If only companies like Garmin would make these products universally accessible. Really, the hardware is there, and even most of the software, including the TTS. All they would have to do is modify the software in these products to provide spoken feedback for the user interface.
Original message:
The Garmin The higher end Garmin and Magellan products do indeed announce the street names. Their turn-by-turn navigation is pretty good. We have a Nuvi 1490T. It has a 5 inch screen which is pretty good for someone with low vision.
None of the menus talk however. It is touch screen.
There are voice control units so you can set he address and even ask for points of interest. You cannot however operate them 100% without sighted assistance. They show a list of coffee shops on the screen and you have to be able to see which one to pick as your destination.
Our Prius voice control GPS is really good. I like the way they do their prompting.
Mikemultiple GPS as they use different maps, which is why Skobbler is great as it is free and uses OpenStreetMap, which none of these use. TomTom does own TeleAtlas and Nokia does own NavTeq. Do recommend Navigon over TomTom. Kevin http://twitter.com/kevinchao89 On 10/12/10, Mike Arrigo <n0oxy@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:What can you do in the tom tom app? Can you at least enter a destination?
I may purchase it if that can be done. Kapten GPS is very accessible also, but I don't think the voice guidance is as good. The Magellan app isn't even compatible with IOS 4 yet. I'm actually surprised Garmin has not developed an iphone app. The one advantage to having a few different apps is that it can be good to have an app from each map provider. Navigon uses the navteq maps, and I think the kapten GPS does too. Tom tom uses teleatlas. Actually Tom Tom owns teleatlas now I think, and Nokia owns navteq. On Oct 12, 2010, at 7:47 PM, Kevin Chao wrote:
TomTom is somewhat accessible. navigon is by far the best in that it gives you intersection information, spoken street names etc. Skobbler doesn't have spoken street names, intersection information, but is free and gives directions. AroundMe or Where are great for searching for POIs based on categories, names etc. Where has benefit of social aspect, which also uses crowd source to get reviews, check ins, ratings, gas prices etc. Great thing with these various companies is they are very receptive to feedback, especially Navigon, TomTom and Skobbler, all whom I have provided feedback. Kevin http://twitter.com/kevinchao89
On 10/12/10, Mike Arrigo <n0oxy@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:I can type decently on my iphone, but I am faster on a keypad, no doubt about that. I actually got an unlocked iphone and I use it with t-mobile. Apple knows how to put out some unique products, but I have no idea what they were thinking when they got in to this exclusive at&t deal, I mean, if a carrier is going to subsidize a phone, that's fine, but to refuse to sell the phone unlocked in this country makes no sense whatsoever. Fortunately, they are available unlocked via import. I've been testing some GPS apps, so far, the best one seems to be the navigon app. The kapten GPS app is also good. I'm pretty sure that a combination of the sendero look around app and the navigon app will give me the features I use with mobile geo on my windows mobile phone. Of course, you can't virtually explore the map with this combination, but I never use that anyway. Another accessible app is called motion GPS drive, it's accessible, but the voice directions don't say the street names. There' s another one called copilot, but it's completely inaccessible with voiceover. I've also heard that the tomtom and magellan apps are also inaccessible, does ayone know if this is true? On Oct 11, 2010, at 10:05 PM, Michael May wrote:
This is a very relevant topic for everyone. The writing aspect of the iPhone is its weakest link. Every piece of technology has its trade offs and this is the issue with the iPhone. Like all trade offs, there are some work arounds. You will get better at writing with practice, not without some frustration. How good you get really depends. Some people are quite fast with the touch screen keyboard. Others hate it. I personally fall somewhere in between. I am still way faster texting on a keypad on the N86 than I am writing a text message on the iPhone. Forget about writing any long emails.
You can also acquire an external wireless keyboard to use for writing. You can also interface with the Apex and other Braille devices. I find this the most exciting combination. It is very cool to be able to read everything that the iPhone speaks on the Apex Braille display and then to be able to respond to emails using the Apex keyboard.
I consider the iPhone my media center and my N86 my phone for calls and text messages. It is kind of expensive to have two phone lines so I will eventually bite the bullet and probably use the iPhone. Just don't expect prompt text messages from me if you write.
Mike
From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of GianniP46 Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2010 2:33 PM To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Preview of Sendero GPS LookAround 1.1
Hey Guys, I know this is off topic, but can someone who is using the IPhone email me off list?. I am contemplating getting one, but I am nervous about the touch screen interface. Is texting and dialing really that efficient with out buttons? Or am I better off with a nokia n82 or E 73? My email address is giannip46@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Thanks! ----- Original Message ----- From: Michael May To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 7:40 PM Subject: [gps-talkusers] Preview of Sendero GPS LookAround 1.1
We sent this updated version to Apple today. I hope it is posted within 3 or 4 days. Not sure if the weekend impacts these things.
