iPad GPS

[Seadog]

Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world. It was launched on May 25, 2007, originally only in several cities in the United States, and has since gradually expanded to include more cities and rural areas worldwide.
Google Street View displays images taken from a fleet of specially adapted cars. Areas not accessible by car, like pedestrian areas, narrow streets, alleys and ski resorts, are sometimes covered by Google Trikes (tricycles) or a snowmobile. On each of these cars (and tricycles) there are nine directional cameras for 360° views at a height of about 2.5 meters, GPS units for positioning, three laser range scanners for the measuring of up to 50 meters 180° in the front of the vehicle. There are also 3G/GSM/Wi-Fi antennas for scanning 3G/GSM and Wi-Fi hotspots

This is what I was referring to.

 

[Ltapilot]

Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world. It was launched on May 25, 2007, originally only in several cities in the United States, and has since gradually expanded to include more cities and rural areas worldwide.
Google Street View displays images taken from a fleet of specially adapted cars. Areas not accessible by car, like pedestrian areas, narrow streets, alleys and ski resorts, are sometimes covered by Google Trikes (tricycles) or a snowmobile. On each of these cars (and tricycles) there are nine directional cameras for 360° views at a height of about 2.5 meters, GPS units for positioning, three laser range scanners for the measuring of up to 50 meters 180° in the front of the vehicle. There are also 3G/GSM/Wi-Fi antennas for scanning 3G/GSM and Wi-Fi hotspots

This is what I was referring to.

I took one of those "getting to know your iPad" classes at the local Apple store. We were playing around with Google maps on our WIFI's and this happened. The little hippie kid next to me just about lost it. Thought he was being spied on.

 

[henry2]

my oldest son is a Army and he tells me that we had a in 70s when we had in the military is so old it not funny ..he can google earth maps on his phone over in A-stan and look around the area and does it all the time when out on partol ..

he told me a few times that the locals freaked out when they would show them the village and a picture of it on the phone .he and my oldest girl call me from the overseas a couple of times a week ..a few times he told looking over the route they where going to take has saved there bacon a few times ..when he found areas that did not look right on the map and he would use google earth and take and look at them from the diff views ..he would reroute the team down a diff way if he felt it was wrong to take the road or hold up and light a helo come and check out the spot ..

 

[rowan]

Well, yes you will still have GPS, but to use the built in Maps function, you have to have a data stream to download to.

Now if you got a 3G, no data contract, but bought the GPS map software from another company for iPad, that would work. But as is, you cannot really use the GPS for navigation with the stock maps app without 3G to load map datanon the fly.

The way you've stated it, yes, that's true. But the GPS capability also allows location aware apps to identify where you are, and you don't need to download maps or subscribe to a data plan for that to happen. Sitting at my desk, running Google Maps shows exactly where I'm sitting on the map using GPS. And my movie times locater for near-by theaters and loopt also use my location without a data plan or built-in maps.

 

[vsstanton]

Another question on gps

So, I got in the car and opened maps and put in my address to get to work and it gave me a small line at the bottom with which street I should go to next and then when I got there I had to hit nextnto get the next direction...it didn't map it orngive me turn bynturn like a normal gps...am I going something wrong. Getting ready to take a road trip through the norrheast and was hoping to rely on the gps...
Thanks....love my iPad 3G...

 

[rowan]

...it didn't map it orngive me turn bynturn like a normal gps...am I going something wrong....

The Maps app isn't turn-by-turn GPS, which was actually specifically forbidden by Apple for a long time, but now available in a variety of paid-for apps. You're not doing anything wrong but if you're going to do a road trip then you have a project ahead of you: Start looking at actual turn-by-turn GPS programs!

The other side of this coin, though, is that having just the maps app with GPS capability has saved me many times from being horribly lost to being able to find my way again (admittedly, this has only been on the iPhone up till now) . Even though Maps doesn't provide specific turn-by-turn, the blue dot will track you in near-real-time, which I've found is pretty close to a full turn-by-turn app, and for free.

But ya gotta have the 3G iPad for it to work.

(One last thought: TomTom does have a cradle with its own GPS capability for the iPhone, so it's possible they could either come out with a cradle for the iPad, thus providing WiFi only models with that functionality, or, it might be possible to use the TomTom existing cradle for the iPhone and attach some kind of connecting cable. You don't need to buy the TomTom application to use their cradle and get their added GPS function, at least that's my understanding.)

 

[vsstanton]

Thanks...any suggestions on a good gps program...I can search but I know many have already been tried
Thanks

 

[jim_joh]

As stated above in this thread I installed co-pilot for ipad and so far it seems to have all of the basic gps functions but I have not tried the re-routing feature yet. It is $29.99 for itunes store. It downloads all USA & Canada maps so that makes is faster. jim_joh

 

[Edlex]

I'd really like to get a good nav program but I'd like to see a few more come out that are made for the ipad like co-pilot. I have sprint nav on my phone and it works really well but it would be good to have a back up for long road trips.

 

[rowan]

I'd really like to get a good nav program but I'd like to see a few more come out that are made for the ipad like co-pilot. I have sprint nav on my phone and it works really well but it would be good to have a back up for long road trips.

Plus somebody's gonna need to come out with an in-car iPad holder also!

 

[Edlex]

I'd really like to get a good nav program but I'd like to see a few more come out that are made for the ipad like co-pilot. I have sprint nav on my phone and it works really well but it would be good to have a back up for long road trips.

Plus somebody's gonna need to come out with an in-car iPad holder also!

Funny you say that because I emailed bracketron and they are apparently working on it.

 

[write-stuff]

I tried out the included maps app in my car yesterday and it worked great. Considering that it comes with the iPad, is something like "copilot" worth buying?

I also played with Trapster a bit. It's free and seems to show a lot of promise. Have to play with a bit more as the interface takes some getting used to.

 

[Seadog]

There is suppose to be a new GPS program out in iTunes today. I know little about it yet, but it appears to be highly regarded. From what I do understand, it is $2.99 and uses Bing for maps. I think it is called Motion-X.

 

[write-stuff]

Played with Trapster again. The audio annunciations are a great idea since you can't drive and stare at the map. The problem is, with the radio on, you can barely hear them. I guess my next experiment is to see if I can bluetooth connect the audio to the car's radio.

Another thing is that it is hard to report a speed trap while driving. It has an easy-to-hit button labeled "Report" at the bottom, but the pop up menu would be a LOT easier to use if it was full screen with large buttons. I can see myself driving a good ways past a trap before I was finally able to report it since you have to spend some time carefully looking at the reporting options. Even better would be two buttons, one to report cops on the side of the road (the most important types of points) and another with a menu for everything else.

 

[john]

I'd really like to get a good nav program but I'd like to see a few more come out that are made for the ipad like co-pilot. I have sprint nav on my phone and it works really well but it would be good to have a back up for long road trips.

Plus somebody's gonna need to come out with an in-car iPad holder also!

Rowan, your behind the curve man PadHoldr - Car Accessory That fits the iPad!

I want a good holder for the car too, but my price point is MUCH lower than that.

Regards,