6 replies to this topic

[fowljr]

Well, it looks like Windows Phone Mango has the update we've all been waiting for....

One of the features we did not hear about yesterday at the Windows Phone Mango announcement was turn-by-turn GPS navigation support in Bing Maps. Luckily a developer named SharpGIS has discovered the feature in the new developer tools and has posted a YouTube video of the feature as seen below. Without real WP7 hardware to provide a GPS fix, the Windows Phone Developer Tools let the user manually feed the Bing navigation app coordinates. As a result, movement is jerkier than you'd experience when trying this on a real smartphone running Mango, and the software can't very accurately judge speed, neither of which should be an issue in real-world use.

You'll notice it's very similar to a normal directions command except as you move along the route, there will now be speech updates directing you which way to go. You'll also hear about it when you've made a wrong turn, but unfortunately it sounds like you have to tap the screen in order to recalculate a new route. The feature seems pretty basic and simple, but maybe that's a good thing since it also seems pretty easy to use.

Yes, we realize that turn-by-turn navigation is nothing new for most smartphones, but this is at least one thing Windows Phone 7 users can look forward to this fall. Hopefully it will support multi-tasking and will announce turns even while accessing another program in the foreground.


Don't forget to watch the video...





Via: Pocketnow.com

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[GRiPHone]

That is trully a horrible bit of software - what the heck is all that beeping!  It would drive me to distraction!  Such a basic display and hard to see.  It doesnt rotate to direction you are driving and voice directions are pretty minimal.  Traffic? Speed Cameras? 3D view rather than just plan?  Its like going back in time! And having to tap the screen in order the recalculate? - come on!  Perhaps TomTom/Navigon will bring out a better option soon, as this one doesnt look like it cuts the mustard?

[The Guru]

The beeping is from the device kit I think. The rest looks to be okay for a first try. Routing looks to be better than some of the software I've been invited to test out in the past.

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[GRiPHone]

The Guru, on 26 May 2011 - 11:12 AM, said:

The beeping is from the device kit I think. The rest looks to be okay for a first try. Routing looks to be better than some of the software I've been invited to test out in the past.

Noted Daron - but this isnt the past - this is 2011! 'OK' rather lacks in enthusiasm .. and yes it is probably just 'OK'!  BUT if they are serious about this, they want to get it as close as possible to the industry standard before launching.  I appreciate that this is the first (and only)proper offline GPS navigation app for the WP7 and therefore no competition - yet!  But that will change pending WP7 getting enough market share to warrant TomTom/Navigon/Co-Pilot bothering to port theirs - although at the moment that remains doubtful.

IMHO WP7 just isnt doing it for the humble consumer at present, and packages like this arent going to tempt many to invest in WP7 without a wow factor!

[novahob]

and you compare it too Google maps navigation which is free on android, like Griph said its just not good enough. I'm still not tempted to buy a wp7 phone yet, even with all the updates mango brings

[Mod74]

Griph, on 26 May 2011 - 12:18 PM, said:

Noted Daron - but this isnt the past - this is 2011! 'OK' rather lacks in enthusiasm .. and yes it is probably just 'OK'!  BUT if they are serious about this, they want to get it as close as possible to the industry standard before launching.  I appreciate that this is the first (and only)proper offline GPS navigation app for the WP7 and therefore no competition - yet!  But that will change pending WP7 getting enough market share to warrant TomTom/Navigon/Co-Pilot bothering to port theirs - although at the moment that remains doubtful.

IMHO WP7 just isnt doing it for the humble consumer at present, and packages like this arent going to tempt many to invest in WP7 without a wow factor!

And if the GPS guidance was all singing all dancing then where's the incentive for TomTom et al to make an app?

Look at any of the software MS give away for free on Windows and it's basic but functional. They've always walked the fine line between capabilities of their free software and not stamping on developers.

Personally I wouldn't dream of giving up my Garmin for any phone based sat nav, but hey.

[The Guru]

To me this is just the start of Sat Nav on the platform and for a first stab is not too shabby. I'm hoping that as the platform startw to mature to big boys like TomTom will start to take an interest. Fingers are firmly crossed on that score.

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