Database Users

New Windows Live Search Mobile

MS released a new version of live search mobile a week or two ago. I hadn't seen any discussion here about it yet.
They included a few new features, including one that I had discussed with their development team.
In navigation mode, it will now beep as you come upon a new direction. So if you have roughly .1 mile before a turn, you'll hear a beep. You'll get another alert as you reach the instruction, and one after it has completed successfully.
I would also like the mention that the wls mobile team is very responsive about feedback. They must be operating rouge at Microsoft because they actually hear, respond to, and implement user feedback.
Like I said, I discussed the navigation alerts with them and they implemented and released a new version within something like two weeks.
To get the new version point your mobile browser to:
wls.live.com/
Unfortunately they seem somewhat quiet when new versions come out. You kind of have to find the features on your own. I think they share a msdn blog with the windows live search team, which is a shame they don't have their own.
http://blogs.msdn.com/livesearch/default.aspx

New Live Search beats Google Maps
I much prefer Live Search Mobile over Google Maps for driving around town. I couldn't figure out how to get Google Maps to auto scroll--Live Search has the option to Center on GPS, so your arrow stays in the center of the screen and it magically moves the maps. Also like how it caches maps so its not always sucking down data--I was getting a bunch of connection errors with GoogMaps on my Sprint Mogul.
Good tip with the audible notification about an upcoming turn. Maybe have a config option to choose the sound? I want something louder and more annoying, or maybe I just need to turn down my radio.
One feature I'd like to see is the ability to not have to store my Current GPS position when using the Directions--just use wherever I am and get on with it instead of asking me to save, then asking me to overwrite existing. Its a few extra steps I may not want to do while driving...err, when I stop at a red light.

Newest Version #?
I have always prefered WLS over Google Maps mobile. I would say that WLS really is a huge part of what makes WM rock.
Does anyone know the version # of the most recent release.
My Version Shows:
2.5.2908.31943
pretty sure that is the newest, but just wanted to confirm.

Location based reminders (Shopping List?)

Have you ever told yourself "The next time I'm at the shops, I better pick up XYZ", but then you get the shops and completely forget about it? It could be any variant, like:
"The next time I'm at the bank..."
"The next time I go to Mom's place..."
Etc.
Imagine having a GPS powered application that popped up a reminder the next time you were within X metres of a pre-saved location. That would kill the battery, wouldn't it, because you'd have to leave the GPS on the whole time.
I like what Google Maps have done to their latest edition which can show you an estimate of your location based on Cell Info. Can this be used to make a location based reminder application?
Perfection would be if the application could pickup the location of an Outlook Task as well, and if it recognises a saved location in the text of the Task, it would pop up. Just a thought...more likely wishful thinking
I've search the net, but I don't think an application with this capability exists. If anyone knows of one, please do let me know. If someone thinks they can make one, that would be great too. I'm not a programmer, but I would willing be a tester or provide creative/functionality input, if you like.
Thanks,
K

Please be encouraged
This is a great idea...and if we dont do it here we will wish we had....one of those things that just makes life simpler and once we implement it wont know how we got by without it....let's say you have something in the trunk or back seat that you keep meaning to drop off...say the dry cleaning or the computer you promised your neice or church....but you never remember obviously till you get home and see it while grabbing your things out of the car...well this type of service would go a long way to help you look like you're not the absent minded geek that we all know we really are!!.......while we're dreaming it up...how about a part of it functions like this...lets say you're driving out and about and see say a house you like...cause maybe you're in the market... a few taps would bookmark your location within a few hundred meters....and the next time or every time depending on how you have it set up...you'd be alerted that you were near your bookmarked location...sweet

Well apps like SKScheMA and PhoneAlarm allow system changes based on cellid so it should certainly be possible to set up a pop up box with a todo based on cell id. I guess the tricky part would be a nice gui.

you'll need to have gps on all the time, so your ppc won't last half a day !

lastnikita said:
you'll need to have gps on all the time, so your ppc won't last half a day !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You obviously didn't read the entire post. I already mentioned the battery drain issue if the GPS was used. The alternative was CellID. Thanks for taking an interest though.