As you will soon see, we fixed the bugs having to do with the saving of settings and the country selection. We added the ability to select a POI category and to dial the POI phone number.
We will have another round of small improvements after this version gets the real world test. Mike
Sendero GPS LookAround, Version 1.1 Documentation
Sendero GPS LookAround for the iPhone is available in the app store. It works with the iPhone 3GS and higher. It will not function with the iPod. No telephone support is available from Sendero Group. There is no turn-by-turn navigation information in Sendero LookAround for the iPhone. There are
5 applications powered by Sendero GPS on other platforms, which have comprehensive navigation features. For information on these products, visit http://www.AccessibleGPS.com
To use Sendero GPS LookAround:
Touch the Sendero GPS icon to launch the application. You will be presented with a disclaimer. Touch the OK Button to accept the disclaimer. Also, touch the OK Button when asked if it is ok to use your current location. If there is compass interference, you may find that touching the OK button does not work at first. Read the screen to see if there is an error message. Wave the phone in a figure eight motion to clear the compass message if necessary.
To receive the LookAround information, shake the iPhone until you feel
a vibration and hear a swishing sound. It may take from 5 to 30 seconds depending on the point of interest data location. The swish will give you a progress indication every 3 seconds. Once you move positions and want to "Look around" again, shake the iPhone to receive new information. Remember when you press Home and leave the application and then launch it again, the previous information may still be on the screen. Shake again to get new information.
If you don't hear anything several seconds after shaking the phone, touch the top of the screen to hear what is being displayed. Perhaps the information wasn't spoken, the request timed out or there is no GPS position, in which case you may hear, "Limited position data. Change location and try again."
Once you have launched Sendero GPS LookAround, a shake of the iPhone will cause LookAround to display the current Heading, street, city, cross street and nearest point of interest based on the POI category you have chosen under settings. It defaults to the Restaurant category. Note the Variety category is a combination of 8 categories containing the letter E such as restaurant and hotel. Searching 8 categories at once may cause the app to time-out more frequently.
The main screen is laid out with output text displayed toward the top of the screen with 3 long buttons in the lower half of the screen, one above the other. There are 5 small buttons evenly spaced across the bottom of the screen. Don't tap too hard when activating these buttons as you may trigger the iPhone shake feature.
The 3 main buttons are: 1. Where Am I button: The first long button is the Where Am I button, which announces heading, nearest address and city. You receive a vibration and beep after activating it.
The LookAround software makes its best guess as to which street you are on and which is the cross street. Many positioning factors go into whether this information is correct. This may be particularly problematic if you are inside or among tall buildings. This is because of your distance away from the street and because the positioning indoors is worse than it is outdoors and out in the open.
2. Nearest Cross Street Button: This is the second of the 3 long buttons. It announces the nearest street and cross street. Again, this refers to the nearest street and not necessarily the one ahead in your direction of travel. If you are at an intersection, it is common for GPS systems to get confused as to which street you are on versus which one is the cross street. A vibration and beep will confirm that you activated this button.
3. Nearest 5 Points of Interest button: Whereas the Shake gives you the nearest single point of interest, this POI button displays up to 5 nearby points of interest in the category you choose under Settings. The search goes out to 2 kilometers, 1.24 miles. These points are based on proximity, 360 degrees around you. A vibration and beep will confirm that you activated this button. A swish every 3 seconds will indicate that a search is in progress. Note: You can hear the distance to these various items in feet, yards or meters. The default is Yards. This can be changed under the Settings menu.
Once POIs are found, a list will be shown in a separate screen with the name of the POI followed by the distance and compass direction to that POI. These are buttons you can click on to receive more details like the address and phone number. Click on the phone number to call that business. A Call or Cancel button will then be presented. The Back button will take you to the POI list. If you do call the business, you will be taken to the phone application and will need to launch LookAround again. It will of course be in the task switching list.
