[Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City

[Jim Barbour]

I think you're talking about the lookaround app.  The biggest problem
with that app is the map data.

If you use something like "where to?", "around me", or even "blind
square", you'll find that the iPhone does a great job with GPS.

Jim

On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 02:35:02PM -0400, Gerald Levy wrote:
> 
> Not true at all.  Last year, Rick Harmon from Blind Geek Zone produced a
> podcast demonstrating the GPS app for the IPhone 4 in his home town of
> Akron, Ohio.  Needless to say, it was not very accurate and often announced
> incorrect street names and landmarks, even though Akron is not a
> particularly dense urban area like midtown Manhattan.  So it would stand to
> reason that the GPS app for the IPhone would not work well in a major city
> with a lot of tall buildings that could block the direct line of sight to
> the orbiting GPS satellites.
> 
> Gerald
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Chaltain"
> <chaltain at gmail.com>
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 11:56 AM
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City
> 
> 
> >I'm not sure about the BrailleNote running Sendero, but iPhone/Android
> >running a GPS app will also use cell tower and wifi hotspot triangulation
> >to improve location reliability. I would think this would help quite a bit
> >in a large metropolitan area, but I can't speak from experience.
> >
> >On 04/10/2013 10:49 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
> >>I work in midtown Manhattan.  I have Sendero GPS, running on a
> >>Braillenote PK.  I find it pretty unreliable in New York City, probably
> >>because of the many tall buildings.  It frequently says I'm 2 blocks
> >>away from where I know I am, and heading in a different direction than
> >>I'm heading.  My question is, does this happen with all GPS in big
> >>cities, or is it because the GPS is running on a PK, not the most
> >>powerful system in the world?  Would, say, IPhone GPS be more reliable
> >>in the big city?
> >>I am only interested in the big city aspect.  At home, in north Jersey,
> >>the Sendero and PK work reasonably well.
> >>Thanks.
> >>Tracy
> >>
> >>
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> >
> >-- 
> >Christopher (CJ)
> >chaltain at Gmail
> >
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