OpenStreetMap
I got my new Android XPeria X10 mini which comes with... a GPS!
So now I'm looking at various ways that I can contribute to OSM. My hometown Hermanus is quite poorly mapped so I think I'll use it as my test bed.
I'm tried osmand today. I liked that has the ability to directly upload POI's. However there was no nice way to record information on the fly.
So tomorrow I'm going to try Open GPS-Tracker along with its voice annotation option and see if it'll allow me to annotate my gps track in a nice (safe) way.
Discussion
Comment from grazer on 25 September 2010 at 00:06
hi, try gpsmid. just google it. Its a java apps. I just it in my Sony Ericcson C905.
Comment from Warlock74 on 25 September 2010 at 11:58
I can recommend OSM-Tracker for Android. It supports setting trackpoints with comments, it records sound and even takes pictures.. and it is customizable.
Comment from RossAnder on 25 September 2010 at 12:21
Hey, I've also just got an X10 mini. I'm from Somerset West so we gotta get the Cape all mapped out! Have you tried using Navdroyd? Download apkiod (sorta like an apk blackmarket) off the market, load the osm maps and there u have voice guided navigation on your phone :)
Comment from RossAnder on 25 September 2010 at 12:39
*edit: it's not apkoid. Supposed to be 'apktor'
Comment from nmixter on 25 September 2010 at 15:25
Check out osmand. It supports adding pois directly.
Comment from Sanderd17 on 25 September 2010 at 19:22
osmand needs continiously internet connection. Open-gpstracker is a very good app, the data survived every hardwarecrash I had. That means: if I'm recording a gps track and the phone suddenly lock up due to RAM problems, all the data taken until then is saved. If such a thing happens with OSM-tracker, all data is lost, only the non-geotagged pictures remain. If you want to take notes, you'll better be of with OSM-tracker. Open-Gpstracker has problems with exporting all kinds of notes.
So my solution: use OSM-tracker to take notes and run Open-Gpstracker in the background to be sure you have the trace. A good thing android has multi tasking :p
BTW, if you like complete open software and data, both programs are free and if you want free navigation, try navit (search for the apk).
Comment from Robket on 25 September 2010 at 20:17
Wow. I'm impressed by all the responses.
I went hiking today and used open-gpstracker to record the mountain trail. Took numerous photos "in-track" and overall was quite impressed with the program's usability. It had a very nice UI and some useful speed/altitude graphing which was especially interesting (I thought I had climbed WAY more than 300 meters :P)
It does require a network connection to download the underlaying maps that it shows your track above. Its too expensive to allow it to do that and unfortunately it reverts to rendering a horrible mess of unrefreshed overlapping images when it has no data.
So I think I'll use open-gpstracker for situations where there is no need/no time to add POI's (hiking/driving). To note with driving, when you make an audio recording with your headset in it records via the headset, but there is no way to record quickly as presently it requires you to press 3 touch screen buttons. In that regard I prefer the osm-tracker's voice memo button which requires one push. I might have a look at open-gpstracker's source and edit it to "listen" for the headphone button and trigger a voice memo if pressedd.
I found that osmand DOES allow you to predownload map tiles and POI data for use in an offline situation. I haven't tested trying to create a POI in offline mode, I can imagine it might give some trouble. I would use osmand in situations where I'm able to add POI's at my leisure, and perhaps where I'm not as interested in my track (when walking).
Tommorrow I'm going to try OSM-tracker in real life, though at the moment I'm a bit dissapointed by the UI which has difficulty fitting all the buttons into my XPERIA's tiny screen.
I'll also google for a apk for gpsmid as I haven't intstalled midlets on my phone yet.
Also RossAnder I'll be driving through your part of the world tomorrow on my way back to Stellenbosch (Which is sadly very well mapped out it seems ;) Hopefully Navdroyd will be able to help me avoid the long weekend traffic.
Comment from jutezak on 26 September 2010 at 16:06
I'm missing GPSmid because it does not run on Android. Someone was working on a port and had it running, but it seemed incomplete.
Pity, because there is no program yet on android that combines a track display with offline vector maps.
Comment from Sanderd17 on 27 September 2010 at 07:11
It seems navit can display tracks on offline vector maps. Didn't try that though.
http://wiki.navit-project.org/index.php/Navit_on_n770/n800#Using_Tracks