The 5 buttons across the bottom of the iPhone main LookAround screen from left to right are as follows: There is a beep after the touch of each button. There is no vibration. 1. The Map button takes you to Google maps and a push-pin is displayed on the screen to indicate your position. Voice Over will not announce any of the map information. Press the Back Button to exit the Map and return to the main screen. 2. The Compass button will indicate which direction the iPhone is facing if there is no compass interference, which may come from nearby electronics or magnetic forces. Once you have changed direction with the phone, touch the Compass button. Once you receive the confirming beep, the new compass direction should be spoken. If not, touch the top of the screen to hear the text output. If you are told there is compass interference, slowly move the phone in a figure eight shape while it is laying flat. When the interference goes away, the error will disappear from the screen. 3. Shake on/off toggle button. If you hear Shake On button, this means the Shake feature is enabled as described above. The purpose of this toggle is so you can turn the shake feature off when you place the phone in your pocket or bag without closing the LookAround application. Normal walking will tend to make the phone shake inadvertently and keep talking unless you switch off the Shake feature. Alternatively, press the power button on the top of the phone briefly to lock the screen temporarily. You will need to unlock the screen before LookAround will function again. 4. The Setting button will open another screen with a list of options such as Shake on and off, Country, Metric/Imperial distance units and Help. The item which is enabled will say "selected." The POI Category Button, which has a flag icon, takes you to a list of categories. There is a Picker list. Voice Over users can swipe up and down to change the category. Press the Back Button to return to the main screen and your new POI category will be used when you shake the phone or press the 5 POI button. This category list is in alphabetical order.
Note: When you touch any of the 3 primary buttons on the main screen, the focus is moved to the text portion of the screen and you will hear the text spoken. If you want to activate one of those buttons again, you need to move focus back to the button before activating it.
Secondary Sendero LookAround Screens:
Settings Screen:
There are 4 items on the Settings screen, one above the other and a Back button in the top left of the screen, which takes you out of Settings and Back to the Main screen. These settings will be saved until you install a new version of LookAround.
The first item is Shake Gesture. To its right is its on/off status. You will hear Selected for the active status. If you select the Off status, the Shake button will be removed from the main screen. This is different than the function of the Shake button on the main screen, which turns it off temporarily.
The second button allows you to select the map region and you will hear which one is selected to its right. The current options are North America for the US and Canada and the other is Europe, which contains most but not all maps for the region. We hope to add other countries in future versions.
The third button is Distance unit, Feet, Meters or Yards. The active unit will say selected. The default is yards.
The fourth button will take you to the Help screen. This screen has hints and tips for using the iPhone. There is a link at the bottom to the Sendero iPhone page, which has more details. The Back button is in the top left corner. The disclaimer button is in the bottom right corner.
POI Category Screen
This screen starts with a Back button in the upper left corner followed by the title text, Select POI Category.
Below that is the currently selected item. Touch this item and then move up and down through the list of categories. Whichever category is highlighted is the one that will be used once you return to the main screen. There is no Save or Done button. Just press Back to return to the main screen.
Known Issues:
There may be locations where you hear a POI label spoken but no data reported. Please email us with the city and state or lat/lon to GPS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx if you come across this.
There may also be situations where the POIs are far away or for some other reason the swishing goes for a long time. It should time out after 2 minutes.
Operational items to be aware of:
Map data for most countries is from Tele Atlas with POI content from Info USA. The data resides on a server so if phone connectivity is lost, the data cannot be accessed. There is no data resident on the phone.
The iPhone performs its positioning based on triangulation of the nearest cell towers as well as with GPS. This means that if you are indoors, you can still receive rough location information even without GPS reception. It depends how far away these cell towers are as to the accuracy you will receive.
When you are outside, the built-in GPS receiver and antenna can improve accuracy to the typical 30 to 50 feet range. For maximum accuracy, give the phone some time to acquire a GPS fix outside and away from tall buildings if possible. See the Sendero "GPS Accuracy" document for a comprehensive explanation.
The iPhone compass direction within Sendero LookAround helps to indicate which way you are oriented but it does not synch up with the direction of the street it says you are on. It may be that it says you are heading West and announces a street that only goes North and South. There is currently no way to corroborate this information. Magnetic fields in the environment such as electronics, elevators and large masses of metal can influence the compass.
It almost goes without saying that map and POI data can be out of date as soon as published. We encourage users not to take it personally if their street or favorite business is not in the database. Amazingly, most are.
When you press Home and leave the Sendero LookAround app, it remains running in the background but the GPS position is not active. When you open it again, the last function you performed will display its information on the screen.
The Sendero LookAround app works with the iPhone 4 and 3GS but does not work with the iPod Touch or the iPhone 3G.
If you encounter a problem not listed here, please let us know as well as feature requests. Send to iPhone @SenderoGroup.com or join our Email Lists (http://senderogroup.com/social_media/email.htm)
Copyright 2010 Sendero Group, LLC.
Michael May, CEO Sendero Group Developers of accessible GPS and distributors of technology for the blind
Voice, 530-757-6800 MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.senderogroup.com http://www.AccessibleGPS.com http://www.CrashingThrough.com
429 F Street, Suite 4 Davis, CA 95616
Michael May, CEO Sendero Group Developers of accessible GPS and distributors of technology for the blind
Voice, 530-757-6800 MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.senderogroup.com http://www.AccessibleGPS.com http://www.CrashingThrough.com
429 F Street, Suite 4 Davis, CA 95616
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