Google owns us all -- Free Google Maps Navigation

[coxmaster]

Originally posted by: dandruff
Garmin atleast has been focussing on avionics and phones itself ...

Ya, Garmin is definitely not going out of business just from this. The aviation industry LOVES garmin. Especially since the G3000 was unveiled

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Kalmah

Originally posted by: Aharami
way cool but will have to get unlimited data plan for this. that might negate any cost savings over a dedicated GPS device

That's what I was thinking. Unless you already use an unlimited data plan, you pretty much have to add an extra $30+ to your cell bill a month.

If I didn't have to worry about stuff such as ping for online gaming, I'd probably not be using a landline internet and just use unlimited data with my cell.


edit: woa, I just got un-timewarped. I was timewarped.. and moved back. I don't think my flux capacitor is getting 1.21 jiggawatts.

Most people who are interested in this will probably already have an unlimited data plan though.

 

[clamum]

I love you Google.

 

[Platypus]

sweet, going to load this on the droid as soon as that puppy comes out

 

[vi edit]

Um yeah, I'll take the nice big touch screen of my Garmin over a cell phone for in car navigation any day, thank you.

Plus what happens when you are in BFE no where and your cell coverage isn't available? Unless I'm in a tunnel i'm pretty much guaranteed that GPS is going to work.

 

[Fritzo]

This is bread and butter business for cellphone providers---I wonder if they're going to allow this on their Android phones. I could see Verizon blocking this app.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: vi edit
Um yeah, I'll take the nice big touch screen of my Garmin over a cell phone for in car navigation any day, thank you.

Plus what happens when you are in BFE no where and your cell coverage isn't available? Unless I'm in a tunnel i'm pretty much guaranteed that GPS is going to work.

Um....most of the Android phones work off of GPS, not cell towers.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
This is bread and butter business for cellphone providers---I wonder if they're going to allow this on their Android phones. I could see Verizon blocking this app.

It's included with the DROID (and all Android 2.0 phone) and that's what Google has been demoing the app with.

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
This is bread and butter business for cellphone providers---I wonder if they're going to allow this on their Android phones. I could see Verizon blocking this app.

You've got a point.. Verizon charges $9.99/mo for VZW Navigator.

But Verizon may get a lot of heat if they try to block Google Maps Navigation like AT&T did with Google Voice.

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Fritzo
This is bread and butter business for cellphone providers---I wonder if they're going to allow this on their Android phones. I could see Verizon blocking this app.

It's included with the DROID (and all Android 2.0 phone) and that's what Google has been demoing the app with.

Nice, less work

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: jonny13

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: jonny13
I honestly don't see this threatening Garmin or Tom Tom, at least until it can be untethered from the web. I currently use Google Maps on a Blackberry, but once you get out of the large metro areas, it's worthless when your connections get weaker. That might not be an issue on the Coasts, but there are large areas of weak cell reception in the middle of the US and web based GPS apps make good paper weights there.

Maps cache along your intended route, so even if your connection dies along the way the route will still show you what you need to see, and text-to-speech voice synthesis of street names still works, too.

Ooops, missed that part. I stand corrected, Google will own this market soon.

But if you stray from your intended route, you're fucked. I don't see this as a replacement for a stand-alone GPS product, considering you basically need a constant connection to make it 100% functional. That connection means a cell phone subscription - so much for it being free.

I would be shocked if it didn't cache a decent buffer zone surrounding your route as well. It seems to me that you would need to both deviate significantly from your intended route as well as experience a persistent loss of connectivity. The odds of the two happening in conjunction have to be very low for the majority of users on Verizon's network.

ZV

 

[IceBergSLiM]

google pwning noobs once again.

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: mb

Originally posted by: Fritzo
This is bread and butter business for cellphone providers---I wonder if they're going to allow this on their Android phones. I could see Verizon blocking this app.

You've got a point.. Verizon charges $9.99/mo for VZW Navigator.

But Verizon may get a lot of heat if they try to block Google Maps Navigation like AT&T did with Google Voice.

Verizon has already stated they are not going to block anything on the Droid + their new Android line.

Whether or not that holds true in the long run remains to be seen. I think they realized that Android is the only other realistic platform out there that stands a chance (user base for app dev) and they decided to finally relinquish their ridiculous control on their devices.

 

[n yusef]

Will this come to the iPhone?

 

[zoiks]

google is teh awesome.

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: vi edit
Um yeah, I'll take the nice big touch screen of my Garmin over a cell phone for in car navigation any day, thank you.

I bet you won't carry your Garmin in your pocket any day

Plus what happens when you are in BFE no where and your cell coverage isn't available? Unless I'm in a tunnel i'm pretty much guaranteed that GPS is going to work.

GPS is GPS...Navigation on phones runs off of a GPS receiver, not cell reception.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: vi edit
Um yeah, I'll take the nice big touch screen of my Garmin over a cell phone for in car navigation any day, thank you.

I bet you won't carry your Garmin in your pocket any day

Plus what happens when you are in BFE no where and your cell coverage isn't available? Unless I'm in a tunnel i'm pretty much guaranteed that GPS is going to work.

GPS is GPS...Navigation on phones runs off of a GPS receiver, not cell reception.

GPS can tell where you are, in relation to a bunch of satellites, but is has no idea where the road is.

 

[lifeobry]

Damn, this is pretty kickass. Google to the rescue.

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: vi edit
Um yeah, I'll take the nice big touch screen of my Garmin over a cell phone for in car navigation any day, thank you.

I bet you won't carry your Garmin in your pocket any day

Plus what happens when you are in BFE no where and your cell coverage isn't available? Unless I'm in a tunnel i'm pretty much guaranteed that GPS is going to work.

GPS is GPS...Navigation on phones runs off of a GPS receiver, not cell reception.

Most phones have cell assisted GPS rather than true gps, which makes GPS not work unless you have a cell signal. This is true on the iphone, not sure about android phones.

 

[FoBoT]

the G1 has both cell tower GPS and satellite GPS, using the satellites takes more battery power, but is more accurate

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
the G1 has both cell tower GPS and satellite GPS, using the satellites takes more battery power, but is more accurate

I wish the iphone had the option to use satellite GPS Once android gets a little more mature and there are some better phones I hope to switch over to it.

 

[V00DOO]

Looks like I'll be dumping my Iphone for an Android once my contract is up in June.

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: ChaoZ

Originally posted by: geno
My question is, is this legal? Can they use funds from one side of their business to completely crush competitors by offering 100% of what they do for absolutely free? This is coming from a G1 owner who would love nothing more than free turn by turn.

Is this a serious question?

Yes and actually has a serious answer. (although this is straight from Google so of course it's not going to say they're doing bad things)

http://googlepublicpolicy.blog...e-antitrust-issue.html

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: vi edit
Um yeah, I'll take the nice big touch screen of my Garmin over a cell phone for in car navigation any day, thank you.

I bet you won't carry your Garmin in your pocket any day

Plus what happens when you are in BFE no where and your cell coverage isn't available? Unless I'm in a tunnel i'm pretty much guaranteed that GPS is going to work.

GPS is GPS...Navigation on phones runs off of a GPS receiver, not cell reception.

But if it relies on the data feed from google then it needs cell reception, no?

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: V00DOO
Looks like I'll be dumping my Iphone for an Android once my contract is up in June.

Exactly what 3 other people I know will be doing as well.

My work pays for my phones so now I have to beg to get it replaced with this for "testing"