That's a great idea. Phonealarm has location based profiles using cell ID. I'm sure that a skilled developer could use that to make an app that does what you offer...

TrackMe offers this feature

kishengajjar said:
You obviously didn't read the entire post. I already mentioned the battery drain issue if the GPS was used. The alternative was CellID. Thanks for taking an interest though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry I replied too fast
now another problem is, from what I've seen on my device, tri-positionning was not accurate at all, around 500m accuracy as opposed to few meters of GPS. That could still be useful from town to town needs, though (like "go see your mother !" )

pmcall said:
TrackMe offers this feature
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed the link to the App you suggested. Although the main page for the app doesn't talk about this CellID feature and the reminders, it looks like the update logs have them mentioned, and the screenshots look like the reminders must work the way I'd like.
UNFORTUNATELY, I've got an HTC TyTN which doesn't have a lot of memory for me to install .NET Compact 3.5 (I've got other required apps installed which I can't remove) so I can test the darn thing.
Perhaps if some of the other contributors to this thread would like to try it out and let me know, please?
I'm going to buy a Touch Pro next month (when they finally release an Invisible Shield for it) and I'm going to officially love this program, it it does what I want it to.
Ciao
K

lastnikita said:
sorry I replied too fast
now another problem is, from what I've seen on my device, tri-positionning was not accurate at all, around 500m accuracy as opposed to few meters of GPS. That could still be useful from town to town needs, though (like "go see your mother !" )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry about it. We all skim through sometimes. In fact, when I first mentioned the idea to my brother, he barged in with the same comment, just as I was getting to it
I think 300 - 500M would be sufficient if you needed to remind yourself to pickup a tub of your favorite coffee then ext time you were at your supermarket (unless you live next door to the supermarket).

lastnikita said:
sorry I replied too fast
now another problem is, from what I've seen on my device, tri-positionning was not accurate at all, around 500m accuracy as opposed to few meters of GPS. That could still be useful from town to town needs, though (like "go see your mother !" )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For those of us that live in relatively big cities, 500m is usually enough for those things...

pmcall said:
TrackMe offers this feature
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I took another look at the app you suggested (Is it the one by Espinosa?). It looks like it's a full featured location tracking application, but I don't think it has the specific feature discussed in this thread.
In fact, the app seems to be way too big to be practical for everyday use anyway.
If I'm looking at the wrong TrackMe, do let me know.
K

kramerica2 said:
For those of us that live in relatively big cities, 500m is usually enough for those things...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here here. Or is it hear hear?. Not sure, but what the hell...I agree with you

I've installed TrackME. seems that it doesn't have the required feature...

kramerica2 said:
I've installed TrackME. seems that it doesn't have the required feature...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I noticed. So I see we're still looking for an app that does this. If anyone finds one, do post

Android
Funny this came up because I was checking google android last night and noticed that someone won 250,000 with an app that does exactly this as well as lets you price check other stores in the area
Here is the link:
http://code.google.com/android/adc_gallery/
hmmmm....just looking again and its not there. I know I seen something just like what you are talking about on andriod yesterdy

kishengajjar said:
Yes, I noticed. So I see we're still looking for an app that does this. If anyone finds one, do post
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In TrackMe -> yes the one by Espinoza -> Menu|Tools|Geofence|ShowAlerts|Add|General
where you have the option of specifying a Latitude and Longitude the distance from the lat and long, and whether to fire an event based on if you are in the area or not. In the NotificationsTab you can specify if an e-mail or sms is to be sent, and what address/number to send the notification too.

pmcall said:
In TrackMe -> yes the one by Espinoza -> Menu|Tools|Geofence|ShowAlerts|Add|General
where you have the option of specifying a Latitude and Longitude the distance from the lat and long, and whether to fire an event based on if you are in the area or not. In the NotificationsTab you can specify if an e-mail or sms is to be sent, and what address/number to send the notification too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want a SMS or an e-mail. I want that the application will open a specific note when I reach a certain place. Or a pop-up reminder.

