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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:12 am Post subject: Sygic Announces Sygic Mobile 2009 for iPhone 3G |
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Sygic have today announced the latest version of their navigation package, Sygic Mobile 2009 which will be launched at CeBIT 2009 next week.
Sygic Mobile 2009 adds support for Apple iPhone 3G and Sygic hope to be first to the market with a full turn-by-turn navigation solution for iPhone.
Sygic say in their press release "Sygic is entering the AppStore to be the first on the market that offers full turn-by-turn navigation for Apple users." so it is not yet clear if the application has been submitted and approved already but we are seeking clarification.
Sygic software is gathering a growing band of supporters and it would seem that the company are both proactive and receptive to suggestions from its user-base, a refreshing change these days. The application (available for a number of mobile phone operating systems) has traffic and on the iPhone is landscape/portrait compatible using the tilt sensor.
Suggested retail price is €79 for Europe and USD $79 for North America. We will be in attendance at CeBIT next week and will update this news item as more is revealed. _________________ Darren Griffin |
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SpikeyMikey Lifetime Member
Joined: Mar 21, 2006 Posts: 854 Location: Hertfordshire. Forever blowing bubbles
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:52 am Post subject: |
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This is brilliant news as I got my iPhone upgrade yesterday.
Well done Sygic.
Lets hope Apple approve it soon, although I remember at least Tom Tom had a working app a short while ago and nothing has come of that yet as far as I'm aware, so I'm not holding my breath. Good to see it has traffic functionality as well.
It would be nice if the Euro / £ exchange rate went a bit more in our favour too _________________ Mike
TT GO6000 (Europe); iPhone and iPad Pro with iOS TT GO & MyDrive + CamerAlert |
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Goober556 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jan 26, 2007 Posts: 53
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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Unless Apple have made a pretty big u-turn then this won't have any voice directions.
There is already turn-by-turn GPS software in the App Store and in the FAQ's on their website has this info:
"Currently, our application doesn't support turn by turn guidance including voice prompt. This is based on APPLE's strict strategy which prohibits any real time guidance. Once there’s any positive change in APPLE strategy, we'll support this function. Once there’s any positive change in APPLE strategy, we'll apply this function technically with no fail as well as free updates for this."
http://www.xroadgps.com/Maps/GMapforiPhone/tabid/2463/Default.aspx |
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MaFt Pocket GPS Staff
Joined: Aug 31, 2005 Posts: 15154 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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indeed, xroad's G-Map is already available in the US app store...! no voice instructions though.
MaFt |
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NickG Frequent Visitor
Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 357 Location: UK
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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Unfortunately, it seems the GPS in the iPhone isn't good enough for providing turn by directions, so I guess this solution will require some kind of external GPS to work properly? The integrated GPS really struggles to get a lock if the phone is in a car, and pretty much never gets a lock when used in an urban canyon environment such as a town or city centre. I've only managed to obtain a lock a few times since I got the phone and most of the time when I've really needed it (in a car or while lost in woodland) it didn't manage to get a lock and fell back to using the location of the nearest mobile phone mast as an estimate. |
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Goober556 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jan 26, 2007 Posts: 53
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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NickG wrote: | Unfortunately, it seems the GPS in the iPhone isn't good enough for providing turn by directions, so I guess this solution will require some kind of external GPS to work properly? |
My iPhone 3G gets a solid GPS lock in a car and using the in-built Maps app it can track my journey fine. Not real time turn-by-turn though.
The G-Map application mentioned above is visually real time turn-by-turn, it just doesn't have voice guidance due to the strict Apple policy. |
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NickG Frequent Visitor
Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 357 Location: UK
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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Hmm, OK... maybe I've got a dodgy iPhone. I find getting a lock is very difficult, but if I turn on my ancient TomTom 910, it always just turns on and gets a lock in under a minute, or quicker if you've used it in the last few days. |
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mikealder Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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Is your windscreen made of Athermic glass? this will attenuate the GPS signal so receivers of a lessor quality will struggle, the newer TomTom units (including the x10 series) operate quite well under this type of glass, but I know of others that don't work well at all - Mike |
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NickG Frequent Visitor
Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 357 Location: UK
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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No it's standard glass and I've had the problem in two different cars and on the train... Once it gets a lock it's usually OKish, but it's getting it to get a lock in the first place which is a nightmare. I think the internal antenna is simply inadequate because apparently the chipset itself is reasonable and works OK in other devices (it's not one I recognised). |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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Mine's fine, no issues with sat lock on a 250 mile drive today but it is a little slow to acquire and I admit I've yet to test it in an urban canyon environment. _________________ Darren Griffin |
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NickG Frequent Visitor
Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 357 Location: UK
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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Well I tested it using the "GPS Tracker" application on the iPhone and compared it to the track from my QStarz Q1000 GPS recorder and the iPhone log noticably strayed away from the carrigageway on several occasions. This error margin was sometimes large enough such that any turn-by-turn software would have thought that I was on the adjacent road or perhaps off-road. If I can find the logs, I'll post a screenshot.
I might do some more testing because perhaps they've improved it since the 2.0 firmware somehow. The Qstarz seems to very quickly obtain a rock solid lock, wherever it's placed in the car. It can even maintain a lock in the glovebox somehow! If the iPhone's GPS was that good, I'd quite happily spend a bit of money on turn-by-turn nav software for it. |
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MaFt Pocket GPS Staff
Joined: Aug 31, 2005 Posts: 15154 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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the gps ('my location') stuff has been updated / changed in the 2.2 firmware to allow better access to the data for any apps... it could have made a difference?
MaFt |
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Martin-R Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jun 09, 2008 Posts: 9
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:47 am Post subject: |
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There's nothing much wrong with the GPS track on mine in the car; the issue is far more basic: pretty much only music, mail and phone can run in the background (without jailbreaking of course). All your installed apps won't; when you switch away from them, they exit and have to restart when you go 'back' to them. It's a real pain compared with say a Windows Mobile device, and my biggest gripe with the iPhone (no cut and paste support being #2!)
Try using the geocaching.com app and you'll see what I mean: wait 30 seconds for it to load up, select a cache to aim for, switch to gmaps to get close, go back to the app to get the hint, wait 30 seconds for it to load up again etc. Now imagine what happens with a navigation app if a phone call comes in just as you reach a crucial junction... |
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andyuk99 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Oct 09, 2004 Posts: 56 Location: Kent
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:47 am Post subject: |
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That is a real shame to read about the poor GPS in the iPhone.
I am still using a Palm T3(with TomTOM), BT GPS MkII and 6310i
I seem to be stuck in time until somebody comes out with a good system. |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:49 am Post subject: |
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Plenty already. Windows Mobile Smartphone with Sygic or a Nokia with the same? _________________ Darren Griffin |
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