BlankI don't wish to start a debate on the various navigation packages, however in fairness to accuracy, Krister's comment below regarding Sendero needs a strong rebuttal.
In stating first that the maps rarely, if ever, get updated is totally false. There are map updates almost yearly. Generally, of course, the streets don't change, except for new additions, and yes the business listings will never be up-to-date because they always are in a constant state of flux. This is irrespective of GPS program or navigation solution or who produces the maps. In reality, there are really only two sources for satellite maps, TeleAtlas and Navteq. You will find with the Sendero product, that the database for points-of-interest is huge. I've found businesses in my neighborhood ran out of people's homes that weren't on my son's TomTom or on the Trekker. Furthermore, you can edit those POI's, so for example, when a local restaurant changed ownership and name, I was able to edit this information. When a grocer near my house closed, I marked it as closed; now that that location is opening as a different business, I can go and re-edit that file appropriately. Then, if I choose, I can share that info with other Sendero users. In addition, many transit companies have GTFS data on line. Sendero is very responsive in getting that info out in a file that we can use to locate bus stops and which routes are served at each stop. I've seen them respond to a problem with one of the larger metro feeds in Wisconsin in less than a day after it was brought up, and add more information to the Portland Oregon feed based on a user suggestion within a matter of a few hours. I certainly won't deny that their GPS offering is a Cadillac, and that it won't work on the iPhone yet. However, it would take three different GPS solutions on the iPhone and even then you can't duplicate the convenience of getting the type of feedback that I find really helpful when walking in an unfamiliar city. I don't need to be screwing around with a bunch of different commands when tip-tapping about, so I prefer the Sendero GPS as long as I have a choice. Take my advice, I don't use it anyway. Steve Lansing, MI In a previous message, Krister wrote: Hi Mark and others. I really don't understand one thing in this whole discussion of what gps system to use. I don't like the blind specific solutions from Sendero and others. From what i have heard, the maps very seldom if ever get updated, which means that how ever good the gps is at various anouncements, the maps we follow will be obsolete, so the pois wi want simply won't be there. Another thing is that a mainstream off-the-shelf gps app could easily be modified so that it speaks whatever you desire it to speak. I say easily, thereby taking a risk since i don't know anything about programming, but remember that the blind specific gps-es sends their info to the speech synth/screen reader rather than talks via a recorded voice, am i right? If so there are means for an app such as Navigon to send the things we want it to send, such as street names and such to the screen reader, in this case VoiceOver. We have seen this done before, in games like Kings corner, chat apps like IM plus and gps apps like Ariadne, so Navigon, Tomtom and others should be able to do this, if someone with much, much better programming knowledge than me could describe the solution to the developers of said apps. If they then will listen, that's a totally different story but it could be done. Am i totally wrong in this? /Krister Secret Service: Where we emphasize Service over Secret Steve Lansing, MI -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en.
