[gps-talkusers] Re: A really interesting observation:
- From: "Chip Orange" <Corange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 14:22:34 -0400
Rich,
I think that Sendaro no longer sells or supports those programs.
I *think* one of the issues was getting frequent, high quality,
reasonably priced, updates to the map data.
That issue is what prompted me to build my application around a
low-cost, off-the-shelf, mapping program, as that's exactly what they do
well (because of their mass market). This means that I, as a developer,
never have to negotiate with any vendor of mapping data for each update.
In my plan, you just go out and buy an update to your copy of MS
MapPoint if you want updated data.
As for the differences in street addresses, Mike has already "addressed"
(ok, pardon me but I couldn't resist) that one. Yes, it could come
about from changing satellite conditions or one receiver having a better
fix than another at different times, but the signals received from the
gps satellites don't contain any real data except the current time; they
don't send you your lat/lon, or your nearest street address, or anything
so easy to work with, they only send enough so that the receiver can
determine your lat/lon and altitude. That's all it sends the software,
here's a lat/lon position, and nothing else. It's up to the programmer
and map supplier to try and turn that into a near-by street address.
Chip
=20
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20
> [mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rich Irwin
> Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 1:12 PM
> To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: A really interesting observation:
>=20
> Now you have me curious. What happened to the Atlas and GPS=20
> Talk program that Sendero was providing for the laptop. I=20
> have been using version 1.85 with a Magellan receiver and=20
> Windows 2000 on My IBM ThinkPad T-22 since August 2001. I=20
> have been very happy with its performance. I use it in a=20
> Sendero e-pack and have used it not only in my home area of=20
> California, but also in Alaska (including on a cruise ship=20
> between Seattle, Ketchikan, Sitka, and Juneau), Boston, and=20
> in the Canyonlands of southwestern US. I had the opportunity=20
> to compare speed and position information with the crew of=20
> the cruise ship while at sea, and we agreed quite satisfactorily.
>=20
> If I am not mistaken, Mary Ellen's observation of the Sport=20
> Track and Earthmate giving different street numbers, neither=20
> of which may be her actual address, is not a function of the=20
> maps, but how the receivers interpret the satellite fixes. =20
> With my Braille Note and Earthmate I have gone out on my deck=20
> and been told that I was at 58, 63, and 67 Hillside Terrace=20
> depending on which direction I was facing. Yet my actual=20
> location is 23 Hillside Terrace. This phenonomenom is=20
> explained in the Earthmate manual.
>=20
> By the way, Mary Ellen, thank you for the 800 numbers for=20
> Delorme. I finally got my answer regarding the batteries for=20
> the Delorme Earthmate.
> They are Lithium and will handle extended charging with no=20
> problem. I should comment that the 800 numbers are for sales=20
> and they refer you to Tech Support or the website for such a=20
> technical answer. (Tech Support does not have a 800 number=20
> and their e-mail form on the website leaves much to be=20
> desired for a blind user).
>=20
> Rich Irwin
> rich.irwin@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:rich.irwin@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>=20
>=20
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Chip Orange
> Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 9:04 AM
> To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: A really interesting observation:
>=20
>=20
> Mary Ellen,
>=20
> Yah, it's meant specifically for the blind who have laptops=20
> rather than notetakers or pdas. The idea is that I put the=20
> software I write out there for free, but you (the end user)=20
> still need to buy a mapping program with data and a gps=20
> receiver to make it all work. Then you run it on your laptop=20
> (which must have a screen reader and windows 2000 or
> xp) much like you do on the BN.
>=20
> The mapping software I'm currently using is MapPoint from MS,=20
> and it sells for about $300 retail, a little less if you find=20
> the right discounter. The earthmate which can be used with=20
> laptops (the USB version without batteries and a special=20
> serial cable needed by the BN) sells for around $100, so if=20
> you already own a laptop you'd only be out about $400.
>=20
> Lot's of planned limitations to this approach that I can't do=20
> much about. You'll probably have to wear a backpack to carry=20
> the laptop, and use an ear-plug or external speaker to hear=20
> the verbal reports. And it will be verbal only, no plans for=20
> any braille support.
>=20
> I'm trying to design it so that you configure it once at=20
> startup as to where you're going and what you want to hear=20
> along the way, then it shouldn't need much in the way of=20
> input from you after that. My only thought for providing=20
> input if you're wearing a backpack is a headset and voice=20
> control, which I will explore someday, but certainly not on=20
> the first release.
>=20
> Laptops tend to have relatively short battery life, so you'll=20
> have to make efforts to conserve the batteries, buy and carry=20
> extra, or make some other arrangements if you want to use it=20
> over a full day of traveling.
>=20
> I'm thinking that something like the IBM thinkpad X series=20
> (which only weighs 2.7 pounds, and I think gets 8 hours from=20
> a battery charge) would be the perfect laptop for this experiment.
>=20
> That's the other thing, this is an experiment, done in my=20
> spare time, so there wouldn't mbe much in the way of support.=20
> This is definitely for your more adventurous types, or for=20
> those who already have a laptop, or for those who feel a=20
> laptop is more useful to them than a special-purpose notetaker or pda.
