I recently upgraded to HTC HD2 from a Nokia N95. I use my phone a lot for work when finding exact coordinates, and on the N95 I was able to input GB Ordnance Survey coordinates into a program (UTMData) and it would convert them to at least 10 other grid systems and, most importantly, insert a favourite into Google Maps.
There was also a function where inserting a placemark into Nokia maps would result in the same thing - a place in Google Maps. I realised today I almost can't get by without this functionality so I'm pretty desperate to know if anyone has produced a similar...something...that will replace my old phone?
In summary, I'm looking for a program that can convert OS coords into lat/long or UTM format, and ultimately place them into at least Google Maps(or a KML file), or additionally into OV2/CSV (for CoPilot Live 8 - when the POI functionality is updated), preferably in fewer steps as possible and defenitely WITHOUT the aid of a computer - I just don't carry one with me.
Cheers
Location Based Apps
Now that i have a working BT (courtersy of CM7) and a BT GPS ($35 at amazon), i started looking for location based apps - here's a short summary of what i've used
google maps/navigation - yes works great including turn by turn but you do need a wifi connection to get tfe maps updated (my mifi works great in this regard). As a work around if i pre plan my route while i am within wifi, i can follow that route without wifi
copilot -http://www.alk.com/copilot/ is a $5 navigation program, you get to download hte maps lcoally (the North America maps was a 1.5GB download). in my short testing this works really well - the maps on a 7 inch screen are just great and easy to see. The street names for the next maneuver are in big bold letters so you can miss it. One nit though is it does not call out the street names
Beerby - Beerby - Android app on AppBrain
yes it shows you locations of where you can buy beer- around you
Gowalla -http://www.appbrain.com/app/gowalla/com.gowalla a social travel guide is how its described - basically lets you mark and share locations with frineds
Zagat NRU - Zagat nru | Droid Apps - is a restaurant locator using the metaphor of a compass/radar - with locations of restaurants marked on the compass
not on this list but i am gonig to try to test this weekend is SCVNGR - a scavenger hunt app
well if you have a cool location based app, please share
I have read about some FPS program that does not require data or any cost and it runs entirely off of downloaded openstreet maps files, does anyoen know what program this is I can no longer find it.
Thank you!!
Mapfactor Navigator 10 Free is a free offline navigation software which uses OpenStreetmaps data files. You need to download the maps on your Windows PC and copy them onto your Touch HD.
URL: navigatorfree.mapfactor.com/en/
Try this: http://navicomputer.com/
The very best offline GPS program I've ever seen is noniGPSPlot which you will find =>here<=.
There you will also find the program MapView. With MapView it is very easy to download kalibrated maps from google, openstreetmap and others. With it you can also download kalibrated satelite fotos and use them like maps in noniGPSPlot.
It is not a car navigation program but it is a GPS program for hikers, sailors, pilots and so on. The programs are free, but because they are so wonderful, I donated to the developer - the first time in my life.
- Thunichgud -
Dieselhorst said:
Mapfactor Navigator 10 Free is a free offline navigation software which uses OpenStreetmaps data files. You need to download the maps on your Windows PC and copy them onto your Touch HD.
URL: navigatorfree.mapfactor.com/en/
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Click to collapse
^this^
I compared it side by side with TomTom7.
This had more UK postcodes and better POI.
Very impressed.
Dieselhorst said:
Mapfactor Navigator 10 Free is a free offline navigation software which uses OpenStreetmaps data files. You need to download the maps on your Windows PC and copy them onto your Touch HD.
URL: navigatorfree.mapfactor.com/en/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so I am using this, I might of done something wrong, I am tryign to get to a particular street in Florida I d/led the enditre state of florida and it is apparently not finding it, and th street is not new or anything.. maybey its just user error I dunno.
7499 Montague St
Tampa, FL 33635
Is there a way to make the program more intuitive, it took me a while to figure out how to type in tampa then it offers me like 6 different options for tampa, i have no idea what tampa I should use when I'm putting in a place. and the zip code is not recognized either.
Any Ideas?
I did make a conversion program to convert Cell Tower information to actual locations. You can download the version on SourceForge here..
Contents of the zip:
- Cell2KML.exe: Program which converts the input.txt into output.kml
- cells.txt: cache from www.opencellid.org, but in stripped form and with format: id,mcc,mnc,lac,cellid, lat, lon
- cellsNew.txt: will be appended with found locations via internet service of Google Maps with format id,mcc,mnc,lac,cellid, lat, lon
- input.txt: input file in format: datetime,mcc,mnc,lac,cellid
- output.kml: output file suitable for Google Earth, Google Maps or Google Mobile
Some notes:
- Cell2KML.exe works on PC and on Windows Mobile, but on Windows Mobile it is really slow......and progress information is not yet available on Windows Mobile (only a debug log file)
- When location is not in cells.txt or cellsNew.txt, then internet is used for getting the actual location and the positive result is added to cellsNew.txt
- output.kml can be used immediately in Google Earth (if installed on your PC) and Google Mobile Maps by double clicking on the file
- if you want to use the output.kml in Google Maps, then your kml must be public accessible on the internet. You can use a public folder of DropBox or as in my example on SourceForge, e.g.:
<br>
Code:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://touchlockpro.sourceforge.net/CellTower2KML/battclock.kml
BattClock can now monitor the nearest cell tower with your phone using GSM. Why is this interesting?
- This Cell Tower Info can be used for getting an approximate location using several services (Google, OpenCellId, Celldb, location-api)
- No GPS needed! Works on any Windows Mobile phone supported by BattClock!
- If you have a GPS this is more accurate, but also drains battery.
- No internet access needed on your phone, the monitored data can be translated offline to actual locations on a PC with internet access.