PhoneAlarm would be the best. It does not have the exact feature you are looking for, but you can ask it to run certain program/application when you are within a certain CellID choosen by you. You can also label the CellID to your liking.
If you buy the software, you can actually ask the author to add the feature you want. He is very open to suggestions. And if you do, you can also ask him to monitor the CellID first, and if you are in the CellID, then the GPS can be used to track the range of the specified point.
Good luck.
Edit: I just checked the software, it has the feature of using the GPS for location detection.

PhoneAlarm can indeed solve the problem. You need to make permanent notes for each location, and then tell PhoneAlarm to open the specific note for your location.
For example: you make a shopping list note, create a profile on PhoneAlarm that's called Shopping, and tell it to open that note when switching to Shopping profile. You can keep the note itself, just change it's content. The same thing can be done for the bank, parents' house, etc...
My only problem with PhoneAlarm is major battery drain...

Some tips for setting up favourite places in Google Maps for easy navigation...

I was finding it a bit of a struggle working out the best way to add my Google Contacts to the maps so they were organised sensibly and easy to lookup when using maps/navigation on the phone. Since I couldn’t find a step by step guide to piece it all together, I thought I’d post something here as it may be helpful to others muddling through like me.
I didn’t find an easy way to add all my contacts to the map, but then again I don’t think that’s a major problem - after all, I’m not likely to be visiting everyone listed in my address book.
Here’s what worked for me (there are two choices for the first step, depending whether your using the phone or tour desktop):
1. Adding Stars/Favourites To The Map (Phone)
You can add “Stars” to for your Google Contact from the People app on the phone. Select the contact, then "View home/work address", and assuming there's enough detail it will take you to that point on the map. Click on the marker, and you'll get the black Google Map screen which includes a greyed out star just below the clock. Click this and you’ll get a star on added to your map.
Or...
1. Adding Stars/Favourites To The Map (Desktop)
You can add “Stars” to for your Google Contact to Google Maps by going to the contacts page (http://www.google.com/contacts), selecting the contact and clicking the Map link (next to the address). This will bring up the Google Map page with a marker for that particular contact’s address. The address should also be listed at the left-hand side with a bold blue link. Next to that link will be a feint blue star outline. Click this and you’ll get a star on added to your map.
2. Renaming/Removing Favourites (Desktop)
That’s all well and good, but this star may not have the most convenient name. For example, it might be called “142 Main Street, Leicester”, but for the benefit of navigation, you may want to refer to it as “Home”, or “Dave’s House” etc.
To change the description to something more memorable, go to the Google Bookmarks page (https://www.google.com/bookmarks). Here you’ll be able to see all the starred items on your map and more importantly edit or delete them.
(Stared Items can also be viewed from the “My Maps” page from the main Google Maps site - but you can only view/select them, and not actually edit the details here.)
3. Using Your Favourites (Phone)
After synching your phone, when you bring up Google Maps Navigation Icon (i.e. the relatively new Blue Arrow that appeared in the 4.2.0 update) you’ll see all your favourite places, named accordingly under Choose Destination, “Starred Items”.
You can also access them from the main Google Maps App by clicking on the Bookmark icon next to the Start/End destination options that if you select “Directions”.
Hope this helps!
Matt

If you hold down the magnifying glass and say navigate (contact name) it will take you there,
Fon22

It's all a bit clunky though isn't it? You'd have thought that google would've come up with something at least as good as apple on one of their flagship products!? I got used to using my mrs iphone and it's so intuitive and integrated to add data between maps and contacts and the web.
Not on android. Took me a week to find out how to add a stupid star - which i don't seem to be able to turn off after either and have to have it on my screen. would be good to be able to toggle stars/pins in different layers - ie friends addresses, restaurants etc and to be able to easily integrate between web, maps and contacts.
You'll probably tell me you can - i hope so.

