[Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City

Thu Apr 11 03:07:17 UTC 2013

Hi Gerald and all,

There is a free app called heart rate which is free to download to the IPhone!  One places their index finger on the phone's camera and one can hear a beep with their pulse.  One can hear numerically what their heart rate is!

As for GPS, the GPS is only as good as the maps it uses.  The maps in the Trekker Breeze are updated every two years if one is lucky!  The IPhone has access to frequently updated apps from a number of sources.  I haven't been happy with the apps I have used on my IPhone with the exception of the $5  dollar Sendero app.   It is limited but works well!  I'm looking forward to the comprehensive IPhone app from Sendero.  One's IPhone is always with the person using it! This isn't the case with the Trekker Breeze.

Jim

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 10, 2013, at 2:34 PM, "Gerald Levy" <bwaylimited at verizon.net> wrote:

> 
> 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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>>> 
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>> 
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