Handy android Map tool

LivinLOS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Bikes
Gas Gas 250 (Trials), YZ250 (enduro), DRZ440 (Supermoto) CBR900 Streetfighter (scary !!)
While on the Rd I think most of us use a dedicated GPS unit, but once you get to a city area, its another item to carry and I tend to rely on my Phone and google maps.

The problem with this is, once you hit a new country, if you have to use the data it costs a bomb to turn on roaming data, or the hassle of a local sim and data setup for what may be only a brief time. I tend to rely on hotel wifi when on short hops as I also am trying to ignore too much email comms when touring.. I want to get away from too much contact.

What I found on a recent run through Phnom Penh, was the app Maps (-) free version, and Maps (+) paid.

https://market.android.com/details?id=c ... y5tYXBzIl0.

https://market.android.com/details?id=c ... MubWFwcyJd

This app allows you to cache the map tiles, at varying levels of detail, to the phone SD card in advance, and then doesnt need a data connection while out and about. It supports google maps and openstreetmap also (superior in Cambo as it has the street numbers GMaps is missing). and can handle GPX files and the like too.

It doesnt do routing, but I find when I am riding about using a phone I tend to just pull from pocket, check, head to destination, recheck, etc.. I dont try to mount a phone for routing and if I desired that kind of use I would be using the garmin anyway.

Dead handy app.. You can download an entire country at low res so you have its main rds, and cities and downtown at higher res to have all the close up detail you need.

From now on anytime I am planning a city tour, especially in countries I wont have data, I will pre load that cities maps to my phone.

Only things I would like are 1) ability to waypoint current and potential locations easily and 2) possibly a tracklog function.

Dead handy app for Android phones.
 
Looks pretty handy.

i'm about to go andriod, I think a phone with WIFI out, becoming a WIFI hotspot, will be immensely useful while traveling & make using a tablet pc on the road a piece of cake.
 
Yeah but that function chews battery life.. I was using a wifi only iPad on Samui that way earlier in the year and when both wifi and data running the phone is good for a few hours at best.

If going android, get the new Nexus prime. The google phones get the best updates and far prefer the lack of skin crud that all the other makers put on them. Tempted to get one to replace my nexus one.
 
LivinLOS said:
Yeah but that function chews battery life.. I was using a wifi only iPad on Samui that way earlier in the year and when both wifi and data running the phone is good for a few hours at best.

If going android, get the new Nexus prime. The google phones get the best updates and far prefer the lack of skin crud that all the other makers put on them. Tempted to get one to replace my nexus one.


Looks pretty nice


http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-nexus-prime-pictured-clear-as-day-05185756/


20110930084216.jpg







I've got 3 Kindle Fire's coming in a couple of weeks


KO-slate-main-lg._V164817986_.jpg


http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-Amazon-Tablet/dp/B0051VVOB2
 
Thanks will give it a play to contrast and compare..

Found a couple of others that cached maps but liked the one in the first post best so far of the ones I tried. OruxMaps does look advanced.
 
Looks like a very slick app..

But does Orux maps force you to use a computer to build your mapsets ?? Is there a way to cache them via the phone alone ??
 
And for us mere mortals, who can not be bothered using Android, the same feature(Caching maps for offline use) is available for iOS with the MotionX-GPS and MotionX-GPS Drive apps.
Also the iPhone 4S has wifi hotspot out feature as well.
Been using that feature a lot.
 
Apple's obnoxious control of software makes the Iphone unattractive for me, I'm going Android.


Lightemup said:
And for us mere mortals, who can not be bothered using Android, the same feature(Caching maps for offline use) is available for iOS with the MotionX-GPS and MotionX-GPS Drive apps.
Also the iPhone 4S has wifi hotspot out feature as well.
Been using that feature a lot.
 
Lightemup said:
And for us mere mortals, who can not be bothered using Android

I believe the correct term is iSheep

:deal
 
johnnysneds said:
+5 for Apple, resistance is futile

Apple doesn't even allow awesome apps like http://www.bonjourmadame.fr/apps

Apple is evil, makes people more and more ignorant...

It would be like buying a bike as a box with 2 wheels, a clutch, brakes and a throttle, the rest would be inaccessible at all. You wouldn't even be allowed to change the tires yourself. That what apple is. :deal
Edit: and multiply the price tag by 3
 
johnnysneds said:
Had Android, its pish.

Get used to this...


android-crash.jpg


Never had it happen.. Not once.. Thats a couple of years running all kinds of ROMs, hacking the phone i higher risk ways, using market enabler and non market approved downloads.. Installing hacked and extracted apps and code from XDA etc.

i really think a lot of fault lies on the customization manufacturers do to skin them. Vanilla android (or cyanogenMod ROM) is for sure the way to go.
 
MastaMax said:
johnnysneds said:
+5 for Apple, resistance is futile

Apple doesn't even allow awesome apps like http://www.bonjourmadame.fr/apps

Apple is evil, makes people more and more ignorant...

It would be like buying a bike as a box with 2 wheels, a clutch, brakes and a throttle, the rest would be inaccessible at all. You wouldn't even be allowed to change the tires yourself. That what apple is. :deal
Edit: and multiply the price tag by 3

I agree with most of your comments and I jailbreak all my devices, when I can, as I want root control.
However, I think the future will see more closed OS systems, even on PC's, like it or not.
 
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