verizon phone that directions require a constant connection
to the network.   Could you imagine some idiot not knowing this programs
his phone to give him directions to  Disney from Atlanta.  For 8 hours
constant G3 usage.  If you can even get G3 on that route!

IMO, the Garmin type devices are perfect for what they were created for.
All they require is a LOS to some GPS antennas in orbit.  They have all
the data on some flash.   What really needs to be focused on is an open
format for this data so that people that want to offer this data for
free can.  Now Garmin is competing on their updates.  You can pay $69
for theirs or download OpenStreetMap for free.  





Ned

	On Mar 17, 2009 12:10 AM, "Brian Pitts" <brian at polibyte.com>
wrote:

	Christopher Fowler wrote: > > Does anyone realize what is
required to do map updates? > > http://...

	I would much rather start with the freely available street maps
[0] and
	participate in a community effort to update them [1]. Compared
to
	StreetAtlas, the community isn't doing too bad.
	
	[0] http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/
	[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenStreetMap
	[2]
	
http://blog.fortiusone.com/2008/12/12/openstreetmap-vs-googleteleatlas-s
treet-coverage/
	
	--
	All the best,
	Brian Pitts

	_______________________________________________ Ale mailing list
Ale at ale.org http://mail.ale.org/mai...

 



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