Mapless GPS

[Alexey Feldgendler]

On Thu, 22 May 2008 12:27:08 +0200, Alexey Feldgendler  
<alexey at feldgendler.ru> wrote:

> Randall Munroe, the author of XKCD, suggests an excellent idea:
> http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/05/20/gps-cyborg-implant/
>
> Simply put, it's a GPS navigator that only repeatedly gives you the  
> direction towards the target (in “three o'clock” style) and the distance  
> to it, without using any maps at all. It probably won't help you in a  
> maze of twisty passages all alike, but should be good enough when  
> navigating in a city or suburb where roads are made to enable you to  
> reach places.

Stupid me. Should have done some research before posting. Of course, this  
exists and has been done long before routed maps even appeared. Garmin  
makes a range of those direction-only navigators, for example.

I've also found that I can turn my €500 device into a dumb direction-only  
one with the right settings. :-) For anyone owning a Garmin nüvi 360 or  
alike, that's Settings -> Map -> Map Info, uncheck every available map,  
then Settings -> Map -> Map View = Track Up, then Settings -> Navigation  
-> Route Preference = Off Road. This turns off map display and draws a  
straight start-to-finish line instead of calculating a route. However,  
voice prompts with bearing angles would still be nice.


-- 
Alexey Feldgendler <alexey at feldgendler.ru>
[ICQ: 115226275] http://feldgendler.livejournal.com