jooliohoolio said:
It's all a bit clunky though isn't it? You'd have thought that google would've come up with something at least as good as apple on one of their flagship products!? I got used to using my mrs iphone and it's so intuitive and integrated to add data between maps and contacts and the web.
Not on android. Took me a week to find out how to add a stupid star - which i don't seem to be able to turn off after either and have to have it on my screen. would be good to be able to toggle stars/pins in different layers - ie friends addresses, restaurants etc and to be able to easily integrate between web, maps and contacts.
You'll probably tell me you can - i hope so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you can delete the stars from the bookmarks page (http://www.google.com/bookmarks).
I'm still learning myself, but you're right, it is very clunky. It'd be nice if you could just add a star for the contact to the map with a single click from the phone.
EDIT: You can also delete them using the phone by selecting a star on the map, then deselecting the star in the same way you add it. Whilst you can simply add a star, I can't see a simple way of giving it a sensible name - the one you get always seems to be the first line of the address. It's the renaming bit (Step 2 in my OP) that was the main "missing link" for me, but it's perhaps not quite as clunky as I first thought.
With regards to layers, you can create a map online (My Maps -> Create New Maps) then add/copy places to that map. From the phone, you can then see a specific map by selecting Layers -> More Layers -> My Maps.

NavDroyd - 100% Offline navigation with Open Street Maps

hello guys,
i stumbled over an app called navdroyd in the market. it promises 100% offline turn by turn routing and tts with osm and android tts voice (sdk >1.6). does anybody has some experience with this app? it sounds really promising so I tried the free mapdroyd app from same developer.
navdroyd $6.49/€4.99: http://www.androidpit.com/en/android/market/apps/app/com.osa.android.navdroyd/NavDroyd
mapdroyd free: http://www.androidpit.com/en/android/market/apps/app/com.osa.android.mapdroyd/MapDroyd
mapdroyd works like a charm. you can download worldwide mapcontent via wifi an store them on sd but i'm missing the ability to search and set pois, which navdroyd provides. I think this would be a really awesome alternative to navigon or motonav for people without a dataplan. but before I purchase this app, maybe somebody can share his experience!?

hi there..
i've try both apps on my phone and yes navdroyd is much better than mapdroyd. actually both interfaces and appearance are quite similar but the diff is u get "cruise mode" on navdroyd which provides you 3d navigation =)

ahm ... yeah, that was already clear for me ... just like its named navdroyd and their homepages mapdroyd.com and navdroyd.com discribe: mapdroyd shows map and navdroyd navigates you ... i wanted to know how good this works, not which abilities each program has
e.g ... i'm interested if navdroyd announces only directions or also streetnames via text to speech and if navigation continues if the display is turned off (for motorcycle navigation)... etc

Why dont you simply buy the app, you have 24 hours to ask for a refund! Navdroyd has a simulate route feature, which gives a nice demo of the software.
I have used navdroyd now a couple of times for actual car navigation. It does work pretty well, announces instructions in time, also reads out road names (with comical results when the names are not english), recalculates routes if you miss a turn and so on....
It feels a bit rough still in some places, given its still a very early version. The search function is too basic for my liking, and the routing has a tendency of generating too many keep left/right messages when in fact you simply need to keep driving ahead on the same road.
I only used it in the car, and the display is kept on all the time, so dont know about switching the display off, or even switching to a different app ?
Given it uses OSM data, there still can be data gaps, but hey you can just go to openstreetmap and add the road!
Finally, the developers are very responsive and I have submitted some bug/missing features reports, hopeful this will all be added soon. Just email them if you still feel you have questions.

Anyone care to review this app?

were my brief comments not enough ?

does it have offline routing?
i was wondering how it does it considering it uses OSM maps (yes i know you pre download them).
cheers,

Cool but realistically MotoNav is just as easy. 1 State file and bam.
I wish Google Nav would have something like this. Where I have problems with Google Nav is when I get out of Airports and trying to pull data whilst in a concrete parking garage isn't fun.
Google Maps is worth its weight in gold but I can't get into the Navigator. I use Google Maps to search and navigate mosty and use MotoNav as a backup.

you cant actually go to specific addresses like someones house

Yes its 100% offline routing and maps ... so no need for a data connection once you have downloaded the maps initially. they are pretty small, the whole of the uk for example is 103mb.
because its based on OSM, it doesn't have that many addresses at the moment, but I find that street name in general is more than enough to get where you want to go. You can also search for junctions between two streets which might help as well.