- With that you can keep track of where you have been when or which approximate route you did take.
- With triangulation in combination with Tower Signal Strength even more accurate positioning could be computed.
- If you can map the cellid to a approximate Location (Langitude, Longitude) via an offline database, you even do not need internet access.
The input.txt can you be a battclock.csv file, when you only selected to log to file mcc,mnc,lac,cellid, otherwise you must make sure the columns are in the order datetime,mcc,mnc,lac,cellid. Copy your battclock.csv file in the same directory as the Cell2KML.exe program and name it input.txt.
When you convert this Cell Tower Information to kml format, you can show this on Map applications, like Google Earth, Google Maps or an offline Map application which supports kml.
Example kml file here, which opens in Google Maps.
The following information can be monitored (displayed, logged to BattClock.csv file or to registry):
-Mobile Country Code
-Mobile Network Code
-Location Area Code
-Cell ID
-Tower Signal Strength
-Base Station ID (not filled on my Touch Diamond)
-GPRS Cell ID (not seen filled on my Touch Diamond)
-GPRS Base Station ID (not seen filled on my Touch Diamond)
The following registry values can be filled, below HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ZuinigeRijder\Status, so other programs (e.g. MortScript) can react on it:
- MobileCountryCode
- MobileNetworkCode
- LocationAreaCode
- CellId
- TowerSignalStrength
- BaseStationId
- GPRSCellId
- GPRSBaseStationId
For offline converting the Cell Tower Info, you need to enable at least the logging for the following info:
- Mobile Country Code
- Mobile Network Code
- Location Area Code
- Cell ID
The default check time is once per 30 seconds (if one of the items is enabled). You can set the number of seconds via registry key or via BattConfig: "TowerInfoSeconds".
Note that the monitoring does not occur in a deep sleep. At power on after a deep sleep, the monitoring resumes immediately (without the wait of the configured seconds).
Hi ZuinigeRijder,
Thank you very much for sharing another great app and keeping WinMo alive.
Best regards.
Hi ZuinigeRijder,
+1 for the new little WinMo app from you. Amazing and helpfull. Thank You
Location name on windows mobile?
Hi, would it be possible to use some of the cell feature combined with script or other plugin to display near the operator name or in the taskbar the name (description) of the location where "I am now"? For example if I'm in london to display somewhere "London" (in "nokia style")
Thanks
Andrea
the dragonlord said:
Hi, would it be possible to use some of the cell feature combined with script or other plugin to display near the operator name or in the taskbar the name (description) of the location where "I am now"? For example if I'm in london to display somewhere "London" (in "nokia style")
Thanks
Andrea
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Currently I store the RAW data in BattClock:
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS,MOBILE_COUNTRY_CODE,MOBILE_NETWORK_CODE,LOCATION_AREA_CODE,CELLID
And transform via a local textfile (based on opencellid) to KML or if the Cell id is not in the local textfile, I use google (internet).
So I still only know the coordinates. Via internet (google maps) you can even get the approx. address via the coordinates.
In principle it would be possible to store all this data locally, and have a lookup of the approx. address or City.
But if you have internet on your mobile, even that could be used as fallback.
The question is if you want to use this functionality with or without internet on your phone
Note that till now, I kept BattClock as simple as possible, but getting this information from a local textfile will be a bit harder (consume more CPU for finding).
ZuinigeRijder said:
Currently I store the RAW data in BattClock:
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS,MOBILE_COUNTRY_CODE,MOBILE_NETWORK_CODE,LOCATION_AREA_CODE,CELLID
And transform via a local textfile (based on opencellid) to KML or if the Cell id is not in the local textfile, I use google (internet).
So I still only know the coordinates. Via internet (google maps) you can even get the approx. address via the coordinates.
In principle it would be possible to store all this data locally, and have a lookup of the approx. address or City.
But if you have internet on your mobile, even that could be used as fallback.
The question is if you want to use this functionality with or without internet on your phone
Note that till now, I kept BattClock as simple as possible, but getting this information from a local textfile will be a bit harder (consume more CPU for finding).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, thanks for the answer! My phone is aways connected to internet...
I did put the CellTower2KML documentation also on SourceForge.
For the lazy people here (like me ),
i have written an small Batch Script to convert automatically the log-file generated by Battclock and start Google Earth
1.: You have to "Google Earth" installed on your PC (if not already)
2.: Download and extract ZuinigeRijder´s "CellTower2KML (if not already)
3.: Download, extract and Copy the "Run.bat" into the same folder of CellTower2KML
4.: Place your battclock.csv generated by "BattClock" in the same folder of CellTower2KML (For details what kind of data should/can be logged look at the first Post )
5.: Click on Run.bat
Thats it!
When everything is fine, Google Earth should start and show your Track
Of course for your next Tracks you have to do only Step 4 and 5, no more.
Greetz Tokl
P.S.: Maybe Zuinige is packing this batch inside his CellTower2KML.1.0.zip so its provided from start...
I've had this question for some days now...
If I have wifi off and mobile data off if I use GPS will it "eat" money??
I can't find an exact answer to this answer
Your question is not clear
GPS : it's always free. With that you can acess a position by using satellites
To be used with a car for example, you must have a software like TOMTOM, MAPS, NAVIGATOR, etc ...
With such sofware you will see all roads aroud you BUT the sofware must use the map of the country where you are. 2 possibilities :
- the map is in your phone. In this case, you don't need to have a DATA access has the map will be read locally in your phone
(It's the case with TOMTOM for example)
- the map cannot be recorded in your phone and must be downloaded in real time. Its the case (partially) with Google Maps
In this case you must have a DATA access and this will not be free depending of your phone operator
It exist several GPS application so try to find one which use OpenStreet maps as it's completly free
Hope that will help you