navigational software

[vba_php]

What apps do you use for this purpose? I've always advocated for mapquest cuz i believe it's been around the longest when compared to all the rest. I've never been let down when using mapquest's step by step directions. I've used google maps 5 times and 2 times it has led me completely off course when reading the step by step directions. 1 of those times it even led me to the wrong side of the city with a population of 100,000! My brother suggests Wayze, but I've never tried it. I've never tried apple maps either, but I remember Steve Jobs firing the project manager for that app when he refused to publicly apologize for customer complains about the app guiding them to the wrong destinations.

I've always liked google's services and I remember seeing an interview with Eric Schmidt who claimed that google went to such extremes to make sure their maps app was accurate, that they actually sent employees out into the communities to verify that roads and destinations were present when their other methods could not verify the facts. But alas, apparently it didn't work on all fronts. For a long time, the people who delivered food to my place were being led to the apartment building across the street from me, until I submitted feedback through the google maps app. Since then no driver has been mislead and they all show up right at my door.

I did use TomTom back in the day, and as I remember it was pretty accurate.

 

[Steve R.]

Your post just happens to coincide with a GPS navigation topic that I have been thinking about.

While this is not an app, you may want to take a look at the POI Factory which adds functionality to stand-alone GPS devices, such as those sold by Garmin.

We have used a Garmin Nuvi650 for over 11 years now. GPS navigation has evolved. How much longer this Garmin will last (mechanically) is unknown.

In the past year, we have bought both a new car and a new smartphone. That has increased our GPS navigation options tremendously.

Our Subaru Forester has an in-dash navigation. It is nice from the perspective of having a large colorful screen that can be easily scaled. The in-dash unit is based on TomTom. Unfortunately, it is difficult to use compared to the Garmin.

The new smartphone gives us access to Google maps. There is also an app "Android Auto" that looks very promising. It allows Google maps to be displayed on the car's navigation screen. Consequently, I am planning to look into how I can develop a customized Google base map (see the reference to the POI Factory above). I have yet to get started. Know of any existing tutorials on creating customized Google maps?

 

[isladogs]

Steve
As a starting point, see this link https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-static/dev-guide

For an idea of some possibilities, see the screenshots for the UKPAF commercial app on my website http://www.mendipdatasystems.co.uk/uk-postal-address-finder/4594138311
If you still have Access, have a look at the free evaluation version

Or for a simpler app, see this example app here https://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=307479

 

[vba_php]

Know of any existing tutorials on creating customized Google maps?

the only way I know is by highlighting the "creating customized Google maps" text from your post, right clicking and selecting "search google for..."

 

[The_Doc_Man]

If I know ahead of time that I am going to a new area in the USA, while still home I call up Google Maps and study the area. Where possible, I drop down to street view so that I might recognize where I'm going when I get there. In rare cases (like if my wife starts making "directions" noises), I'll print out a targeted map of the intended area.

When on the road and away from convenient navigational electronics, I make it a point to buy a map. If I can see the big picture and have at least a hint of the little picture, I don't get lost that often. Though I must admit there was a time in Canada when we were unable to find what we wanted. I'll skip that story for now because we have other fish to fry here at the moment.

 

[Steve R.]

If I know ahead of time that I am going to a new area in the USA, while still home I call up Google Maps and study the area.

Google maps allows, for the area in question, to be downloaded onto an Android tablet, and by extension to a smartphone.

Additionally, if the Android tablet has an SD card installed, the map can be downloaded to the SD card so that it minimizes the use of the device's internal memory. Of course, a smartphone (which we did not have at the time) obviates the need to download a map to an SD card.

This past summer we took a trip to Texas. One of our stops was Austin, TX. We had the Austin, TX map (plus other Texas cities) pre-loaded onto our Android tablet and used it for our walking tour. Very helpful, didn't even loose where we parked our car (which we have done)!

 

[Steve R.]

Well, I have positive results. I created a Google base map with a "rest area" layer. I was able to access that map on my smartphone. Have not yet tested it out in our car with "Android Auto".

There were several irritating roadblocks to get things working. What worked at overcoming these roadblock was the post: Google Maps Placemarks From Spreadsheets by Michael Minn.

For whatever reason, I could not get a CSV spreadsheet file to import; but as noted by Michael Minn "A Google spreadsheet can be imported directly into Google Maps,....". So I imported the CSV spreadsheet into a Google spreadsheet and the import worked.

The links below are a good place to get started.

Add places to your map

Import map features from a file

PS: A slight glitch, now that I have tested in the car. On the phone screen the custom map is shown. However, when plugged into the car's electronics info-center, Android Auto only displays the default map. even-though the custom map has been selected.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Google maps allows, for the area in question, to be downloaded onto an Android tablet, and by extension to a smartphone.

But I carry a flip-phone with the really old-style keypad where you have to hit the same key a few times to cycle through the letters. And as to smart phones, (a) I don't trust them with my personal data and (b) I refuse to associate with any OBJECT that claims to be smart. Because I don't want to be upstaged by it proving that it is smarter than me.

 

[Steve R.]

But I carry a flip-phone with the really old-style keypad where you have to hit the same key a few times to cycle through the letters. And as to smart phones, (a) I don't trust them with my personal data and (b) I refuse to associate with any OBJECT that claims to be smart. Because I don't want to be upstaged by it proving that it is smarter than me.

Very true. We had a dumb phone before. But here is another very scary thought. Our car is watching us and knows were we are at all times!!!!

The car's electronics, such as the GPS, system are integrated with the cell towers. We recently got a flat tire and received an email later from Subaru telling us to check our tires. That email was "useless" in the sense that we knew almost immediately that we were getting a flat and had it fixed by then.

So a new question arises. Do all new cars, one way or another, track you whether you want to be tracked or not?

How Your Car Is the Perfect Tool to Track and Report Your Every Move

 

[isladogs]

Hi Steve
Did you get a chance to look at the links I suggested in post #3?

 

[vba_php]

Our car is watching us and knows were we are at all times!!!!

Do all new cars, one way or another, track you whether you want to be tracked or not?

I would suspect so, and the companies responsible for it would prolly (probably) claim that it's to "enhance your safety and security". That's typically what they say, isn't it?

Same thing with cell phones. Isn't the situation with all smartphones nowadays one such that their locators are on the entire time the phone is on, and there is nothing we can do to shut it off?

I get push notifications all the time from google on my phone if I've spent more than 30 minutes in a restaurant or any other public place that can be "reviewed" by patrons after they visit. It gets pretty annoying.

 

[Steve R.]

Hi Steve
Did you get a chance to look at the links I suggested in post #3?

Yes, I did. However, I got into a search thread that led me to Google Maps Placemarks From Spreadsheets by Michael Minn. Thanks for helping out.

 

[kevlray]

Very true. We had a dumb phone before. But here is another very scary thought. Our car is watching us and knows were we are at all times!!!!

The car's electronics, such as the GPS, system are integrated with the cell towers. We recently got a flat tire and received an email later from Subaru telling us to check our tires. That email was "useless" in the sense that we knew almost immediately that we were getting a flat and had it fixed by then.

So a new question arises. Do all new cars, one way or another, track you whether you want to be tracked or not?

How Your Car Is the Perfect Tool to Track and Report Your Every Move

I pay for OnStar for my 2012 GMC truck. First off, they have managed to unlock my doors a couple of times when we had the keys inside (cool). My subscription also allows OnStar to stop my truck (turn it off) if it is ever stolen and track where it is (handy for the police to track it down).