HA
petzlux said:
were my brief comments not enough ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HA!.....................

sorry for bumping this old thread but I had a question:
After paying for the app, do you have to pay for each map you download or is all that free?
Also, does this offer POIs, such as Dunk n' Donuts, restaurants, or gas stations?
Thanks.

yeah, opnce you have bought the app, the maps are free.
2 things, and i hope the Navdroyd people read this, I have been fairly disappointed in the customer service ( i know, $5) but i offered to help with the maps in my local area, as at the moment they are VERY old and near on unusable. well actually, they are unusable as there are WAY too many unnamed streets, which are named in OSM...
secondly, the POIs seem a little limited, not sure about other areas (im in Perth, Western Australia)
well one more, they don't seem to update the maps too often (definately not every 6wks as they say). As a result there is no use updating OSM for your area as you don't see any changes.
Navdroyd people please read this! I would like to assist!!!
Palitu

i'm not very happy with navdroid, ended up driving totally wrong with the out-dated maps, heck, the street where i grew up isn't even on the map (im from belgium)

Wow... they tore down your street? bummer!

alloin said:
i'm not very happy with navdroid, ended up driving totally wrong with the out-dated maps, heck, the street where i grew up isn't even on the map (im from belgium)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One option would be to contribute to the OpenStreetMap project and fix those problems you know of

wwwald said:
One option would be to contribute to the OpenStreetMap project and fix those problems you know of
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, that wont work, i have gone through and updated this on OSM and there hasn't been any changes.
Not only that, the OSM has the streets alread named. Not sure why they don't cross over onto NavDroyd...

Is there a way to replace the maps from Navdroyd for other ones like google or something more updated?. The area where I live doesn't have the street names and has very limited POIs.

Ahkbal said:
Is there a way to replace the maps from Navdroyd for other ones like google or something more updated?. The area where I live doesn't have the street names and has very limited POIs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope
you cannot... amking up the length of the message

Palitu said:
no, that wont work, i have gone through and updated this on OSM and there hasn't been any changes.
Not only that, the OSM has the streets alread named. Not sure why they don't cross over onto NavDroyd...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is with the update frequency of the NavDroyd maps. They use their own "micromap" format, so the OSM data have to be "compiled" into that format every once in a while.
It's actually in their FAQ, see questions "How often do you update NavDroyd's map database?" and "Can I download OSM maps and use them directly in NavDroyd?".
(sorry, I'm apparently not yet allowed to post external links)

[Q] Google Latitude replacement?

As we all know the Google Latitude service is shutting down on 9th August 2013.
Does anyone know of a suitable replacement?
p.s I never made it to the moon :crying:

The official replacement is "Locations" in Google+. Any reason why that won't work for you?

Solutions Etcetera said:
The official replacement is "Locations" in Google+. Any reason why that won't work for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My family and friends don't use Google+, any other apps?

meyert11 said:
My family and friends don't use Google+, any other apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Come next month, they won't be using Latitude either. I don't understand why looking for another app is preferential to switching to Google+. Is it just having to add it to your account? Or is it something else?

Solutions Etcetera said:
Come next month, they won't be using Latitude either. I don't understand why looking for another app is preferential to switching to Google+. Is it just having to add it to your account? Or is it something else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google latitude ran under Google maps, so users of Google maps (virtually anyone) could follow each other. Now that latitude is being moved under Google+, only people with plus accounts will be able to use it. Since my family and friends don't use Google+, if we want to follow each other we will all have to sign up for Google+ accounts, just to use latitude. Seems like an unnecessary amount of work, for a feature that is useful during vacations and trips. Hope this explains it a bit.

meyert11 said:
Google latitude ran under Google maps, so users of Google maps (virtually anyone) could follow each other. Now that latitude is being moved under Google+, only people with plus accounts will be able to use it. Since my family and friends don't use Google+, if we want to follow each other we will all have to sign up for Google+ accounts, just to use latitude. Seems like an unnecessary amount of work, for a feature that is useful during vacations and trips. Hope this explains it a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google+ is a single option on a Google account. If they are using Maps with Latitude, the already have a Google account. IIRC adding Plus to an existing Google account is a single mouseclick.

