[Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City

Wed Apr 10 20:34:58 UTC 2013

If that is the case, then I challenge someone on this list to produce a 
podcast demonstrating the IPhone GPS app in an urban setting so that the 
rest of us can evaluate its performance for ourselves.  Sorry, but until I 
hear a real-world demo of the IPhone GPS app in action, I will remain 
unconvinced that it is superior to a dedicated GPS device.  Next, someone 
will claim that the IPhone can monitor your blood pressure more effectively 
than a dedicated blood pressure monitor. There are just limits to what a 
single device can do. Besides, at $200 for an IPhone, plus a $1200 
commitment over two years for an IPhone contract, it is certainly 
moreexpensive over the long term than a dedicated GPS device.

Gerald

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Barbour" <jbar at barcore.com>
To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 4:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City

> I'm not sure why you say there is no way the iPhone can be a better
> locating device than the breeze, when several of us have told you how.
>
> The iPhone has better ways of figureing it where it is in places like
> Manhattan where there are lots of concrete structures around.
>
> GPS signals get confused in the city.  Cell tower and wifi signals
> much less so.
>
> Hope that helps,
>
> Jim
>
> On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 03:50:49PM -0400, Gerald Levy wrote:
>>
>> There is simply no way a one-device-does-it-all gadget like the IPhone 
>> could
>> possibly be as reliable as a dedicated GPS device like the Trekker 
>> Breeze. A
>> few years ago,someone (Lynn Tatum, I think) produced a podcast 
>> demonstrating
>> the Trekker Breeze as she walked the streets of midtown Manhattan.  The 
>> unit
>> did not always announce the correct streets or building addresses, a 
>> problem
>> attributable to the multitude of tall buildings in the area.  Besides,
>> walking around in a noisy urban environment with an IPhone glued to your 
>> ear
>> while trying to listen for traffic and other important auditory clues is 
>> a
>> recipe for trouble.  Distracted walking for a blind person is just as
>> dangerous as distracted driving is for a sighted person.
>>
>> 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 2:45 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City
>>
>>
>> >I haven't listened to this podcast, but I don't think your conclusion
>> >follows from this one data point. Was this using the Maps app from 
>> >Apple?
>> >If so, it had some well reported map issues when it was first released.
>> >Was wifi enabled during this test? It's true that tall buildings will
>> >block satellite signals, but it isn't clear from what you say below that
>> >this is why there were accuracy problems in Acron. Also, using cell 
>> >tower
>> >and wifi hotspot triangulation will improve GPS accuracy, and I would
>> >expect New York City has quite a few cell towers and documented wifi hot
>> >spots, so this accuracy could be improved quite a bit.
>> >
>> >On 04/10/2013 01:35 PM, 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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>> >>
>> >>
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>> >
>> >-- 
>> >Christopher (CJ)
>> >chaltain at Gmail
>> >
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