Taking Google on the road...

[toprob]

I think I have the oldest mobile in the world, I've been waiting for it to pack up so that I can get something a bit more 21st century, but it just goes on and on. However lately the battery is having trouble lasting more than a day, so I decided to replace it.

I went with Telstra's deal, mainly because it suits my calling habits. They sent me the phone, but it'll be a week before they connect it and switch my old number over. In the meantime, I've been figuring out how to use the inbuilt GPS.

Since I tend to get lost a lot, I really need an in-car GPS, but I'm happy to try a cheaper way. I've installed Mobile GMapson the phone, a cool little free mapping application, and used some handy tools on their site to install Google maps. This turned out to be so easy -- it sounds fiddly, but in reality you just follow the simple instructions and end up with a really useful map.

You can select different zoom levels when you build the map, for example I selected a low level for the whole country, just so that towns and main roads show up, but a high level for my home town -- complete with street numbers.

This works so well I'll never get lost again:)

Normally you'd use web access to run these maps, which I won't have until the phone is connected, but it does make sense to install the offline maps -- it'll cost to access the web maps, and I'm not made of money. The only limitation is that I can't search the maps without web access.

You can get more impressive tools, such as something which emulates the normal in-car features (3D maps, voice instructions etc) but I'm happy to play with this little freebie at the moment. When we go away in the new year, it'll save all those arguments over where we are on the map...

[Adamski]

QUOTE (toprob @ Dec 8 2008, 12:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Since I tend to get lost a lot, I really need an in-car GPS

Priceless! From the man that gives us all our NZ scenery!