Solutions Etcetera said:
Google+ is a single option on a Google account. If they are using Maps with Latitude, the already have a Google account. IIRC adding Plus to an existing Google account is a single mouseclick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google+ is a social media service, like facebook, that is altogether separate. Larry Page is obsessed with having everyone sign up for Google+ because most people are surfing the web via their mobile phones and Facebook is dominating the mobile ad space. My friends and family are not likely to migrate from Facebook to Google+, so I need an alternative to Latitude.
If you'd like further clarity, feel free to PM me, rather than us having a long personal conversation on a forum about Latitude alternatives.

You don't have to use it, you just need to opt in to use the location services. I don't see what the big deal is but to each their own.

Solutions Etcetera said:
You don't have to use it, you just need to opt in to use the location services. I don't see what the big deal is but to each their own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will have to open the Google+ app to follow your friends and family. It has been physically removed from the updated Maps app.

The problem is that you don't even HAVE to have a Google + "account" just because you have a Google account. I can go into my Google account right now and delete my Google + profile. So that's not even true. To have to opt into and then use the Google + app is a pretty lame alternative. ALSO, the Google + Locations really sucks right now. My boyfriend and I are in each other's circles, have shared our locations with each other, and turned on background location reporting, but he does not show up as a person who I can see his location. He showed up for 1 hour when we first set it up, but he's since disappeared, even though I've been right next to him and seen his settings on his phone as we tried to troubleshoot. It needs some serious work before it's ready to replace Latitude.
I've been trying to use Glympse for those times when I need to let someone know where I am, and for them to track me. The only down side is you can only let people see your location for up to 4 hours at a time. When you've got an active Glympse running, your GPS is in constant use too, so it will drain your battery faster than Latitude did. You can opt to turn your GPS off and just let Glympse use WiFi or cell networks to locate you, but it won't be as accurate.
Other than that, all the other alternatives are also closer to social networking or checkin apps that also happen to share your location. I just want something simple, LIKE LATITUDE.
Oh. I guess the alternative is Latitude. I don't understand why they killed it off. I hope maybe Backitude will pull a Feedly and create something neat out of this.

Solutions Etcetera said:
The official replacement is "Locations" in Google+. Any reason why that won't work for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, three things:
1. No option to navigate to a person on the map
2. No "last update" time stamp means sometimes the locations are 5 minutes old. Sometimes an hour.
3. No accuracy bubble
It's basically useless as a way to figure out where people are at any given time. Extremely annoying to have that go away. Hopefully there will be a replacement that shows up that doesn't drain the battery. Something that automatically responds to a ping for a check-in rather than polling for locations every X minutes would be great.

ppdd said:
For me, three things:
1. No option to navigate to a person on the map
2. No "last update" time stamp means sometimes the locations are 5 minutes old. Sometimes an hour.
3. No accuracy bubble
It's basically useless as a way to figure out where people are at any given time. Extremely annoying to have that go away. Hopefully there will be a replacement that shows up that doesn't drain the battery. Something that automatically responds to a ping for a check-in rather than polling for locations every X minutes would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, these are some valid concerns. I am not a big fan of the location tracking features so were unaware of these. Hopefully, as Google continues to unify its social services we will eventually see more granular features resurface. I miss the offline ability in the new maps more than anything else at the moment. Hangouts not showing online status is annoying as well. Its important to leave Google feedback through official channels when valued existing features go AWOL. It has always been Android's nature to throw out something half-baked, and improve (or kill ) it over time based on user feedback.
As for battery... Google announced a number of new API's that would be rolling out this year. Some of which are specifically designed to reign in apps that poll/push data. I remember location services being a big part of that.I'm willing to bet this will get better over time.

