GPS application (was: Request for help: Would like community applications to show anddiscuss at LinuxWorld)

[Tim Coggins]

If you don't need a GPS that's great but I find them really useful.
Yes, maps and a compasses are really useful but they are quite bulky
and you need the right one. Thanks to the FreeRunner I've now got
localised, street level maps for a large part of the work (OSM[0]) in
my pocket. In addition to this I don't even have to work out where I
am and what direction I am moving in.

I'm also looking for a mount for my bicycle handlebars so I'll have a
full bike computer with me when I'm riding - speed, direction, time
and distance will all be displayed for me along with the map. If I
think of anything else I want to hand I could either implement it
myself or ask the tangoGPS guys.

And they are *so* much fun in planes :)

Tim


[0] http://www.openstreetmap.org/


On Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 11:23 AM, Ken Restivo <ken at restivo.org> wrote:
> On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 12:38:07PM +0300, Mikko Rauhala wrote:
>> ti, 2008-07-29 kello 20:53 +0200, Marcus Bauer kirjoitti:
>> > I'm a huge Openstreetmap fan but until OSM is ready for routing this
>> > will take at least five more years, probably ten.
>>
>> That's probably true _if you drive a car_ (though even for that it can
>> be a handy help, especially in areas that don't happen to have lots of
>> turn restrictions, though you of course don't want to just blindly drive
>> listening to it anyway).
>>
>> Us others want navigation too and are considerably less hampered by
>> OSM's current lackings. 'course, there are other projects than TangoGPS,
>> but it seems otherwise nice so one would like it to include this as
>> well. As long as I'm not coding it, it's not my call, of course :]
>>
>> PS: Kudos for your work and all, but with all your hyperbole, jumping to
>> conclusions, accusations of lying and stuff, you might want to take a
>> step back for a breather if you want, you know, people to bother to
>> listen to you instead of just wanting to rant wildly.
>>
>
> I have a really dumb question:
>
> What is the point of having GPS anyway?
>
> I don't travel much, so perhaps that's why I just don't get it.
>
> If I'm navigating around a strange city, though, a hardcopy map is plenty good.
>
> I spend most of my time walking or taking public transport, within a very short radius, in an area I already know very well. I'm just not getting what's cool or exciting about GPS.
>
> -ken
>
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