Hi Chip, Given the drag on battery when using GPS, how much do you think having maps onboard, as compared to using GoogleMaps or AppleMaps, actually saves?
Thanks, Keith -----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Chip Orange Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2016 12:56 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: RE: Results of Testing Nearby Explorer in a Vehicle, as Compared to Seeing Eye GPS Thank you Mark for your analysis and testing results. I wanted to offer one correction however: GPS apps in no way have to take into consideration their distance from the satellites. The underlying GPS hardware obviously does, but it simply reports the lat and lon to the app, which then does what it does, but has no interaction with distance from any satellites (I have written a GPS app). It is also offered an opinion from the GPS hardware as to the likelyhood of the reported position being in error, and an estimate of how large the error might be, but no distance is involved except that the app can then take the estimated error probability, and report it to the user as an error distance (but this is something known to be rather inaccurate). All GPS apps designed to be used while in motion need to take into consideration the current speed and direction of the motion, along with their own estimation of how long it will take them to calculate and report a map position (as a car moving at speed can cover quite a distance since the last reported position from the GPS hardware), and it sounds very much like Nearby GPS is not doing this. Given that use of GPS hardware can drain the battery significantly, most apps also don't constantly query the hardware as to the current position, so more than ever the app needs to compensate for time passed since the last report (along with direction and speed). I recall this was also a reported problem for Seeing Eye GPS many years ago (long before it was available on smart phones), and so it looks like it's a problem they've conquored, and so likely will be one APH can conquor. Thanks again for the very useful testing, Chip -----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of M. Taylor Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 7:21 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Results of Testing Nearby Explorer in a Vehicle, as Compared to Seeing Eye GPS Hello All, I sent the following to A.P.H. in response to a test request: Mark Post: Hello Rob, et al, Okay, I ran a couple of tests with Nearby Explorer, in a vehicle: Note 1: I have enough vision to be able to see the physical intersections as I approach them, in a vehicle, and as they pass. Note 2: The average speed of the car I was riding in did not exceed 50 miles per hour and averaged between 35 to 45 miles per hour. Note 3: I ran test with (1) only the approach set to be automatically announced and (2) only the street name set to be automatically announced. In either case, the results were the same. Note 4: There was absolutely no cloud cover in my location today. It was a beautifully sunny day. Also, as I live near the beach, there are/were no structures blocking my view of the sky. Note 5: While I ran Nearby Explorer on my 128GB iPhone 6 Plus, I simultaneously ran Seeing Eye GPS XT on my 64GB iPhone 5 S, for real-time comparison. Note 6: I ran both apps with the screen turned off. Note 7: Seeing Eye consistently reported greater GPS accuracy than did Nearby Explorer. Note 8: Please be aware that I am only concerned with and, therefore tested for intersection announcements while free walking. This is to say, rarely, if ever, do I use any GPS routing so cannot comment as to the accuracy of that feature. To me, the most valuable aspect of a GPS solution is the ability to simply launch the app and have cross-street/intersections automatically be announced. Note 9: Okay, having said all of this, even on an older device, Seeing Eye GPS was remarkably more accurate than Nearby Explorer in the area of free-walking, auto-intersection announcements. Comments: Now that I've got all of that out of the way, I can tell you that Nearby Explorer appears to be off by as little as 50 yards to as much as 200 yards at virtually every intersection. This is to say, as we approached the cross-walk, slowing down in the approach for a red light, Seeing Eye would perfectly announce the intersection. Nearby Explorer, however, if it announced the cross street at all, would consistently report it as being as little as 50 yards ahead; more often than not, however, it would report the intersection as being 250 or so yards ahead. I was really surprised to see intersections being announced only after we had passed through them by as little as 100 feet or more. At speed, Nearby Explorer consistently failed to announce intersections, altogether. It almost seemed as though the app was/is not properly calibrated for being used at sea level. This is the only thing I can fathom as to why its performance was so poor. I'm not certain about the algorithm but I do know that GPS apps must take into account their distance from the satellite in order to compensate for the time delay, and subsequent calculations. It may also be a problem that its radius is simply set too far ahead. Seeing Eye and, if memory serves, Mobile Geo would allow for distances as close as 15 feet and approach auto-announcements as close as 50 feet. I really do find that the extreme distances that Nearby Explorer offer are of virtually no used to me as either a pedestrian or rider. To say that something is 300 yards ahead, has no real meaning to me but to say that something is 20 feet ahead is something I can definitely relate to. Thank you for considering my comments. Mark -- The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. 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