[Leica] OT: Tracfone and GPS

[kanner at acm.org (Herbert Kanner)]

There are relatively inexpensive GPS units from Garmin, Tom Tom, and 
Magellan that are intended for automotive use and give audible turn by turn 
instructions. A few years ago, I bought a Garmin Street Pilot for my wife, 
choosing it over the (current) Nuvi (SP?) model because it was seriously 
larger, giving it larger speakers and therefore better sound quality. The 
theory of the smaller Nuvi was that it would serve both as an automotive 
model and a hand-held one while walking. I don't believe the Street Pilot is 
currently available.

kanner at acm.org
650-326-8204

Question authority and the authorities will question you.




On Oct 13, 2012, at 12:37 AM, Peter Klein wrote:

> Thanks, everybody.
> 
> The friend who said he didn't need a data plan works on a campus, so maybe 
> he uses WiFi. I think he said he bought last year's iPhone (an unlocked 
> one) on Craig's list from an upgrader, and just uses it with a prepaid 
> carrier.  No data plan.  There is a pseudo-GPS method that triangulates 
> your position using nearby cell towers rather than satellites--that might 
> be involved. I'm not sure how you could get real-time map updating without 
> a data connection of some sort, so WiFi may be it. He's travelling now, 
> I'll have ask him when he gets back.
> 
> The whole question appears to be academic, though.  The Tracfones are not 
> really full-fledged smart phones.  They don't have GPS chips.  There's 
> only one that has WiFi--a Blackberry-like model with a small screen 
> (Samsung S390G). It works with some Java apps, not Android apps.  There is 
> a touch-screen model (bigger screen, obviously) that also does Java apps, 
> but it doesn't do WiFi, so you're paying cell phone minutes for 
> inefficient download of data. Me no wanna do that.
> 
> The Samsung is actually tempting.  For a $50 one-time cost, it would give 
> me email and barely tolerable Web browsing on a phone, using any available 
> WiFi, without forcing me to pay any more for the phone service than I do 
> now. But it appears that if I really want GPS, I should just get a 
> dedicated unit.  Otherwise, I'd have to join the monthly-plan payers, and 
> me no wanna do that, neither.  :-)
> 
> The cost of iPhones is breathtaking.  They're kinda like Leicas--very 
> well-made devices that are a pleasure to use, for which people pay too 
> much, and they like it.
> 
> --Peter
> 
> ----------------
> Bill Pearce wrote:
> 
> > WiFi perhaps?
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: John McMaster
> > Sent: Friday, October 12, 2012 4:02 PM
> > To: Leica Users Group
> > Subject: Re: [Leica] OT: Tracfone and GPS
> >
> > I used the TomTom app on my iPad when I was in Europe without a data 
> > plan,
> > GPS only
> >
> > john
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> >
> > All the gps chip built in does is locate the phone, it doesn't give
> > directions. I don't see how this feature could be used without a data 
> > plan,
> > though.
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> 
> 
> 
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