Google Maps Using Internet

Gibbs-UK · 22 Sep 2011 at 00:41

Am I right in saying this, because I was on the impression that it used GPS and not the Internet?

muon · 22 Sep 2011 at 00:56

Where do you think it gets the maps from?

This may be of interest.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/download-map-area-added-to-labs-in.html

Gibbs-UK · 22 Sep 2011 at 01:12

I am talking about using it as a SAT NAV system, if my internet usage is going to get cained then it is not worth me using that and go back to the traditional SAT NAV

moogle · 22 Sep 2011 at 01:12

AFAIK on iPhone and Android it uses the internet/data to download the maps, and GPS to display your location with the blue circle.

The link that ghost101 posted is about the map area precaching,

As of Google Maps 5.8 (I think, or just get the latest) you can preload areas using your wifi so that when you're out it won't use your data plan to download maps. You can load up to 10 areas (each of 10 mile radius).

However this only works on Android and you need to enable the "Precache area" option in the menu under the section Labs.

Clearing application settings wipes all of this as well.

It's a bit fiddly too, sometimes my precache areas overlap and being a bit OCD about it I like to get them perfectly next to each other.

After a long battle with it I managed to precache London and a bit of the outskirts too.

Gibbs-UK · 22 Sep 2011 at 01:33

So basically I should just use the traditional SAT NAV

moogle · 22 Sep 2011 at 01:43

Yes if you're not looking to be limited by what google maps can cache. Although if you bought one of the sat nav apps available you'd be able to use the phone without using data as it's all stored in a vector format on the app. But if you already have a sat nav then it probably wouldn't be worth it, unless an upgrade for it is more than the app.

I've noticed though that it does sometimes take a little bit longer to pick up a signal using the phone so maybe the traditional sat navs are the better option.

Gibbs-UK · 22 Sep 2011 at 02:28

Can you get free sat nav app on Android that doesn't use the Internet

moogle · 22 Sep 2011 at 03:08

Yeah but they're pretty poor quality and since they're free they haven't paid to use the postcode database from Royal Mail so they rely on the free one (users submit co-ordinates for postcodes, not all postcodes in there though) and most likely where you need to go might not show be on there. Plus probably not as much processing to find the fastest routes.

Windle · 22 Sep 2011 at 04:22

Gibbs-UK said:
Can you get free sat nav app on Android that doesn't use the Internet

NavFree is available on Android and doesn't use internet to stream maps. It uses the OpenMapping so occasionally you come across a road that's not on it but they tend to be minor roads and you can flag them through the app and they will be added when they do the next update.

Seems to find most postcodes I've chucked at it too, including obscure ones. Decent voice directions too.

loltim · 22 Sep 2011 at 08:24

Windle said:
NavFree is available on Android and doesn't use internet to stream maps. It uses the OpenMapping so occasionally you come across a road that's not on it but they tend to be minor roads and you can flag them through the app and they will be added when they do the next update.

Seems to find most postcodes I've chucked at it too, including obscure ones. Decent voice directions too.

are you sure? was iphone only last time I looked.

edit: oh neat http://www.expansys.com/navfree/

sarge78 · 22 Sep 2011 at 09:05

Doesnt Google Navigation only use 2-3mb per hour, thats a very small amount unless your using it all day everyday.

loltim · 22 Sep 2011 at 09:08

sarge78 said:
Doesnt Google Navigation only use 2-3mb per hour, thats a very small amount unless your using it all day everyday.

I can only assume the OP has a poor, or non-existent data plan. I'm sure I downloaded less than 1mb when I went on a trip to Wales.

GingaNinja · 22 Sep 2011 at 09:42

The other problem though is coverage. I was in Devon the other week, and reception was awful where we were staying. Meant that we couldn't get any nav until we'd driven for 5-odd miles. Made me think about investing in proper GPS software, with local map storage.

Ginga

Greebo · 22 Sep 2011 at 10:20

GingaNinja said:
The other problem though is coverage. I was in Devon the other week, and reception was awful where we were staying. Meant that we couldn't get any nav until we'd driven for 5-odd miles. Made me think about investing in proper GPS software, with local map storage.

Ginga

This is why I dont use google maps. I was in Wales once and I drove over an hour before google maps got enough of a data signal to update itself. Its fine in cities but that's it.

Much better to have a paid app with locally stored data.

Will check out navfree though.

moogle · 22 Sep 2011 at 10:33

sarge78 said:
Doesnt Google Navigation only use 2-3mb per hour, thats a very small amount unless your using it all day everyday.

I've not yet tried Google Nav but Google Maps uses quite a lot more. You'd think the tiles would be optimized for smaller mobile screens but the app just downloads the same size tiles that you see when you browse Google Maps on your PC.

Simian · 22 Sep 2011 at 14:16

Windle said:
NavFree is available on Android and doesn't use internet to stream maps. It uses the OpenMapping so occasionally you come across a road that's not on it but they tend to be minor roads and you can flag them through the app and they will be added when they do the next update.

Seems to find most postcodes I've chucked at it too, including obscure ones. Decent voice directions too.

loltim said:
are you sure? was iphone only last time I looked.

edit: oh neat http://www.expansys.com/navfree/

Don't seem to want to work on my Xperia Arc!!..

Keeps saying 'Installing' and then it crashes!!..

Going back to 'Waze' for now!..

moogle · 22 Sep 2011 at 17:45

Actually that NavFree is pretty decent for a free app.
When it's installed just go to the NavFree shop and install the Free UK and ROI maps and the OS Postcode Database then it'll start working proper.

englishpremier · 22 Sep 2011 at 18:00

Google maps/navigation is a poor substitute for proper sat nav software e.g Ovi on Nokia, Tomtom, Garmin etc..

Sygic is good on android and is cheap enough. I just used it for a few thousand miles around europe.

AndyCr15 · 22 Sep 2011 at 19:50

englishpremier said:
Google maps/navigation is a poor substitute for proper sat nav software e.g Ovi on Nokia, Tomtom, Garmin etc..

Sygic is good on android and is cheap enough. I just used it for a few thousand miles around europe.

Really? I think Google Navigation is pretty amazing. Swap between different options, amazingly accurate (free) traffic data, post code look up, contacts and latitude integration. I don't really see why you'd think TomTom was better?

englishpremier · 22 Sep 2011 at 20:20

For the fact that tomtom works without data. If you stick to major roads and never go off course or into other countries then maps is fine. Google maps/navigation can't get you from Helsinki to St. Pertersburg for example.

Also lacks some statistics (at least when I used it).

I just find it a bit weak as a package overall. No doubt it will be THE navigation system in the future, but for now it's not as polished as some of the others out there.

Plus are telling me you really like the computer generated voice guidance of google navigation?