>=20
> I've written a prototype in a language that's interpreted,=20
> and it's caused me to run up against some problems that I=20
> think can only be solved by starting over in a different=20
> language, so I'll be rewriting in vb.net.
>=20
> Would have started sooner, but, bad news at work about 9=20
> months ago; we got hit with a mandate that we (the I.T.=20
> department) will work a lot harder to get projects out a lot=20
> sooner or we'll be outsourced. Doesn't make me want to do=20
> much with my pc when I'm finally at home. :(
>=20
> If I do get it rewritten in vb.net, I've had some offers of=20
> help for support and future development from folks like Debee=20
> Norling, and so I'll probably take a reasonably working=20
> version and turn it into an open source project so anyone who=20
> wants can tinker with it.
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> Not having done this before, I suspect that's a lot easier to=20
> do after we've got something on the table to talk about than=20
> from the beginning.
>=20
> I'd be interested to hear any opinions good or bad as to=20
> advantages or problems with the idea so far.
>=20
> Chip
>=20
> =3D20
>=20
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=3D20
> > [mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mary=3D20 =20
> >Ellen Earls
> > Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 2:39 PM
> > To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: A really interesting observation:
> >=3D20
> > Chip this is exactly the kind of road I live on.
> > We call it Wooster Pike the state route is S. R. 50 and the=3D20 =
bus=20
> >rout is r.
> > 128 and then you go about 3 miles from here and it changes to=3D20 =20
> >wooster road and another 2 miles from that it changes to=3D20 =20
> Columbia=20
> >Parkway and after you run through downtown=3D20 Cincinnati and get =
to=20
> >third street the route changes to Old rout 50.
> > So in your program is this going to be something for the=3D20=20
> blind and=20
> >visually impaired and what sort of device will it go on?
> > Mary Ellen Earls who gets curiouser and curioser by the hour.
> >=3D20
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Chip Orange" <Corange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 7:40 AM
> > Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: A really interesting observation:
> >=3D20
> >=3D20
> > > Mary Ellen,
> > >
> > > The term you're looking for is "reverse geocoding" and is a=3D20
> > function of
> > > the software and maps from Sendaro, not the receiver.
> > >
> > > To complicate the issue, most communities have stretches of=3D20
> > roads that
> > > are often known by more than one name (I travel one to work=3D20
> > that has 3
> > > names associated with it (or is it 4)), and so the one the=3D20
> > map reports
> > > to you may not be the one that the locals use to refer to it.
> > >
> > > In my gps navigation program I'm writing my maps give=3D20
> > several names to
> > > choose from for a road/address (in my example it's reported=3D20
> > as U.S. 319,
> > > Capitol Circle S.E., and if I remember right (S.R. 263=3D20
> > (S.R. for state
> > > road)), and it changes as you drive along. I've written my=3D20
> > program to
> > > find street names which are comprised of numbers and known=3D20
> > abbreviations
> > > (such as U.S. or S.R. or many others), which a map may=3D20
> > list, but which
> > > the locals don't usually use, and I move these names down=3D20
> > to the bottom
> > > of my preferred name list for a road so that when I report=3D20
> > an address I
> > > try to use the street name that the locals use (if the map=3D20
> > data has it).
> > >
> > > Aside from this confusing multiple name issue, your map=20
> data may not=20
> > > have the street your on (especially if it's new or very=3D20
> > small), so the
> > > software from Sendaro may cast about for the nearest street=3D20
> > that it can
> > > find.
> > >
> > > Hth,
> > >
> > > Chip
> > >
> > > =3D3D20
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=3D3D20
> > > > [mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf=20
> Of Mary=3D3D20 =20
> > > >Ellen Earls
> > > > Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 1:22 PM
> > > > To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > Subject: [gps-talkusers] A really interesting observation:
> > > >=3D3D20
> > > > Hi guys!
> > > > I have just completed one of my daily walks and we live=20
> in a=3D3D20 =20
> > > >small village and near the center of it is the inn. This=20
> is a=3D3D20 =20
> > > >lovely old building, very dignified and as I was passing=20
> my=3D3D20 =20
> > > >earthmate told me that I had poor 1 satellite.
> > > > I thought that was extremely interesting and amazing that=3D3D20 =
=20
> > > >something that small would have the tenacity to hang in there.
> > > > Now I am wondering with the new version coming out, will=3D3D20 =
> > > >there be a way to more accurately for lack of a better=20
> way to=3D3D20 =20
> > > >put it, way to tell you at which address you are? As of=20
> now,=3D3D20 =20
> > > >if I were standing in front of my house, the bn gps says=3D3D20 =20
> > > >"near 6811 Wooster Pike, and the trekker is worse than=20
> that,=3D3D20 =20
> > > >it says "near 6801 Wooster Pike."
> > > > Anyway to my knowledge there is no 6801 Wooster pike.
> > > > Happy traveling, all!
> > > > Mary Ellen Earls
> > > >=3D3D20
> > > >=3D3D20
> > >
> >=3D20
> >=3D20
> >=3D20
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