Why does Sprint Moto Q have GPS enable? - Page 2 - Motorola Q Forum

Amosrock · 03-06-2007, 12:36 PM

of course they give the 911 locator service free (sort of...you pay extra taxes for it). but nobody gives actual gps for free. telenav is the cheapest ive seen. its really not expensive. 10 bucks for unlimited use

hanski9 · 03-06-2007, 01:21 PM

Well, I'm considering the Garmin Mobile 10. It's a bluetooth device I can leave in my car. For about $157.00USD before shipping and taxes if applicable from The Nerds.net you can have full featured GPS with turn by turn directions. Pay a service and in 16 months or so, you just bought a Mobile 10.

Duke4062 · 03-06-2007, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hanski9

Well, I'm considering the Garmin Mobile 10. It's a bluetooth device I can leave in my car. For about $157.00USD before shipping and taxes if applicable from The Nerds.net you can have full featured GPS with turn by turn directions. Pay a service and in 16 months or so, you just bought a Mobile 10.

Yah but who knows what phone I'll have in 16 months? plus you have to pair up the 2 devices (extra time) and charge GPS unit.

gmplr831 · 03-09-2007, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anthonylitz

Yeah, reminds me of the tv commercial for I think T-Mobile, "Where you at?", the wife says, "...yeah I know where your at!" And the husband is with another women in a nice pool.

Leave it to Sprint to charge you another per month fee to do something practical and built into your phone already! Ahhh....

Thanks for the info!
Anthony

FYI< the where u at campaign comes from boost mobile, a prepaid bversion of nextel. Just fyi.

baroark · 03-09-2007, 01:24 PM

So is there any idea on when telenave will be availble for the Q. I had it on my 920 and loved it. Thanks PS. Just got my Q this week.

Mobile Joe · 03-24-2007, 02:37 PM

Now I'm completely confused. If I turn the GPS Enabled ON, on the Red Razr I returned weeks ago for the Q, I believe it would be used by Google Maps and I would be pinpointed automaticaly. Am I remembering this wrong.

abrigham · 04-10-2007, 05:57 PM

Okay, sorry to resurrect an older thread, but I've noted some confusion regarding the GPS built into the Moto Q. Basically, it is what is commonly referred to as Assisted GPS. Basically, this means that rather than using satelites, it triangulates your position using the cell towers. The Assisted GPS info is not output to a serial port, which is where standard GPS enabled apps (like Google Maps) look for it. I'm sure there may be some application out there that could poll the AGPS info and redirect it to a virtual serial port for use by apps like Google Maps, but I haven't really searched for such an application.

The two modes (911 only, or Location On) define how its used. When set to 911 Only, it is only activated when you dial 911. Location On means it is always on and can be polled at any time - but only by the phone itself. No outside parties can access that information. There would have to be an application running on the phone that is pulling that info and then broadcasting it out for someone to know your location (In fact, that's how the e911 works - the phone sends its info to the 911 operator, not the other way around).

Setting the Location On option allows applications designed for use with AGPS to pinpoint your location. An example of such an application would be the Maps feature of the On Demand software from Sprint. I'm sure it will be just a matter of time before Google implements AGPS support, as many phones now have this feature. Also, some mentioned other carriers offering GPS for free - aside from Nextel whose phones are truly GPS enabled - these use the Assisted GPS function of phones such as the MotoRAZR.

I hate to sound like a know-it-all... especially in my first post, but the only reason I know so much about this is I used to have a Samsun MM-A940 through Sprint before I got my Sprint Moto Q (which I LOVE, btw) and it had the same feature, which I used extensively with On Demand Maps (yes its a small fee, around $6/mo I think, but it worked very well). I also did a lot of research on how it worked, to see if I could find other mapping software out there that would allow me to do the same for free.

scubasteve · 04-10-2007, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrClean

Don't quote me on this, but I believe when you are in "911 only", ONLY a 911 operator can locate you using GPS (if they have the right equipment). With the "Location On", only authorized people can locate your phone.

Oops i quoted......lol anyway, even when in 911 only you can still be tracked by more than 911. Any emergency personel (police, fire, 911, etc) can trace you, as well as Sprint and if the need be the goverment (FBI, CIA, etc).

That may sound like a conspiracy theory, but its not its simply the way it works.

scubasteve · 04-10-2007, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abrigham

When set to 911 Only, it is only activated when you dial 911.

Or when the agencies listed in my previous post feel the need to track it. the emergency option is trackable remotely with no effort on your end.

indyx · 04-10-2007, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abrigham

Okay, sorry to resurrect an older thread, but I've noted some confusion regarding the GPS built into the Moto Q. Basically, it is what is commonly referred to as Assisted GPS. Basically, this means that rather than using satelites, it triangulates your position using the cell towers. The Assisted GPS info is not output to a serial port, which is where standard GPS enabled apps (like Google Maps) look for it. I'm sure there may be some application out there that could poll the AGPS info and redirect it to a virtual serial port for use by apps like Google Maps, but I haven't really searched for such an application.

...

I hate to sound like a know-it-all... especially in my first post, but the only reason I know so much about this is I used to have a Samsun MM-A940 through Sprint before I got my Sprint Moto Q (which I LOVE, btw) and it had the same feature, which I used extensively with On Demand Maps (yes its a small fee, around $6/mo I think, but it worked very well). I also did a lot of research on how it worked, to see if I could find other mapping software out there that would allow me to do the same for free.

For a know-it-all your knowledge of how A-GPS actually works is sorely lacking. lol

See my two posts in this other GPS thread if you really want to know how A-GPS works.

http://www.everythingq.com/forum/spr...html#post34889

http://www.everythingq.com/forum/spr...html#post36083