Solutions Etcetera said:
Hi, these are some valid concerns. I am not a big fan of the location tracking features so were unaware of these. Hopefully, as Google continues to unify its social services we will eventually see more granular features resurface. I miss the offline ability in the new maps more than anything else at the moment. Hangouts not showing online status is annoying as well. Its important to leave Google feedback through official channels when valued existing features go AWOL. It has always been Android's nature to throw out something half-baked, and improve (or kill ) it over time based on user feedback.
As for battery... Google announced a number of new API's that would be rolling out this year. Some of which are specifically designed to reign in apps that poll/push data. I remember location services being a big part of that.I'm willing to bet this will get better over time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've already complained to google, but I'm not real hopeful there. If Latitude wasn't being used heavily, it didn't make sense to leave it in Maps cluttering up the interface. I don't blame them.
For me, literally the only thing I want to use this for is making it easier to coordinate with my wife, or friends/family when we're on road trips. I suspect thats how most people were using it. It's great to be able to see that she's left her office or is at our kids' daycare or is 10 minutes away from a restaurant without calling her a dozen times a day. Losing the 'last update' stamp ruins that use case. Really not sure how they envision people using the G+ locations feature.
Apple's Find My Friends was great when my wife and I were on iOS. It behaved almost exactly right, only ever reporting your location when someone on your whitelist opened up their FMF app. There was no real power drain associated with it. All the apps in the Play store that fill this niche seem to report locations on their own, which is dumb *and* a redundant power drain given that Google location services is already grabbing that location.
Oh well.

ppdd said:
Apple's Find My Friends was great when my wife and I were on iOS. It behaved almost exactly right, only ever reporting your location when someone on your whitelist opened up their FMF app. There was no real power drain associated with it. All the apps in the Play store that fill this niche seem to report locations on their own, which is dumb *and* a redundant power drain given that Google location services is already grabbing that location.
Oh well.
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Apple does it right in not allowing apps to just go out and post/get whatever they want, whenever they want it. The app has to register for the info, and the system coalesces these requests for when the corresponding hardware is connected. Google is well on their way to implementing this same behavior.
Having much of this stuff better unified is a good thing IMHO, and I understand the thinking that things related to friends and family should be found in + and not maps. And based on what I saw at I/O, this will get better.

From what I've heard, the previously mentioned Glympse is a pretty decent replacement depending on what features you need. It's more aimed towards temporary location sharing between people during car trips, theme park visits, going out for lunch, etc. There's no option to leave it permanently on, though, and it doesn't appear to use intermittent polling.
Now that Latitude is dead, who knows if it will introduce this functionality to get new users?

I'm hoping that there is a location history feature in the new Google+ locations as I use this a lot, but I would love to eventually reach the moon - and maybe beyond!

It's an opening for another Feedly to come in and increase their market share. Someone like echoecho or swarmly could tweak their application to provide the same functionality, while furthering their own growth, a percentage of those new users would start using their services as result.
If I knew enough about Android development I’d quickly drop an app that pulled the Google+ location information and dumped it into maps provided by the Google Maps API with the options for satellite imagery and streetview. I'm really surprised that Google didn't merge the existing functionality into Google+, it must be available as they'll only be leveraging Google Maps anyway, certainly in regards the above.

theickleone said:
I'm hoping that there is a location history feature in the new Google+ locations as I use this a lot, but I would love to eventually reach the moon - and maybe beyond!
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Location history will remain:
If you use Location Reporting and have Location History enabled, your location data will continue to be recorded to your Location History. You can view and manage Location History data on the Location History dashboard.
Note: We’re no longer supporting Google Maps for Mobile 6.14.4 and below for Location History or Location Reporting settings.

google is forcing us to use their G+, first was gtalk converted to hangouts, now latitude
i have yet to find a map of people in G+ on the PC, i can only see people on the phone
now they have a universal "location tracking" setting in android, the new maps v7 is garbage, hopefully someone is able to mod the old maps apk to push and pull data from their new location service, reformat it and keep latitude working in the old maps

laur3n.newm4n said:
Other than that, all the other alternatives are also closer to social networking or checkin apps that also happen to share your location. I just want something simple, LIKE LATITUDE.
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Hi laur3n.newm4n, I'm currently building location sharing app for many of the same reasons you mentioned. We're still in private alpha but if after you checkout the features and it's sound like we're solving your problem you can signup for the beta
Hope it will help: yougy.co